Psychology Today: How to Overcome Procrastination in 4 Steps

Where do humans differ when it comes to going after things we want to do? What keeps us stuck in procrastination or giving up easily?

1. We humans DO have an inner dialogue, and it is often negative, fearful, and self-critical. These mental narratives can activate our threat response and change the way our nervous system reacts.

2. Because of our brain’s negativity bias, we tend to see our “failures” much more easily than our successes. It is easy to fall into an all-or-nothing mindset where if we are not able to do it all right away, we feel that we have failed in some way.

How to work with the nervous system to move through procrastination

When we understand our brain and nervous system are operating on some old survival programs that may no longer serve us (fighting, fleeing and shutting down or freezing helped our ancestors survive external, physical threats such as saber-tooth tigers), we can use strategies to help our nervous system feel safer.

1. Close your eyes and imagine that thing you want to do but have been putting off. As you think about this, notice what happens in your body. Do you feel tension, contraction, tightness? Openness, energy, excitement? Increased heart rate, anxiety, or a sense of shutting down? Locate where your nervous system is along the continuum of safe and relaxed, fight mode (anxiety, resistance), flight mode (avoidance, procrastination) or shut down (feeling frozen or stuck).

Ask: What is the perceived threat? Name it. What is your survival brain trying to protect you from?

2. Write out coping thoughts that move your nervous system toward feelings of safety. In the face of that “feared” event, what can you say to yourself that will be encouraging, accurate and authentic. What words will activate cues of safety for you?

3. Choose actions that help your nervous system feel safe, and that bring you into mobilization (but not hyperarousal or overwhelm). One way of doing this is to break things down into more manageable parts.

Another helpful strategy is to focus on the reward you will experience when you take that action. Think about how good it will feel to get those two bills out of the way.

Also, connection is a great cue of safety. Maybe go for that walk with a friend. Maybe ask a trusted friend or partner to provide positive reinforcement after you complete a small step.

4. Celebrate small successes! In this way, you can use intermittent reinforcement to your advantage in the face of any setback. Every time you take a step forward, acknowledge and appreciate this. It’s easy to miss these moments, to overlook them in the face of an all-or-nothing mindset.

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#Procrastination #Motivation #Coping