Procrastinating – it’s an issue that we often face, especially with the growing burdens of modern life. However, while procrastinating can often seem like something we begin to do without even realizing it, there are numerous methods for how to manage procrastination to stop it from becoming a challenge in your life. With this thought in mind, today, we’re looking at several key topics, including “why do we procrastinate” and how to stop procrastinating. Hopefully, this will allow you to lead a more productive and optimistic lifestyle accordingly.

Why Do We Procrastinate?

Before we look any further, it’s first vital that we outline why procrastination is such a common part of our lives. Simply put, we tend to procrastinate when a particular event or activity causes us to experience a negative mood. This could be due to painful memories from your past, or it could simply be because actions are boring or stressful. In these scenarios, we often procrastinate inadvertently to try and avoid the pain.

However, as the Washington Post explains, another common reason we procrastinate is low self-esteem. If you feel nervous or anxious that you’ll not be able to do enough, it’s easy to slip into procrastinating. In turn, this can rapidly develop into a habit, making it harder to stop procrastinating accordingly.

How to Manage Procrastination in Your Life

If you’re looking for options on how to manage procrastination in your life, it’s vital to first identify why you procrastinate. After all, there are numerous potential causes of procrastination, and considering these can significantly impact how we experience the world around us. With that being said, it’s crucial to consider that managing procrastination isn’t a quick fix. Instead, it will often take a lot of time and dedication to overcome this habit.

The most important step to overcome procrastination is simple: get more sleep. When we’re tired, it’s often a lot harder to focus on basic tasks and activities. Furthermore, tiredness can make existing stressors and worries seem even more overwhelming, which in turn could result in complications arising that make it even more challenging to manage your procrastination.

Once you’ve ensured that you’re getting enough rest, tackling procrastination becomes significantly easier. Some of the different steps you could take regarding how to stop procrastinating include the following:

• Identify your most productive time of day and aim to complete more difficult tasks during this time so that you’ve got easier jobs to tackle when you’re feeling less motivated
• Have a focus to help motivate you to work if you’re finding it difficult to get into a good working mindset. Many people find that a goal can help ensure they work more productively.
• Sub-personalities can often represent a significant source of distraction during our working time. In turn, this can increase the risk of procrastinating significantly. Some common examples include the perfectionist, the critic, and the victim.
• If you have faced stressful experiences in your past that seem to be disrupting your ability to focus on work, tackling this head-on could help. However, this can often seem impossible alone, which is why many people struggling with procrastination caused by traumas in their life reach out to a professional counsellor for further support.

Case example on work with Procrastination.

Laura came to see me because she could not finish her Uni essay. She felt stuck and thought she would never be able to do it. She felt like there were some blocks on the way but she didn’t know what was blocking her

Laura: ‘’When I go to my Uni library I feel like I want to buy a cup of tea. Then I think that I would like to buy lunch or a snack. Then I would clean up. Then I would find that I need a walk or a toilet. By that time the day would be gone and I wouldn’t have enough time to get anything done’’

Me: Can you think of the time when it happened recently?

Client: Yes. Yesterday I was on my way to the library when I went to buy myself a drink and a snack

Me: That’s fine. Close your eyes and go to that moment. Bring the moment when you turned and changed direction. What emotions do you feel?

Client: Fear, anxiety

Me: What do you believe about yourself?

Client: I am stupid!  (self-negative belief!)

Me: Trace it back in time. Let whatever pops up pop up…

The client is silent for a while and then she speaks

I have an image of myself as a child. I cant solve the math problem. My father is angry. He calls me stupid. I feel terrible about myself.

Then we worked on that memory reprocessed it and reframed it for the client until the client believed about herself differently ‘’I am competent and I can do it!’’

Me: ok, now, lest go back to the scene we started. You are going to your library to work on your essay. What comes up now?

Client: I am walking into the room, sitting down, turning my computer on, and writing. I can do that and it feels great!

Me: Brilliant, imagine that again…make that image bigger and stronger, enhance the sense of it.

After the session, the client was able to work on her essay without difficulty feeling strength and motivation.

Final Thoughts

Undoubtedly, procrastination can have a massively significant impact on our lives – in fact, as many as 25% of adults believe that procrastination is a defining character trait. However, this shouldn’t have to be the case, and while it can seem hard to learn how to stop procrastinating, this isn’t necessarily true. In fact, there are numerous options for how to manage procrastination.

Still, understanding why you procrastinate is often the first step to overcoming this frustrating habit. Meanwhile, if you think your procrastination could have been caused by a stressful or painful event in your life, seeking specialist hypnotherapy or EDMR therapy could be valuable