1. Leave the house. Go to a working environment, It it may be the library, coffee shop or a designated study area on campus. Regardless, leave the distractions behind and make it hard to lose focus.
2. Disconnect. Get off Facebook, Twitter and turn off your cell phone. These time sinks are useless, yet the ever updating aspect make them impossible to pull your eyes away from. Most coffee shops make you pay for WiFi, take advantage of this fact. Is Facebook really worth 5 dollars?
3. Isolate. Put on your headphones, put in some ear plugs, listen to white noise. By blocking your hearing, you eliminate a great deal of distractions. The feeling of isolation will help you get your work done.
4. Get dressed. Act like you mean business, if you’re wearing comfy sweats and slippers are you really giving off the productive vibe? Take a shower, do your hair, get dressed for the day, eat breakfast and get in the working mood.
5. Just do it. Don’t set timelines, you and I both know you won’t start that essay in fifteen minutes. Start immediately, the only difference between starting now and in a few minutes is the continuation of the procrastination loop you’ve been in all day. You’ve got work to do, just do it.