June 12, 2020
Procrastination….it happens to the best of us. We have something that we need to do, but we put it off. Excuses are made, other things are justified as being more important, and before we know it there is a deadline that is either right in front of us or it has passed. Typically the end result is a visit from an old friend….
ANXIETY!!!!!
Other emotions or thoughts can occur. Some that I have heard described are:
Remorse
Anger
Fear of reprisal or consequence
Blaming others or something else
Flippant attitude about the task that was procrastinated
Then something interesting happens. The attention shifts from the task that was supposed to be completed and instead the anxiety or other emotion takes center stage, and in some cases it begins to run rampant! The missed task is now an after thought, or is twisted into a self-defeating identity of who we are!
“I CAN’T DO THE EASIEST OF THINGS”
“I AM SO LAZY AND SHORT SIGHTED”
“I’M A FAILURE AND ONLY MAKE THINGS WORSE”
We can be left in a state of chaos and the task that should have been completed was not. Now we have a big mess on our hands. One that can easily snowball into bigger problems. Guess what that can bring out? More of our friend:
ANXIETY!!!!!
A common question that I hear after this problem cycle has started is: “What do we do now?”
Let’s start off with some common ground, and define procrastination. According to dictionary.com it is defined as:
“the act or habit of procrastinating, or putting off or delaying, especially
something requiring immediate attention”.
We are referring to a habit (for more on this topic click here: https://joshhaycraft.wixsite.com/website/post/habits-we-all-have-them) or a choice to not do or delay a task that should be completed.
Think about yourself for a moment. What are some things that have caused you to procrastinate? That is an easy one for me to answer. Some of them have been:
Balancing my checkbook
Communicating with a manager about a tough situation
Mundane and repetitive things such as entering data into a database
Minor home repairs
Starting a blog
I know there are others. I’m sure if I asked my family or friends they could easily name a few different things, just as I can likewise identify some for them. The point is we have all done it at some time or another. It often isn’t a problem until something big has happened. It can be a difficult problem to identify too as it is often masked by an emotion such as you probably guessed it anxiety.
Now that we have an understanding of what procrastination is, and that it is a common problem what are some things that we can do to help tame it?
Check your goals: Sometimes our goals might be too large. It is OK to lower your goals and slow down.
Consult a friend/family member: sometimes we might delay a decision or task because we are unsure on what to do or what a reaction from another might be.
Check for distractions: Are there any changes or anything new that you are thinking about more frequently?
Journal or start a log: this can help you identify trends such as when you are most productive, distracted, etc.
Seek outside help: sometimes you might be too close to the problem to see it, and a therapist can help.
Procrastination. 2020. In Dictionary.com. Retrieved June 11, 2020, from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/procrastination?s=t