Sarah Rebecca De Borja

FIVE WAYS TO STOP PROCRASTINATIN G OVERCOMING PROCRASTINATI ON The habit of putting off tasks is a problem with emotion management. When we procrastinate, we are allowing our thoughts and emotions to dictate our actions and reactions. Negative feelings are pushed aside in favor of positive ones. This is the crux of the problem. Rather than staying put and experiencing the negativity, do we get up and do something about it? Or do we run away, give in to our good feelings, and procrastinate instead of taking action? (check: https://bit.ly/3krrGNG) FIVE-WAYS-TO-STOP-PROCRASTINATING It’s always about that one moment. We have two options: either do the thing or run. As a result, we must become more competent in this area if we hope to defeat procrastination in the long run. No matter how we feel, we must act and follow through with our plans. So, how do we improve? How can we let go of our emotions and thoughts that have a stranglehold on our lives? How can we force ourselves to do something regardless of how we feel? 1. GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT To avoid procrastinating, it’s important to understand why you do it. Instead of blaming yourself or stressing over a task that you can’t seem to get done, take some time to think about the reasons why you are delaying it. In the end, reflecting on your recent actions and doing a root-cause analysis could be the most effective method of completing your job. FIVE-WAYS-TO-STOP-PROCRASTINATING 2. EXAMINE YOUR EXCUSES Make a note of the reasons you use to avoid doing a task. Analyze each of your reasons for not doing so, then put down a more realistic one next to it. The phrase “I’m not in the mood” might be translated as “Mood doesn’t get the job done”. But if I’ll be brutally honest, I say stop making excuses. FIVE-WAYS-TO-STOP-PROCRASTINATING 3. BREAK YOUR JOB INTO SMALL TASKS We put off big tasks because they are intimidating. You can lessen your worry and assist yourself in getting started by breaking down that large job into its initial few basic tasks. So, rather than thinking, “I have to finish huge Project X,” think, “I have to email so-and-so to see if she can meet with me next Tuesday to discuss design requirements.” The former is terrifying. The latter is undeniably achievable. FIVE-WAYS-TO-STOP-PROCRASTINATING 4. START NOW Even if you’re passionate about something, it can be difficult to get started. Perhaps you’re staring blankly at a blank Word document, or perhaps you’re standing on a cold winter morning on the beach. However, once you take the first step—typing that first paragraph or launching yourself on a wave—your mood improves drastically. Focusing on how difficult and inconvenient it is to get started deters you from doing so. It is easier to stay on task when you jump right in, no matter what. FIVE-WAYS-TO-STOP-PROCRASTINATING 5. SELF REGULATE Procrastination is a problem of emotion regulation. Negative emotions such as anxiety, boredom, frustration, and overwhelm arise when we are confronted with unpleasant tasks. Our natural coping strategy is to run away and distract ourselves. To cope with negative feelings, we procrastinate. But we can’t solve it by running away – instead, we need to act despite them. We must learn to do the right thing regardless of how we feel. Effective self-regulation relies on emotion regulation, which in turn relies on mindfulness. FIVE-WAYS-TO-STOP-PROCRASTINATING Persistence is one of the most important aspects of winning. The ability to power through this conflict and lay brick after brick, day after day, is at the center of a procrastinator’s struggle to achieve control over his surroundings. And you must prove to yourself, not just convince yourself, that YOU CAN DO IT! When you demonstrate that you can change things, things will change. If you won’t believe it, then nothing will change. Law of attraction: You don’t attract what you desire, you attract what you are. FIVE-WAYS-TO-STOP-PROCRASTINATING Do you want to beat procrastination? Then BE THE ONE to beat it. (We recommend contacting a mental health expert if these tips don’t help you learn how to avoid procrastinating. They’ll be able to put you on a psychotherapy plan to help you overcome your procrastination issues! Now get out there and do something!)