The 21st century has become synonymous with hustle culture, which brings along signs of procrastination. If we look at the dictionary definition, procrastination deals with an act of delaying the activities at hand. Procrastinators usually fall under six categories, namely, the perfectionist, the dreamer, the worrier, the defier, the crisis-maker, and the over-doer.
The first step towards correcting procrastination is recognizing its early signs. The best part is that with the necessary work from your side, you may be able to reverse symptoms of procrastination and become an active action-taker.
If we go by what the American Psychology Association says, 20% of adults procrastinate chronically. This itself is concerning and calls for an elaborate discussion on the causes, consequences, and corrective measures associated with tackling procrastination.
A Quick Definition
Procrastination is an act of unnecessarily and voluntarily delaying or postponing activities and tasks despite knowing the negative consequences of doing so. A classic example of this is pushing an assignment to an edge where the deadline coincides with the day you sit down to do all the work.
When you engage in repeat activity delay, you may attract unnecessary stress and worry in your life. Something that once had ample time is now faced with tight timelines, in certain cases unrealistic ones. All this while, if you have been toying with these signs, now is the time to buck up, take control, and overcome that stubborn procrastinator hidden inside of you.
How Does it Impact Mental Health?
It might be surprising, but there can be a connection between procrastination and mental health conditions.In certain cases, procrastination can be a symptom of underlying mental health conditions, while under other circumstances, mental health conditions can push you toward the ocean of mindless delays on vital tasks. Mental health conditions like ADHD, eating disorders, anxiety, and depression often give birth to this condition.
On the other hand, delaying tasks might make you feel guilty. The person in question can get too hard on themselves. They may start questioning their capabilities and worth. All this piles up into a dark cloud of ill mental health, which may lead to anxiety, depression, stress, and frustration.
1. Set Realistic Goals
In some cases, procrastinators may struggle due to the absence of goals or unrealistic goals. If you wish to tackle this, you need to define what it is that you have set out to achieve.
For instance, you may be responsible for drafting a few work communications. Now if you do not know the number of collaterals you have to produce, you may find your comfort zone and start shooting in the dark. The best way to avoid this stingy situation is by breaking down the number of expected collaterals and the corresponding timeline within which the same needs completion.
When goals are in black and white, you know what you need to achieve and can feel accomplished as you tick off each task. In the process, procrastinating takes a back seat.
2. Stay in Tune With Your Feelings
Looking within and looking deeper is another fantastic way to deal with the act of mindless postponement. When someone turns into a habit of postponing vital tasks, we draw a convenient conclusion that the person in question is “not serious” about the task at hand. It does not take us time to judge people and pull them down every time they display the slightest actions of delay.
But what we fail to realize is that the person we are putting in the spot may be dealing with a lot of personal issues. Instead, allow people their own space to address their feelings. It is possible that the person doesn’t enjoy the work they have signed up for or has to deal with heavy emotions from the past. We need to be kind to others while not forgetting to be kind to ourselves.
3. Start Small
Have you heard leaders, experts, and coaches suggest their clients and subordinates to take baby steps? We are quick to term this as cliché, but if we give this a shot, we will understand how far baby steps can take us. If you sit down to think, you will understand that when people feel overwhelmed, they choose the escape route; and turn into serial delayers. This happens because dealing with a plate full of challenging tasks seems super daunting.
Instead, if each task is set aside under respective categories and broken down into tiny steps, overwhelm around it will reduce significantly. The person in question will experience a fresh dash of confidence and may feel accomplished with every step they take. This is particularly useful when the activity you choose is new and something you haven’t played around with in the past. Starting small makes you feel like you will be able to find meaning in the process and will be able to deliver as planned. In the process, this will become a thing of the past.
4. Don’t Expect Yourself to be Perfect
Perfectionism is a misconception. Since you never cease to learn, you never cease to inch closer to perfectionism. Procrastinators are often born out of a vague feeling of “not doing enough” and “not being able to achieve enough.” If you wish to step down from this rut, you must focus on the journey and avoid focusing solely on the destination.
The best way to convince yourself is to look inward and take pride in being a work in progress – a work in progress who enjoys the scope to learn, unlearn, grasp, progress, fall, stand up, and achieve every day. Look away from perfectionism, eliminate delay, and you will stop crawling and start learning.
