How To Beat Procrastination

Do you leave that thing to do for tomorrow just because today you don’t feel like it? I get you.

We all do it at least from time to time. That pile of clothes that needs to be ironed that’s been looking you in the eye for days but you keep putting it off because you’re not in the mood to deal with it? Or, that work assignment that’s due in 3 days and you wait till the last minute to do it because I’m just not feeling it right now? Sounds familiar? Yeah, I thought so.

Well before you start feeling bad for procrastinating I’d like to present to you reasons why we do it in the first place. Cue the psychology definition.

According to Dr. Joseph Ferrari, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at De Paul University in Chicago there are three types of procrastinators:

• Arousal types, or thrill-seekers, who wait to the last minute for the euphoric rush.
• Avoiders, who may be avoiding fear of failure or even fear of success, but in either case are very concerned with what others think of them; they would rather have others think they lack effort than ability.
• Decisional procrastinators, who cannot make a decision. Not making a decision absolves procrastinators of responsibility for the outcome of events.

Good news is that procrastinators aren’t born, they learn from others these patterns to help them cope with either authoritarian parenting styles or even other social interactions outside the household. This means as well that we can revert these patterns and we can control our procrastinating ways.

Now you might be asking me Ashley how do I do it then? Here are some tips;

1. Make a plan. Even though I’m not one to have my day planned out by the minute, but it does help to put a task on my to-do list for the day and make myself do it. For bigger plans and goals, write them down and break that into smaller, monthly, weekly, daily tasks so that you can at least take steps to make things happen. You can do it on good old pen and paper or if you like to be more digital you have platforms like Notion that make organizing and planning a breeze and it’s free.
2. Avoid distractions. Put your phone in airplane mode, leave it in another room of your house, turn off the tv, avoid the couch with a blanket, literally anything that will make you distracted or too comfortable. The more isolated from distractions and even people the better. At least until you learn to balance outside distractions and input.
3. Cut the people-pleasing. Most procrastinators even unconsciously are looking for outside validation. This means that you need to focus on solving this insecurity about yourself first and then broaden it to other areas of your life, procrastinating habits being one of them. Seeking therapy is an amazing thing you can do for yourself and your personal growth. Invest in yourself.
4. Take care of your health. Procrastination affects your immune system, insomnia, and stress levels. Exercise regularly, take vitamins to help your immune system, take melatonin to regulate your sleep. Physical health is just as important as our mental health. Nurture yourself.

Remember not to be too hard on yourself if you’re not quite able to beat procrastination from the jump. Allow yourself space to implement these tips gradually into your life and make it a lifestyle change rather than just a new fad to try in January.

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