Procrastination is a battle most of us fight weekly, daily, or even hourly in some cases. Studies show that 95% of the population procrastinates to some degree. What is procrastination and how do we overcome it?
Procrastination is the active choice to delay or postpone something that needs to be done, typically in favor of a more enjoyable task. For example, watching TV when the weekly house chores need to be done, or your child spending time on their phones when homework is waiting.
Why is it so hard to overcome procrastination? Our brains are ruled by chemicals. Activities that release more feel good chemicals, ie dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, have more of a reward system for our minds and bodies than activities that don’t release as many happy chemicals.
There are many ways we can overcome our bad procrastination habits and I’ve compiled a small list that is an excellent place to start.
1. Prevent decision fatigue. Sometimes our minds get so bogged down with menial decisions that it can interfere with us making the bigger choices life demands. Things like what to wear, what to make for dinner, which task to start first can take up all of our decision making abilities in a day and we are left burned out and needing a break. If we can minimize the amount of small choices we have to make during each day we leave more brain power to be dedicated to the things that actually need our attention. This can be done by choosing outfits the night before planning out our weekly meals/making a meal rotation schedule on a monthly basis.
2. 10 minute rule. Tasks can seem overwhelming if we are focusing on the amount of time they will take. Especially if we are already tired from a long day. However, time passes whether we are being productive or not and sometimes taking tasks in smaller time frames can be helpful. For example, the living room needs to be tidied, dedicate 10 focused minutes to the task, you will be surprised how much you can get done in that time.
3. Start with the easiest tasks first. Do you have a To Do list a mile long? Start with the easiest or most fun tasks first. Often once we start checking things off our list the motivation keeps flowing. By the time we’ve gotten a couple small tasks done, the bigger and more time intensive things don’t seem quite so daunting.
4. Create a reward system. As I stated earlier our brains want to do things that release happy chemicals. If we create a system where our brains associate chores or tasks with reward, we can hijack the procrastination train. This could be something as simple as enjoying a yoga class after your weekly chores are done, or making your child their favorite dinner after a big night of homework. If you have deep cleaned your home, take a moment to light a candle and enjoy your space in a relaxed state. Reward yourself for your hard work
5. Most importantly, be kind to yourself. Research has shown that the more we beat ourselves up for not getting enough done the less motivation we have for future tasks. Being overly hard on ourselves is never the answer. Life is busy and can be stressful, we are not superhuman and that is okay. Doing our best is enough.
If you feel stalled out and in a constant state of procrastination there could be underlying vitamin and mineral deficiencies that are preventing you from thriving. Wanting support? Call us at 970-963-6500 to schedule a consultation.