Procrastination, while sometimes temporarily soothing, is mostly a source of stress in your life. The constant buzz in your brain to address what you’ve been avoiding isn’t emotionally healthy. When people begin to consider changes they potentially want to make (such as the old standbys, more exercise or eating differently), often the reasons for not expediting them interfere. I hear this all too often, “I have no time.” But if you are someone for whom this is true, don’t despair. Understanding your habit of procrastinating might well be the beginning of the end of your dithering.
Here are some common reasons for procrastination:
- The urge to grab hold of your life, by doing things on your own terms or choosing not to do them. “If I claim my time the way I want, then I feel like it belongs to me, not to someone or something else.” That approach can leave lots of important stuff hanging.
- Having anxiety as a chronic partner in all your decisions may mean that by procrastinating you are able to delay actions and maintain a sense of calm. Meanwhile your to-do list grows.
- Fear of failure, the belief that if you don’t tackle “the thing,” then you won’t fail at it. There is no denying this logic!
- Poor self esteem, as in “I don’t believe I have the skills to do this.”
- Fear of criticism, expressed as “Without action and possible failure, no one can judge or criticize me.”
- Inability to focus—“I have too many things on my plate and can’t prioritize.”
Ways to mitigate chronic procrastination:
- Acknowledgment—By admitting that you often operate by delay/dawdle/defer when faced with tasks will allow you to make some changes.
- Time commitments definitely play a role here. What you chose to do—and when—are factors to consider when trying to retrain your brain to be more proactive. Be accountable to those who are counting on you. Make resolutions now.
- Be a bit less ambitious. Most of us have unrealistic expectations of our ability to get things done in a timely manner. Unreasonable lists can create a sense of failure when not all are accomplished. Pare down your list to something feasible.
- Look for reasonable ways to work through your anxiety. Is it exacerbated by your delays? Or has anxiety really taken root in who you are 24/7? The first is fixable with mindfulness; the second may require the help of therapy.
- Take a break. Step away for 15 minutes from the task you’re addressing, and then revisit it with more energy.
Denise’s
2 Cents:
The layers of approaches to maximize health and well-being are many and various. Sometimes we simply need direction from someone trustworthy, e.g. guidance on eating and exercising. But more often than not, many of us pretty much know what we’re supposed to do. So, what’s missing here? One way to deal is to take charge of one behavior at a time. If you don’t feel as though you can show up for the world and its demands (i.e. you procrastinate), then you clearly have work to do. Looking deeper at the “whys” of your personal practices can have a real impact on motivating you to take better care of yourself. And it will encourage your making changes and taking charge.
My Challenge: choose a long-deferred chore—like cleaning out a junk drawer—and commit to a day and time to complete it. Call in a support crew, if need be. Start with this small success, then begin chipping away at the rest of your to-do list!