Are you Procrastinating? Or just Afraid? 😕

Get a better understanding of where the underlying problems are at.

We’ve all had those moments.

Those moments when we want to work but somehow can’t.

And we don’t know why…

Is it because I’m not interested?

Is it because I have “more important” things to do?

Or is it I’m just afraid of failing?

Whatever it is, no matter how old or young you are, we’ve all had those moments.

So what is the difference?

Am I Procrastinating?

So what is procrastination?

In my most recent article, “Your Laziness May Be a Good Thing” I talked about true vs. false laziness.

And false laziness ties very closely to procrastination.

In simple terms, false laziness is the act of not doing any work even though you know you should be doing so.

Sounds familiar?

So how do we not procrastinate?

Well, the most straightforward answer is to not be lazy.

Duh…

But in other words, practicing techniques that relate to productivity such as the Pomodoro Technique (talked more about it in “Psychology Tricks to Focus Better”) where we install time blocks of productivity.

In this case, the Pomodoro Technique is to use 25–30 min time blocks of pure work and no distraction, followed by a 5-minute rest with 4 intervals, and then take a 10–15 minute rest at the end.

But the most important aspect to keep in mind is that procrastination relates to some sort of fear.

We may be fearful of doing huge loads of work thinking it's an endless struggle and agony.

So in the end, in order to combat procrastination, one has to identify the underlying problem, the underlying cause of this fear we have.

It may relate to personal childhood trauma, being overworked, outside stress-related situations, etc.

Here are some quick Dos and Don’ts for Combating Procrastination.

Start Small:

• Don’t: think that you can tackle every task all at once.
• Do: break projects into smaller tasks. Right all the necessary tasks that need to be completed that day. Do the easiest task first to boost motivation and get into that working mindset. Try to stick to the Pomodoro Technique as long as possible.

Set Goals:

• Don’t: start the project without a clear sense of path and planning will lead to decrease motivation and obsessing over the huge amounts of work.
• Do: plan out week-by-week, day-by-day. Always keep in mind what that week's purpose is in order to achieve the ultimate end goal.

Psst, here’s a tip. Plan out tasks with the Pomodoro Technique in mind so you won’t feel discouraged when tasks are not completed that day/week.

Don’t Overthink It:

• Don’t: Stressing about all the “what if’s…” or “should have” in the world and not getting started with the simplest tasks.
• Do: The biggest “anti-motivator” for procrastination, is overthinking. Overthinking about the possibility of not achieving the desired outcome we wanted, to overthinking about the huge amounts of workload is such a short amount of time.

Remove Distractions:

• Don’t: go on the phone scrolling TikToks after taking a break and removing yourself from the working mindset.
• Do: take a break, relax your mind in a healthy way by taking a walk, doing some stretches, doing some chores, or simply listening to some music. Nothing related to technology and the active search for satisfying entertainment.

Stick to a Schedule:

• Don’t: make the schedule and only do the initial steps.
• Do: Even if you lack motivation, sometimes we just need to force that initial step forward. The Pomodoro Technique help solve the issue of needing to complete tasks and advance forward with the aligned schedule.

Take Breaks:

• Don’t: just not finish the work and immediately take a break.
• Do: Finish the desired task in that time frame and take a nice, short 5-minute break to refresh the mind. Never start scrolling through your phone thinking it will “solve your boredom.”

Keep the List Short:

• Don’t: Start too many things at once and end up with lots of half-started tasks.
• Do: Instead, focus on finishing that first task you initiated. If you can’t finish all the desired tasks for the day, no worries. Adapt, change, and finish it the next day. At least you’ll know your working strength and can plan more efficiently next time.

You May Not Expect the Same Outcome:

• Don’t: Expect everything will be perfect.
• Do: Expect that it may be a similar outcome, but not necessarily the exact outcome you wanted. Life isn't perfect sadly :(.

Boost Motivation:

• Don’t: Say “I’ll start it tomorrow. I have time.”
• Do: Instead, think about the dopamine rush of finishing the project. That feeling of overcoming the “impossible” and complimenting yourself for accomplishing the journey.

Am I Afraid?

While we are on the topic of fear… it’s normal. Everyone has some level of fear.

Fear is created because our subconscious mind tells us that this thing is not the right thing to do and is endangering us.

And it relates to my previous points of possible childhood trauma, being overworked, stressed out, mental medical conditions, etc.

So how do we not become fearful?

The best way to combat our inner fears is to slowly and methodically put ourselves in those fearful conditions till the point we are used to the feelings of discomfort.

Think of it as drip irrigation.

Too much or too little in the initial step can cause the plant to overload or be underfed.

So the next best step is with constant, small drips of nutrition for the plants to be constantly absorbing the nutrients without a lack of, nor a surplus of.

With that said, here are some Dos and Don’ts for Combating Fear.

Breathe through Panic:

• Don’t: be stuck in the endless loop of anxiety and panic without insight into how to handle it.
• Do: breathe through the panic mode with slow, methodical breaths. It will get better, trust me.

Award yourself:

• Don’t: falsely reward yourself for not properly handling the fear.
• Do: award yourself with positive words and encouragement.

Imagining the Worst:

• Don’t: focus on the cons of the situation.
• Do: use the cons as a form of understanding. Which can later change into motivation if done right.

Look at the Evidence:

• Don’t: dwell on the “ifs” and “should have”
• Do: look at the previously done tasks/achievements and know that you are on your way to erasing your fear.

Don’t try to be Perfect:

• Don’t: think that life is perfect.
• Do: think that life can be better than you expected.

Talk about it:

• Don’t: hold everything inside your mind.
• Do: express yourself in a way that fits your personality. (Music, art, crying, etc.)

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