Overcoming Procrastination

Let’s be honest. We’ve all done it.

It’s the word that people get hung up on, but it’s okay to give ourselves a break.

Procrastination is an easy way of delaying work that is required to be done, it is also the bane of everybody’s life.

It gives you another outlet, a way of not thinking about that looming deadline. Maybe it is connected to how big you think the task is, or perhaps your struggling to complete it to your satisfaction.

Why do we do procrastinate?
It’s understandable because humans are naturally seekers of short term gratification. Looking at our phones means the temptation is there, we always check notifications regularly.

The longer you procrastinate, the harder it is to break the habits. Imagine how time could be better spent if we focused on achieving the task all the time?

Yes, it sounds exhausting and you might want to get the task out of the way but this can be overwhelming. Taking a break is healthy and helps focus your mind better.

I’ve found there are many ways of breaking the habit of procrastinating, but here’s some tips that I rely on.

• Make a list of what needs doing
  Sometimes, the reason we procrastinate is that we have a lot of thoughts in our minds. All you need to do is make a list of what’s important, one to five of your top priorities.
• Visualise yourself in the future
  Creating a positive mindset is really important, this is because it will make you feel more positive about the tasks that need doing. Think about how you will feel after accomplishing all the goals. You will feel on top of the world, so focus on how it will feel when you’ve completed your tasks.
• Take a deep breath
  By doing this you can balance your emotional state. Deep breathing or meditating relaxes you, it is medically proven. If you focus on your breathing rather than the tasks that need doing you’ll be able to accomplish those tasks.
• Mobile Phone Distraction
  Try putting your phone in another room or turning it off completely. Don’t worry, you won’t die. This might not be the easiest to do, but try it even for an hour or so. I can promise you, you’ll be more focused and be able to complete tasks.
• Reward yourself
  Now you’ve finished the task that you’ve been working on for a while, then why not celebrate it? Whether it’s some chocolate or a glass of wine at the end of a long day, do it, reward yourself for completing a difficult task.

Lately, I’ve just thought I should get things done when I think about them and not wait until later.

Sometimes this can be hard, but to be honest I feel so much better once it is out of the way.

Don’t let procrastination take over your life.

I hope you can take some of these tips and use them to help yourself become more productive and more motivated.