If you're like most people, you want to stop procrastinating, but despite your best efforts, you haven't had much luck. Untangling yourself from your procrastination habit takes time, effort, discipline, mindfulness, and even self-compassion toward your negative feelings. Here are some tangible tips to help you break this habit.
Identify Your Procrastination Fears
Fear often drives procrastination habits, even when you aren't sure what you're afraid of. There's a well-known misconception that people procrastinate due to laziness, but it's usually because they're trying to manage anxiety. Some common fears include:
Fear of failure: You might worry about completing something and then being ridiculed or shamed for it by others. Fears of judgment can perpetuate a freeze-like response that can take the form of chronic procrastination.
Fear of success: People also worry about succeeding at certain tasks. For example, you might feel uncomfortable with the idea of being in the center of attention or achieving a significant milestone.
Fear of being uncomfortable: Sometimes even small tasks trigger immense feelings of anxiety, shame, guilt, and sadness. If unchecked, this fear can lead to procrastination tendencies.
Commit to Just Two Minutes
Getting started is often the hardest part of completing any task. This is why the two-minute rule can be one of the best time management techniques for managing your own procrastination. Almost anyone can do almost anything if they only need to dedicate themselves to 120 seconds!
Set a timer: Commit to your task for just two minutes. Don't focus on how much you get done. Simply focus on doing what you can within those two minutes. This is a great way to initially build your self-control.
Allow yourself to ride the momentum: You may find that you only get some part of the task done within those two minutes. That's fine. But once you're in motion, you might find that it's easier to keep going, and you may end up working longer than you anticipated. This is a net positive that can boost your overall productivity.
Be consistent: Throughout the day, engage in the two-minute rule for various tasks. Just get in the habit of taking those small wins whenever you can. Any moment you spend being productive can help you build more productivity habits.
Put Your Phone Away
Give yourself at least 30 minutes to work on a task completely free from distractions. This can be hard, especially if you are prone to scrolling or multitasking.
But if you want to get things done, you might be surprised by how much you can achieve when you solely focus on the task at hand. If you need your phone on you, turn off notifications from non-essential apps. The continuous pinging of alerts can perpetuate a state of distraction, and it can create its own compulsive energy.
Build in Natural Breaks
Many people procrastinate on large tasks because they feel so daunting. Even if you have good intentions, you might find yourself wasting far more time than you'd like.
Although it may sound paradoxical, successful people use their time effectively because they understand that rest matters. They know which important tasks need to get done, but they also aim to delegate, outsource, and manage unrealistic expectations.
Pomodoro technique: This well-known time management strategy entails working for 25 minutes straight coupled with a 5-minute break. After four sessions, plan for a longer 15-30 minute break to recharge.
Make your breaks meaningful: When you do break, engage in activities that restore you. This may include gently walking, stretching, calling a friend, or eating a rounded meal.
Reward Yourself Appropriately
Routinely rewarding yourself can reinforce positive behavior and help you prevent procrastination. The key is to reward yourself effectively and in ways that feel appropriate and manageable.
Immediate rewards: Consider how you can give yourself small rewards after completing each micro-goal or task.
Larger rewards: You might want to consider planning larger rewards for larger tasks (i.e. taking the night off to relax after working hard all week or planning a night out with friends just after completing a major school assignment).
Be mindful of ineffective or harmful rewards: Some rewards inadvertently trigger procrastination tendencies. For instance, watching an episode of a show may feel good in the moment, but it may easily turn into an extended TV binge that sabotages your productivity efforts.
Strengthening Your Mental Health and Well-Being with Resurface Group
Your mental health may play more of a role in your procrastination habits than you realize. Sometimes, learning how to overcome procrastination comes down to learning how to manage your impulsivity, depression, neurodivergence, anxiety, and more. This doesn't make you flawed or bad- it simply means you're a human facing very human struggles!
While beating procrastination is challenging, you can learn how to stay focused and move through your to-do list without feeling totally overwhelmed. At Resurface Group, we're all about helping people understand their triggers, harness their strengths, and live more authentically.
We are here for you and your loved ones! Contact us today to learn more about our dynamic mental health programs.
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