Let’s talk about overcoming procrastination. In one way or another, we all procrastinate what we don’t feel like doing right now. Studying for a test, finishing a challenging assignment or making an important phone call – different people procrastinating different tasks.
Regardless of how procrastination manifests itself for you, consistently postponing critical tasks that we need to complete takes a heavy mental toll.
Although some of us procrastinate due to difficulties in prioritizing and managing time, it appears that procrastination is primarily an emotional phenomenon. It is not born of laziness or having to meet deadlines constantly.
In Tim Urban’s clever blog ‘Wait But Why‘, he argues that telling someone to “Avoid procrastination” is only applicable to fake procrastinators.
In this article, I discuss the main causes of procrastination and provide some effective techniques to deal with them.
So what’s the deal with procrastination?
According to researchers, procrastination is caused by an emotional response to the object we avoid. A certain set of tasks that we are required to perform may cause us uncomfortable and unpleasant feelings. Instead of doing them, we engage in activities that elevate our mood – for example, scrolling aimlessly through Facebook, sleeping, playing computer games, eating, or smoking. Depending on your level of escapism.
Timothy Pychyl, professor of psychology at Carleton University, explains: “Putting off the task at hand is an effective way of regulating this mood. Avoid the task, avoid the bad mood.”.
The next thing to happen is that we experience additional negative feelings.
Not completing the task on time, completing it at the last minute, or even simply doing something to raise our mood – all can be guilt inducing.
Feeling bad about ourselves, in and of itself, hinders our productivity.
A negative pattern like this feeds itself. In fact, studies show that negative feelings created by avoidance are probably higher than if we had worked continuously on the task.
As a result, this negative pattern may only make us work harder, feel guilty, and eventually exhaust our system.
The present self and the future self
It is also worth considering that neurologically, our present and future selves are totally different entities. As a result, it is so challenging for us to make rational decisions about our future. Instead, we often choose to focus on the instant gratification of the present moment instead.
Study results from Stanford University show that when we think about something in the present or in the future, we activate different parts of the brain. It was found that the brain activity of the subjects resembled that of a stranger when they were encouraged to think about something they had imagined in the future.
This actually explains why we are prone to making irrational decisions in regard to the future, in favor of immediate gratification now.
In either case, a true procrastinator needs a change. It is very unpleasant to live in a continuous field of negativity and procrastinating for so long. Our postponement of everything to the last minute, even if we still accomplish the task, makes it hard for us to reach our full potential. In addition, if we cannot deal with the list of things we have to do, we will probably not be able to consider the list of things we want to do, which is a shame.
This perspective on overcoming procrastination teaches us that it’s important to raise awareness about how we sabotage our own success. We need to learn how to regulate unpleasant emotions.
Some techniques that help us overcoming procrastination
First of all, we understand that procrastination is a complex issue, so advice like “just stop procrastinating, what’s wrong with you?” will be kept to ourselves.
Forgiveness is the first step
Among all the techniques I will employ here, as an awareness enthusiast, I chose to start with something more abstract. Another study by Timothy Pychyl (cited earlier here) demonstrated that students who forgive themselves after procrastinating before a midterm exam were less likely to procrastinate during the next exam.
By forgiving ourselves, we reduce the guilt we feel towards procrastination. This is one of the main causes for us to procrastinate (how our minds work, eh?).
So please take my prescription – a generous handful of self-forgiveness.
Become aware of your ability to choose
Start by observing your natural tendency to procrastinate. Try to pause, if only for a moment. Examine your need to escape towards immediate gratification. What are you escaping from? frustration? Anxiety? insecurity?
In the end, what matters is that you take the time to observe what is happening in your body and mind.
Make the task easier for you by breaking it into smaller pieces
For the most part, our work environment can thwart our efforts for overcoming procrastination if we don’t shape it to our benefit. A vague, busy, and long list of tasks, with an abstract timetable for execution, may contribute to stress, anxiety, and procrastination.
So what should we do?
By breaking down our tasks into small parts, we are able to digest them more easily and accomplish them. Each action we successfully execute will help us feel more positive about our mission, improve our self-esteem, and encourage us to continue.
When you cross off a task from your list, you create a positive incentive for yourself.
Next time you encounter a task that causes you to procrastinate, ask yourself, what is the smallest step I can take right now to make progress?
Make the starting point as simple as possible
Similarly, this section also discusses the creation of momentum. Even the smallest internal movement can slowly bring us forward.
Beginning a task is often the most difficult obstacle we need to overcome. Therefore, it is key to make the starting point as easy as possible, knowing that once we start it will likely be easy to continue and progress.
Here are some examples from my life.
If I write a blog now, the task can be to collect resources. Maybe it’s just reading some relevant posts.
If I really have a hard time approaching a task or paying attention to it, I use the 5 minute rule. I promise myself to engage in the task for at least 5 minutes. This period usually quiets the mind and reduces procrastination.
Typically during these 5 minutes, I can find myself staring at the screen, or even just thinking about it. However, most of the time I break the silence before the time is up and begin working on the task.
This is what James Clear calls the 2 minute rule: when you implement a new habit, it should take you up to 2 minutes.
“Practice half an hour of yoga.” becomes “Get out the yoga mat”
“Fold the laundry” becomes “Fold a pair of socks”.
“Run 5 kilometers” becomes “lace up your running shoes and step out of your house”.
You get it. A minimum effort is needed to start a movement.
Sometimes it’s okay to do the right thing for the wrong reason
We can use what Professor Dan Arieli calls “reward substitution” to wire ourselves for positive actions. When we have a difficult action to do, we link it to a reward that isn’t necessarily relevant for this action.
As an example, Arieli talks about a time when he was in the United States studying for his doctorate and was diagnosed with type C jaundice. He had to receive an injection every day for a year and a half, making him feel terrible. The thought of his health (the real reason for the action) wasn’t enough to encourage him to stand up and take the shot, so he decided that he would binge on movies every injection day.
While this isn’t the most holistic method, there are apparently several positive rewards that will absolutely work.
Make your workplace conducive to productivity
It is critical for us to recognize the importance of our environment as a supporter of our development. We can design spaces that are free of distractions so that we won’t be so vulnerable.
(Read more about it in my article about Digital Minimalism)
As we’ve seen, the common procrastinator finds a task challenging and immediately seeks a comforting activity with an immediate reward.
When I tend to procrastinate and an activity I enjoy is waiting for me in the corner of my eye, it will be difficult to concentrate on a task that challenges me.
In order to overcome procrastination, we need to remove what hinders us from overcoming it. This includes blocking relevant websites, deleting computer games or addictive apps, providing healthy alternatives to junk food, etc.
Use the help of others
It can be difficult to stay committed to the process when we are alone in our struggle with procrastination.
A task that involves other people is much more difficult to postpone (although not impossible).
For example, if you decide to regularly go to the gym, it’s likely that if you miss every now and then you can wave it off as “no big deal”. But if you do it with a training partner, there’s someone to hold you accountable.
You could also use a friend or colleague to hold you accountable, but I wouldn’t build on it for the long term because it isn’t sustainable.
To conclude
Since overcoming procrastination is more of an emotional issue than an inability to manage time, it is now possible to put our energy into the right effort. This is rather than trying the same techniques over and over again.
As a holistic person, I believe overcoming challenges and changing habits requires a combination of awareness and technique.
Good luck! Are you dealing with procrastination? Let me know!
