Procrastination is the bane of our generation, but there are ways to get over it. We beat ourselves over wasting time instead of doing something productive with it, which results in feelings of regret and guilt. Yet there are effective ways where you can learn how to stop procrastination.
What is procrastination?
Google describes procrastination as ‘the act of delaying or postponing something.’ It can be something as simple as putting off doing an assignment to the last possible moment. It can also be something as extreme as postponing decisions that can affect your professional or personal life.
Procrastination vs laziness
It is ironic how I have been putting off writing this article about procrastination. Many people wonder whether procrastination is caused by laziness. Although procrastination is often confused with laziness, they are very different.
When we procrastinate, we choose to do something else instead of focusing on a specific task. However, when we struggle with laziness, we are overall inactive and unmotivated to do any task.
Why do we procrastinate?
There are many theories regarding procrastinate and why we struggle to overcome procrastination. However, a study in 2013 by Dr. Pychyl and Dr. Sirois found that procrastination is a result of negative moods and the need to urgently manage the moods instead of the task.
Common causes of procrastination
· Discipline
One of the most common reasons that we procrastinate instead of doing the work is due to lack of routine or discipline. People struggle with this especially after summer holidays or a vacation because it is so out of routine for them to sit and focus on one task.
· Indecisiveness
Not being able to decide or prioritize the tasks is also one common reason why people tend to procrastinate. Even if you start a task, you find yourself jumping to another task without completing the current one. In the end, you have a bunch of unfinished jobs that you procrastinate about completing.
· Repercussions
I realized that a lot of my procrastination came from tasks with no time limit or repercussions. If I failed to complete the tasks, I would not really be answerable to anyone as they were my projects. For example, I know I have to write more articles for my blog, but there is no set time or day limit that I must adhere to. This gave me a lot of space to procrastinate and never really get to work. Then, I would get engulfed in guilt and regret.
10 Practical ways to stop procrastination
If you are wondering how to overcome procrastination, then I have the answer for you. I did some research and found that there are many ways to stop procrastination from hindering your productivity. Combined with some of tips that have helped me personally, I have made a list of of over 10 practical ways to stop procrastination.
1. Remove distractions
I cannot stress how big of role distractions play in enabling us to procrastinate when we really should be focusing on the task at hand. Recognizing the distraction and removing it is an integral part of successfully overcoming procrastination.
For me, it was unconsciously picking up my phone and scrolling on social media. However, it can also look something like getting up regularly to get snacks or drinks can be enough to stop the workflow and make you procrastinate. The answer for me was to keep my phone away while working.
2. Set deadlines
One of the reasons I was able to procrastinate as much was because I didn’t have a deadline for myself. Sometimes, having the deadline looming over is just the motivation you need to get to work. However, if you are in control of deciding the deadline, give yourself sufficient time to complete the task.
3. It’s okay to fail
A lot of times, we may be afraid to start something fearing that we may fail. It is called the fear of failure, which may be why some people tend to procrastinate with tasks. The key is to forgive yourself for failing. Observe your behavior, take notes, and try again. Instead of focusing on possibly failing again, you could focus on the potential success.
4. Make a schedule to be more productive
It is so much easier to avoid procrastination when you have a timetable drawn out for you. Instead of just thinking about that project you must complete, break it down in doable parts. For example, set a date and time aside to get started on the introduction part of the project. That way, you know exactly what you are supposed to be doing and how you would fall behind if you do not complete it in the allotted timeframe.
5. Be disciplined to stop procrastination
I was surprised to see how big of a role discipline plays when it comes to procrastination. Although lack of discipline is not why we procrastinate, it sure can help beat it if we are disciplined enough. For example, making sure that you sit and complete the task at hand before getting up or being distracted comes down to discipline. It may be difficult to practice in the beginning, but it gets easier with time. Discipline goes a long way in understanding how to stop procrastination a
6. Prepare for the task at hand
Another practical way to stop procrastination is by getting ready for the task. This goes hand in hand with setting up a detailed schedule. If you know that you have to get to work as soon as you get home, the chances of you doing that increases. In comparison, if you give yourself the whole day to do the work, you won’t get to it until the last minute. Prepare yourself mentally for the task to make the process of actually doing it easier.
7. Start with the easier task to overcome procrastination
I have heard it on more than one occasions that you should start with the hardest task first. But if you are already struggling to start, doing the hardest task first will be more difficult and you may procrastinate because of it.
In my experience, it has always worked better to start with something easier. That way, you get the feeling of achievement upon completing the task and feel encouraged to get on to the next one.
8. Reward yourself to stop procrastinating
After you complete a task or even a part of it, reward yourself. According to a 2017 study published in the Frontiers for Human Neuroscience, when you reward yourself after completing a task, the brain elicits positive emotions. With time, the brain connects the effort you put in with the positive emotions and reward, thus making it easier to start and even complete a task.
9. Hold yourself accountable
While it is helpful to reward ourselves, it also helps to hold ourselves accountable if we do not follow through on our commitments. The punishment or result of holding yourself accountable does not have to be extreme. Not allowing yourself to watch episodes of your favorite show if you didn’t complete the project acts as a positive reinforcer and helps you to just complete the task at hand.
10. Take a break to stop procrastinating
Sometimes, all you need to focus better is to take a break. Often, we procrastinate because we are tired and therefore starting another task becomes a big deal that we put off. Taking a break can mean different things for different people.
