Procrastination Is a
Matter of Emotion, Here's How to Stop It
Procrastinationis in a human’s
biological makeup. Thanks to our limbic system, the neurological powerhouse
that controls our emotions and memory, we are inclined to feel before we think.
To avoid experiencing negative feelings, we keep away from tasks that may
overwhelm or inconvenience us.
Because we are inclined to seek and enjoy pleasure first, we
tend to give in to things that make us happy instantly. It is so instant that
we don’t see a point in neglecting ourselves. But it blinds us from viewing the
consequences due to procrastination — more than 3
hours go missing every single day, and about 55 days — almost 2 months are lost
every year.
It All Comes
down to Our Emotions
The essential
way to overcome procrastination is by regulating these emotions. When
obligations are dreadful, they drag our feet to complete them. Most people tend
to confuse work with emotional suffering because the task at hand may appear to
be complicated or difficult; which can cause anxiety or despair.
The more complicated or challenging
the work may be, the more challenge-averse we become. All of
these negative feelings and reservations add up, making people avoid the tasks
altogether to keep from experiencing suffering or negativity.
Adjust the Task
and Your Mood Will Change
Difficult or
complicated tasks tend to easily overwhelm people, causing them to lose
interest in the project and faith in themselves. The key is to make these tasks more manageable.
How do you do this? By
breaking them up into smaller, digestible elements that will eventually add up
to complete the big picture. This way, a lot of the strain is
lifted, and you can find a little more enjoyment in your work.
Before breaking down the tasks, as a whole they appear to be
time consuming and challenging. Small, manageable parts you can take
action on immediately. The smaller the tasks, the easier you will find
them to manage. So it’s good to break down your tasks into elements that will only take you 45 minutes or
less to complete.
Keep the big picture in mind, but keep your workload light and only focus on one small task at a time. When
you commit your attention to one element at a time, you are gradually making
your way towards the larger goal.
Since we are inclined to seek out things that bring us
pleasure, small rewards can go a
long way to help to satisfy our need for pleasure and positivity.
Rewards give you small goals to work towards, which will help to keep you
motivated. Even if you aren’t able to physically reward yourself, still celebrate
the progress you’ve made along the way.
Celebrate the completion of each small step to encourage morale.
Keep up momentum throughout the entire project, and tiny celebrations will help
you to do just that. Expecting to see results of the task at hand immediately
is unrealistic. Accomplishments
are measured by the differences you have made along the way, not the end
result.
Imagine holding an event at work. You must find a venue,
caterer, and entertainment. You also need to come up with a theme, and
decorate the venue and table settings. This is a huge project.
Break it down into smaller parts. For example, maybe focus on
deciding on a theme first. When you’ve completed that, give yourself a
small break as a reward before moving on to the next part. One thing at a
time and reward yourself to stay motivated. Then the big project will not
overwhelm you.
What if no matter how small the task is, it’s still dreadful?
No job is perfect. You will always at some point find yourself faced with
tedious and uninteresting tasks that you must complete. Sometimes you just need
to suck it up and push through. To
stay motivated, plan to complete positive tasks along with the negative ones.
This will regulate your emotions, and ensure that you don’t only do the things
that you “feel like” doing. Always remember to keep your eye on the big
picture, which will give meaning to all of your tasks (even the tedious ones).
When you alter your attitude towards your obligations, it will
make the tasks seem less tedious. It takes a lot of practice and
reinforcement, but eventually it will change your work ethic. Refer to
these tips to help you beat procrastination every time!
Leon Ho
http://www.lifehack.org/617459/procrastination-is-a-matter-of-emotion-heres-how-to-stop-it?ref=mail&mtype=newsletter_tier_2&mid=20170731&uid=687414&hash=707e797f7e757e6d794c856d747b7b3a6f7b79&utm_source=newsletter_tier_2&utm_medium=email&action=click
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