Do I have To? 4 Tips to Dealing with the Procrastination Monster
Written by: Brittany Glaser, M.A., M.Div.
Procrastination gets the best of all of us. Things pile up and then we find ourselves doing everything else but those things. During busy times at work, I find myself cleaning every part of my house just to avoid thinking about work tasks! Often the longer you procrastinate the more intense the stress about the tasks your avoiding becomes. To help with that pattern, here are 4 tips to deal with procrastination:
- De-escalate. Procrastination often happens because we feel too stressed to do anything. Things pile up and we panic. Start by taking some deep breaths before you try to begin. This breathing will relax your heart rate and help de-escalate some of the stress.
- Break it down. A lot of times things can feel more overwhelming when we look at them all at once. Instead of looking at the whole to-do list, try breaking it down into smaller and smaller sections.
- Start something doable. Once you’ve broken your list down, start one of the smallest, most manageable things. Do the task that feels doable. Once you do that, you’ll feel some relief and energy to snowball towards other tasks!
- Notice how you feel. After doing that task, take a moment to notice how you feel when you can check it off. What is it like to get something accomplished? Take a moment to name and recognize that feeling and compare it to the feelings of procrastination.