Are you feeling stuck in a procrastination loop? We’ve all been there! Discover simple, effective strategies to help you break free from procrastination, stop putting off tasks, and boost your productivity.
Have you ever pushed a task aside because it seemed too dull or unappealing? If so, you’re not alone. Studies show that 95% of people struggle with procrastination at some point, putting things off only to rush to get them done at the last minute. While it’s expected to do this occasionally, it’s time to take a closer look if procrastination starts affecting your daily productivity. So, what can you do about it? Let’s start by understanding what procrastination is.
What is Procrastination?
We can all agree that sometimes we just don’t want to finish a task or even take it up. We would much prefer scrolling on social media or binge-watching our favourite shows. There’s a word for this behaviour, and that is procrastination.
Simply put, it’s postponing a task or a set of functions. It’s all too common, and all of us do it from time to time. But you would also agree that whenever you procrastinate, your to-do list just piles up and leads to unnecessary anxiety and stress. And from a long-term perspective, it can diminish productivity and harm work relationships because the opposite of procrastination is productivity.
Now that we’ve defined procrastination let’s understand how it works. Procrastination generally works in a cycle. It starts when you avoid a task and tell yourself you’ll get to it later. This brings you a temporary sense of relief because the task was too overwhelming in your mind. But as you get closer to the deadline, you start experiencing a surge of anxiety, and now the task seems more daunting than it did before. Eventually, you give in to these feelings and finally complete the task. However, because you rushed, the quality of your work might suffer, and you might wish that you had more time on your hands to do this task much more efficiently.
This short guided session with Kanchan Wadi on SoulSensei will teach you how to rewire your habits and break dysfunctional patterns like procrastination.
The Consequences of Procrastination
When you procrastinate, it hurts your performance, hinders your productivity, and can even harm your reputation in your personal and professional relationships. Procrastination can affect the quality of your work, as you usually finish tasks at the last minute, so you’ve not given your all to them. Additionally, procrastination leads to a lot of unwanted stress and anxiety, which could’ve been easily avoided. So, if you’ve been wondering how to stop procrastinating, here are some effective ways you can do it.
Practical Strategies to Stop Procrastinating
There are many ways to tackle the question of how to stop or avoid procrastination. These strategies combine increasing self-awareness with improving self-discipline. We’ve listed some of the most effective solutions.
1. Identifying Triggers
It’s essential to understand why you’re procrastinating. Is the task too dull for you? Is it too overwhelming? Once you have your answers, it will be easier for you to tackle the task. For example, if you’re bored to complete the task, add your favourite music to make it more fun. Breaking it into more manageable tasks might help if it seems too daunting.
2. Setting Clear Goals
It might help to make an organised to-do list with high-priority and low-priority tasks for the day and then tick them off. This will give you a clear picture of what needs to be done, and checking off tasks might even trigger a dopamine boost, which will help you stay motivated.
3. Mindset Shift
Change your inner dialogue and train your mind to self-discipline. Instead of saying, I’ll do this later, tell yourself that you can do this now and you can do it efficiently.
Learn about mind control in this short session with Nityanand Charan Das.
4. Simplify Your Tasks
Break down complex tasks into more achievable smaller tasks. Taking baby steps to complete that one daunting task might be the solution you’re looking for. Complete those small tasks one by one, and in no time, you will complete that one big daunting task. For example, if you want to exercise every day, shop for the clothes you’ll need, then move on to getting a gym membership.
5. Employ Time-Management Techniques
If the task at hand seems too daunting, set an alarm for a short period of time. Do a small part of your task in that time, and once the alarm goes off, take a short break. Repeat this cycle until you’ve completed the task.
When you’re on that break, try this short guided meditation for focus with Prameet Kotak to help you energise and focus.
6. Use the 2-Minute Rule
This strategy suggests that if the task you’re postponing takes two or fewer minutes, you must finish it immediately. This strategy works wonders for small tasks on your hand, like washing dishes or making your bed. Though this strategy requires a lot of motivation, it can help remove those small tasks on your to-do list that might make it less daunting.
7. Make Someone Check on You
Make your best friend, a parent, or partner your accountability buddy. This means getting them to check on you and push you to finish the task. You know how you are more disciplined about your workout routine when you have a trainer on board? It’s the same concept. Support and encouragement from someone you love might just be the answer for how to avoid procrastination for you.
8. Reward Yourself for Immediate Action
This strategy revolves around clubbing a behaviour that is good for you with one that feels good. If you act on that task, immediately treat yourself to a dessert or a relaxing spa. It could be anything you enjoy and can experience more immediately. This will keep you motivated to finish your tasks more often in the future. This could be one of the most effective solutions to the problem of how to avoid procrastination.
9. Minimize Distractions
Go on a digital detox and delete those distracting social media apps from your phone. If it’s more about the television, try unsubscribing to those streaming platforms. You will notice a big difference in your productivity.
Resources for Help
Here are some resources that help you tackle procrastination now!
- Self-Determination Theory: Understand what affects your motivation levels so that you can stay pumped even for the most unappealing tasks.
- Cognitive Restructuring: Focus on the feelings attached to procrastination and understand the why better so that you can reframe your chain of thought and get things done.
- Positive Affirmations: Make it a daily practice to repeat affirmations to yourself like, ‘I finish all my tasks on time no matter how boring’ or ‘I’m highly motivated and capable enough to tackle my to-do list.’ Check out an affirmation meditation.
- Human beings have been procrastinating for centuries. Procrastination is the act of postponing a task because it feels too overwhelming. It can affect productivity and relationships and cause unwanted stress and anxiety. However, there are a number of strategies that can be used to avoid procrastination, such as the 2-minute rule, time management techniques, rewarding yourself, and so on.
Sources
- Jamesclear-Procrastination: A scientific guide to stop procrastinating.
- Mindtools How to stop procrastinating. By Jonathan Hancock
