Busy dawdling before getting ‘the’ big task done? Still haven’t found the right moment to get started on that project?
This month, we talked about procrastination and how destructive it is to our life and well-being. Essentially, procrastination is a stress-relief mechanism where we try everything we can to avoid something unpleasant, daunting, “painful”, undesirable (but VERY important) and replacing it instead with less stressful (yet less important) tasks. Sadly, 20% of adults are reported to be chronic procrastinators where it isn’t merely an occasional thing, but actually a major part of their lifestyle. Here’s an insider look into the mind of a master procrastinator so that we understand the mechanics of this delay-tactic.
From a psycho-behavioral perspective, procrastination has a number of underlying factors at play: fear of failure and lack of self-confidence or fear of success (stemming from deep self-doubt/s). It has nothing to do with lack of time-management skills. It is also lying to yourself convincing your mind “I still have time” or “when the time is right.” Everyone falls into this trap: teachers, nurses, engineers, high schoolers, office workers, PhD students, painters, farmers, bakers, and maybe even –you. Instead of seeing it as a symptom of laziness (a common misconception for procrastinators), it’s really tricky because it veils the idea that we dread confronting: I’m not just good enough. In contrast, a lazy person would just say, “I’m not even going to try.”
Avoiding an unpleasant task will only prolong the agony generated by the delay –aggravated by the nagging thought that it still needs to be done ultimately. This maladaptive, self-defeating habit has serious consequences: increased suffering, poor performance, poorer health, and decreased well-being.
From experience, procrastination only leads to regret, frustration, lower self-worth, and overall unhappiness. Here’s a short clip from Mel Robbins on how to stop it.
If, however, you need professional help in reversing this destructive habit, Jarvis HypnoTherapy has the answer that you seek.