How to Deal With Procrastination: A Guide for Self-Energy

Many people find themselves struggling with the difficulty of procrastination.

Meaning of Procrastination: Procrastination entails delaying or postponing an intended course of action, usually out of fear for failure. There are a number of types of procrastination and each one is linked to its own set of beliefs.

Some people believe they will be able to do it later on, while others abstain because they think there is more time. Regardless of the type, there are ways to combat procrastination and get back on track.

There are two main types- the irrational type And the rational type.

Irrational procrastination occurs when someone believes that their work is undervalued or worthless.

Rational procrastination happens when someone has a belief that there is too much to be done in a given time frame. In this article, we will discuss procrastination and how you can overcome the problem.

Recognizing Procrastination for What it is

The first step to getting over your procrastination habit is to recognize what it really means. Before you can get rid of the bad habit, you have to know what causes your behavior pattern in the first place.

A good way to start is by understanding your intentions when dealing with procrastination. For example, when someone puts off work that needs to be done at hand in instead of doing something else, they are making a decision based on their feelings and not an effective approach.

It does not mean that you're lazy or weak-willed, but that you are harboring fears.

Think of the last time you felt like putting off work because you were scared to make a mistake. What was going through your mind? Did you feel frustrated that maybe your boss would not appreciate your effort or angry at yourself for being unable to get something done on time? By recognizing these emotions and why they occur, you can start working on the procrastination problem in order to overcome it entirely.

Re-directing Your Energy Away from Procrastination Habits

Since procrastination is fueled by fear, managing this part of the process comes down to learning how to let go of those thoughts.

In order to conquer irrational procrastination, take some time out of your day to think back on every time you had a negative thought about performing a task. Sit down and write everything you are angry or frustrated about, no matter how trivial you may think it is.

Once you've done that, take the time to figure out why these things bother you so much and what thoughts are causing stress in your life.

It is during this stage, most people find their true selves. When we worry about potential outcomes or dwell upon our fears, we end up backing ourselves into a corner and feel cornered by our own actions as well.

By taking the time to identify the root of each thought process, we can start recognizing patterns within them that reveal our true motives for procrastination.

It also puts into perspective the emotions that cause us to put off our work in the first place and how we can overcome them so that they do not occur again.

Creating a Plan to Overcome Procrastination

Once you have recognized your procrastination habits, along with the reasons for doing so, it's time to make a plan.

By coming up with an action plan specific to your type of procrastination tendencies, you can effectively manage your emotions and take control of the tasks at hand.

For example, if you are the kind that tends to avoid big projects by getting distracted or taking on small tasks instead, then start by breaking down large assignments into smaller ones that are more manageable.

This helps ease anxiety about completing tasks since little goals add up to bigger ones.

Conversely, someone who tends to put off work until the last minute should create a schedule with deadlines for when they will complete certain tasks.

By doing this, you ensure that you get everything done in time and do not have to worry about keeping up with a specific deadline. Be sure to keep track of your progress by writing down daily goals so that you can monitor your successes and failures along the way.

Challenging Irrational Thoughts That Cause Procrastination

As we mentioned earlier, fear causes irrational procrastination. In order to address these feelings, it is necessary to challenge unreasonable beliefs that cause anxiety in our lives.

For example, if you are avoiding some tasks because you believe that there is no way you can get them done well, then it's time to put that thought into perspective. If something happened once and the results were negative, why must it happen again just because they share similar characteristics?

Acknowledge that while mistakes do occur, it does not mean they will all have bad outcomes. In fact, failure helps us learn as we move forward in life.

Instead of dwelling on what could go wrong, think about how you might be able to succeed and accomplish everything you want without skipping a beat. Going one step further by creating goals is helpful too since this provides you with specific steps for success.

Do this for each fear until the irrationality behind them becomes clear and controllable.

Managing Time in Dealing With Procrastination

It is also important to manage your time wisely by setting a schedule for yourself that reflects the importance of particular tasks.

For example, if you are behind on work and have an exam to study for in addition, then it makes more sense to take care of your exam first since it will have worse results if not paid attention too.

It might even help to make a calendar with due dates so that you can see everything at one glance without any confusion. By doing this, you can plan out when to accomplish each task and stay focused on taking action as opposed to getting distracted easily.

Managing Anxiety Is A Must When Adequately Responding To Your Tasks

Lastly, do not underestimate the power of breathing exercises. Breathing techniques for meditation originated in ancient times and are still useful today to relax your mind and body.

The point is that you breathe in deeply, hold it, then slowly exhale to calm yourself down.

By concentrating on what is happening with your breath, you can become more mindful of everything surrounding you such as the sounds around you, how many people are there, or even how much work is left at hand.

Einstein = Wind Up

There's no denying that procrastination has brought negative results for many people in the past.

However, by taking control over habitual actions through re-evaluation and awareness, we can move forward into a new direction filled with success and happiness.

All it takes is some reflection onto what is holding you back, and then being willing to make a change for the better.

Thanks for Reading.. Cheers!!!