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5. Find Ways to Enjoy Hard Tasks
When sitting down to complete a basket of tasks, human psychology is to complete tasks that seem easy and achievable. The initial few hours revolve around doing what you enjoy. The act of delay starts creeping in when it is time to move to hard tasks.
One of the best ways of tackling this obstacle is by adding a tinge of enjoyment and adventure to these tasks. For instance, for every completed hard task, you can reward yourself with an hour’s worth of cap or a tub of ice cream. This should work as motivation enough and put this act on the back burner.
6. Reward Yourself
We just spoke about rewarding yourself every time you feel accomplished after engaging with a hard task. How about you reward yourself for every accomplishment, irrespective of its difficulty level? If done right, this unhelpful habit need not bother you often.
Something as basic as taking a peaceful walk outdoors or sipping on a piping hot cup of your favorite hot chocolate should work as motivation enough to keep the procrastinator at a distance from you. Remember, rewards need not have to be anything expensive or fancy. Create a list of rewards comprising items or activities that are dear to you – activities that you enjoy engaging in but do not frequently get a chance to do so.
Add an element of fun by making chits. Every time you beat this feeling, pick up a chit from the jar, and it shall become your reward for the day. We seldom reward ourselves. Stop thriving on external validation and, for once, take control of your life.
7. Create a Productive Environment
A study by CareerBuilder found that 53% of employees were less productive in a cold work environment. The same statistics more or less become applicable in the other walks of life too. Let us assume, you are working out of a noisy place, your desk has clutter, and you are ergonomically unhappy. This would make you feel unproductive, and the delay bug will step in.
The best way to control this situation is to turn to a productive environment. If you enjoy working outdoors, opt for that. If you prefer crawling into your bed and working, go for it. You will witness improvement in your performance graph with unhelpful actions keeping a distance from you.
8. Recognize Your Accomplishments
Validation is something most of us seek. The sad part is that this validation is always desired from a third person when it is easier to validate our own actions. This, for sure, is one of the best ways of getting rid of this feeling. You must recognize your accomplishments.
The more you become present and aware of how far you have come, everything starts seeming easier. You must affirm that every accomplishment takes the procrastinator in you a step back from your life, making you powerful and in complete control of your life.
At times, we overlook our small wins. However, what’s important is to see every win as equally vital and cherish it. In the end, it is all about modifying your attitude and perspective. This is doable to beat the act of delay.
9. Plan Ahead
Are you looking to beat the procrastinator in you? You must start planning your activities. It is natural for most of us to feel that we have all information registered in our heads. Even though that’s true, it is always best to have everything on pen and paper; before your eyes. Usually, we postpone because, at times, there is a lot on our plates, and we remain unclear about what to address first.
When you plan your activities and tasks, you have a list of all that needs immediate attention at your disposal. Now you can take out time and prioritize these activities based on what is most urgent and what can wait. Now that you have a clear direction before you, there are bleak chances of this feeling loitering around you. Give it time, and you can come out strong.
Get Started With a Trusted Therapist on DocVita Today
Let us now take a quick quiz. All you need to do is answer the following three questions for yourself.
- Did you procrastinate on an urgent task sometime in the near past?
- Do you procrastinate often?
- Are you unclear about the possible reasons behind the delays?
If you answered positively to all the above three questions, it is clear that you have gotten into the habit of delaying important activities. But you need not be fearful because you can address and eliminate this concern from its roots.
That said, if you have been attempting to put on a mask and are unaccepting of the fact that you can’t deal with this habit of yours, it is time for you to break free from the shackles of limited living.
We at DocVita understand it is not easy to step out. Guess what!? It isn’t impossible, either. In fact, it gets easier with the necessary expert support by your side. All you have to do is visit DocVita and check out the list of therapists. Eventually, place your fingers on the one you can relate to more and start your therapy sessions. Through these sessions, you may come to know what has been holding you back all this while. What could be leading you to procrastinate activities that otherwise hold prime importance?
We at DocVita look forward to being a part of your journey and helping you to cross the bridge. It is time to heal. Without further ado, get started with a trusted therapist on DocVita today.