Procrastination is a common occurrence among everyone. Most of us have had the experience of putting things off until the last minute, and then finding that everything was already taken care of and we didn’t have time to finish it.
Self-regulation is one of the biggest challenges for someone who procrastinates, because people with this trait often delay acting until there’s no turning back. So how can you overcome this? Procrastination is not a sign that you lack self-discipline or self-control. In most cases, procrastination is caused by anxiety and stress. When these feelings are allowed to take over, you feel trapped by your own thoughts and start feeling overwhelmed. The only way out of this vicious cycle is by identifying what causes those feelings in the first place, so you can avoid them in the future as much as possible. Here's how you can plan ahead to avoid procrastination:
Understand the root cause of procrastination
You have a bad habit of procrastinating when you are anxious, overwhelmed, or depressed.
You don’t know why you feel this way but you do. The best way to overcome this is to figure out why you procrastinate. Why do you feel anxious? Why do you feel like your life isn’t going as well as you’d like? Once you know why you feel this way, you can start to identify why procrastination is a common occurrence for you. Once you understand why you procrastinate, you can start to change your thought process so you don’t have to procrastinate as much anymore. This can be done by identifying coping mechanisms and replacing them with more productive ones.
Talk to a trusted friend or therapist
Many people who procrastinate do so because they don’t feel comfortable talking to others about it. If this is the case for you, you might want to consider reaching out to a trusted friend or therapist. Someone who you can confide in and ask for advice can help you understand the root cause of your anxiety so you can overcome it.
This doesn’t mean you have to talk to them all the time and be completely transparent, but rather talk to them in a way that you can still be yourself. A therapist might be able to offer suggestions on how to do this, or you could try journaling or listening to guided mindfulness exercises. Talking to a friend or a therapist can be a great way to get some advice and support without feeling judged or pressured.
Take a break
If you procrastinate frequently, it might be a good idea to take a break from your work or school for a few days. There are a few reasons why you may be feeling anxious or unfocused when you are supposed to be doing one thing but are actually procrastinating instead. It could be that you’re feeling overwhelmed or it could be that you need to take a break from certain tasks in order to come back to them with fresh eyes.
This could mean taking the day off work, doing something completely unrelated to what you were supposed to be working on, or taking a break from your course or project entirely.
Set specific, actionable goals
When you set specific goals, you avoid the feeling of overwhelm that can cause you to procrastinate more often. If you don’t have any specific goals yet, you might want to think about what you want to do in your life and how you want to accomplish those things. If you feel like procrastinating, you could try setting an actionable goal that has a deadline. Setting a goal that has a deadline can help you avoid the overwhelm that can cause you to procrastinate because it keeps you from feeling trapped by your thoughts. Setting a goal that has a clear deadline can also help you identify when you’re feeling overwhelmed so you can take a break or do something completely unrelated to what you were supposed to be doing.
Track your progress
If you want to improve your self-discipline, you need to track your progress. Make a note of each time you cut down on your procrastination. Write down what you did instead of doing the work, how that made you feel, and what you noticed the next day when you woke up. This can help you identify what was causing your procrastination so you can avoid it in the future. It can also help you identify what would help you feel less overwhelmed so you can take a break or do something completely unrelated to what you were supposed to be doing.
Conclusion
Procrastination is a common trait among people, but it doesn’t need to be permanent. With a little self-awareness and a little effort, you can overcome it. The first step to becoming a proactive person is to understand the root cause of your procrastination.
Once you know what it is, you can start to change your thought process so you don’t have to procrastinate as much.
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