Week 5: Procrastination
Procrastination - an obstacle to overcoming anxiety and an unhelpful cycle often created by anxiety and at the same time creating more anxiety as a result
Procrastination -
- feeling stuck, unable to move forward with a plan or task, taking too long to get started, not sure where to start.
- when anxious about a task, procrastinating can bring temporary relief... but ultimately leads to more stress and anxiety when you get behind
- related to fear of failure or fear of disapproval... and can develop into a bad habit
- closely resembles perfectionism (rooted in fear, insecurity, self doubt; do you feel something must be done perfectly or not at all , are you afraid to make mistakes)
- can be caused by information overload (does your working memory feel overwhelmed? do all tasks seem more complicated and do you have trouble concentrating?)
- can be caused by an intolerance for uncertainty (do you avoid making decisions for fear of making the wrong one or feel you need more and more information before deciding; do you over prepare and over analyze, do you avoid something due to uncertainty of the outcome?)
Overcoming Procrastination:
1. Make a list and prioritize tasks - review list often and be sure to work on most important tasks
2. Start somewhere-don't overthink - just start;
3. Break it down - break down tasks into smaller steps and then complete the first step. If you get stuck or unsure, force yourself to move onto the next step anyway
4. Assess the situation and your expectations- give yourself permission to make mistakes and question perfectionist tendencies; ask yourself what is the best, worst and most realistic outcome if it isn't perfect.
5. Reward yourself for completing difficult tasks- cross it off your list and do something you enjoy to celebrate
6. Use relaxation strategies to cope with stress of completing tasks- try abdominal breathing exercises, use the Stop, Breath, Think app, etc. (we will learn more of these each week)
6. Adopt routines and organization tools - don't rely on your memory to keep track of things- make to do lists, use a planner/ calendar, file folders/ notebook, apps on your phone (see examples below)
7. Learn to delegate - are there some tasks or chores that you've been doing yourself but you could ask someone else to do?
8. Learn by trying- do you over analyze before getting started? try just getting started and remember the best way to learn is by doing
9. Don't blame yourself- procrastination may seem like a time management issue, but it's more complicated than that... don't blame yourself for being disorganized or lazy... you may just have some bad habits of procrastination (rooted in anxiety) that you need to break. You can do it!
Apps to help with Procrastination:
Homework:
1. Look over the strategies listed above and pick a few that you could try.
2. Make a TO DO list of what you need to get done. Then rank order the list in terms of priority. Put the highest priority items on your calendar for the next few days.
3. Mark off the items when they are completed and reward yourself with something you enjoy to celebrate!