THE MAÑANA SYNDROME: HOW TO OVERCOME PROCRASTINATION

There is an old joke that goes, “Why do today what you can put off tomorrow?” The humor in this joke gives testament to the universality of the problem of procrastination. We all can relate to this phenomenon. While most of us view procrastination as a time management problem, Dr. Tim Psychyl, a professor of psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, claims that it is more an emotional regulation problem. In other words when we procrastinate, we give priority to making ourselves feel better over the pursuit of long-term goals. This is the reason why mood disorders such as depression and emotional states such as anxiety can create or even exacerbate tendencies to procrastinate. Dysfunctional thought patterns often associated with depression and anxiety, such as perfectionism, black-and-white thinking, and fear of failure, are often found as underlying causes for procrastination habits.

HOW TO OVERCOME PROCRASTINATION – THE TOP 10 TIPS
Here is a list of measures you can take to overcome procrastination:

• Create checklists and schedule your time. Plan your day and check off things that need to be done. Getting things accomplished is a motivator in and of itself.
• Set modest goals. A little at a time does it. Setting goals too high only reinforces procrastination. By the same token, avoid all-or-nothing thinking.
• Just do it. If you find yourself endlessly planning or mulling the consequences over and over (paralysis by analysis), force yourself to take action.
• Be accountable. Find someone to be accountable to (a therapist or a friend) when you make a commitment to a plan of action.
• Make it a team. Find someone to help you accomplish a task you have been avoiding with whom you can reciprocate the favor or hire someone if need be.
• Practice the Premack Principle. Reward yourself with things you enjoy for doing the things you’ve been avoiding.
• Identify and eliminate saboteurs. Make a list of things you typically do (reading email, surfing the internet, eating, sleeping, etc.) to avoid doing what needs to be done, then make a conscious effort to remove them from your environment or refrain from engaging in them when you are engaged in a task.
• Make the task more fun or interesting to do if boredom is a reason for procrastination. Playing your favorite music while you work or setting goals to finish your task within a certain time and then trying to best your record the next time you are engaged in the task can make the time go by quicker.
• Avoid the rush. The rush of waiting until the last minute can be addictive in and of itself. Plan ahead and stick to a schedule as best you can.
• Subsume your goals to a grander plan. Sometimes goals, such as exercising for better health, for example, aren’t enough by themselves to motivate but if we make it a part something greater that gives it greater purpose such as doing it for charity, for our family, or for the purpose of enriching our lives, that task can become more meaningful and something more worth the investment.

While these suggestions are often successful, they alone might not be enough when mental health issues such as depression, an anxiety disorder, or attention deficit disorder, that can contribute to procrastination tendencies require professional help. If you or someone you know suffers from procrastination and need help overcoming these kinds of problems, please contact Dr. Robert Hamm, at his private practice, at (860) 236-2131 or by email at robjhamm@comcast.net.

Posted by Robert Hamm, Ph.D.