Effective techniques to stop procrastinating (plus, tips to deal with a procrastinator)

Emotions that can make us procrastinate

Agreed Dr Pulkit Khanna, associate professor of psychology and vice-dean at Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences, O.P. Jindal Global University and told indianexpress.com, “Procrastination is conventionally attributed to laziness and poor time management. In fact, psychological research now confirms that it is more to do with poor emotional management. We often tend to put off some tasks because we want to protect our self-worth or struggle to manage our energy amidst competing demands”.

Nawal, in another post, shared emotions that can make us postpone doing a task — these include being overwhelmed, bored, anxious or having self doubt.

Steps to overcome procrastination

The first step to overcome procrastination is to identify the reason you procrastinate. “Awareness is essential,” pointed out Nawal.

Sharing strategies to overcome procrastination, she shared:

Overwhelmed – Break the task down into smaller, more manageable steps and focus on one step at a time. Baby steps.

Bored/disinterested – Push myself to get started and do 10 minutes of the task. Chances are you will keep going as initiation is the hardest part.

Anxious – Practice deep breathing and dedicate a time to work on the task. This will help reassure that the task will get done just not right now.

Self/doubt – Remind yourself that action builds confidence. You will enjoy the process of learning, embrace making mistakes, and be strong in your belief that you will improve as you keep working on this task.

Research shows that procrastination is largely a failure of self-regulation. (Pic source: Pixabay)

Dr. Khanna, also shared some tips to manage procrastination. They are:

We must work on managing ourselves before we learn to manage time. Simple exercises could include:

Building greater self-awareness: What are the tasks I usually procrastinate on? Are there any patterns?

Identify your ‘peak performance time’: Are you a morning person/night person — that’s when you are more likely to get work done.

Try habit stacking: Linking a new task with one that is already a part of your routine e.g. – 10 mins of reading with your morning tea.

Planning a time budget across ‘must-do’ and ‘want to do’ can help prioritise tasks.

Blaming someone who is struggling with procrastination doesn’t help. (Pic source: Pixabay)

How to deal with a procrastinator

While the above tips are for people who procrastinate, it is also vital to know how to engage with people who show this trait in a manner that is empathetic but at the same time helps get the work done.

According to Dr Khanna, “patience is the key” while dealing with such people. “It is important to avoid the urge to blame or label them. Wherever possible, it may be helpful to gently make them aware of the potential pitfalls of their behavior. Nagging seldom helps,” she added.

Dr Khanna also advised practicing positive reinforcement as a tool. “Offering a treat for a desirable step in the right direction may help (e.g.- preparing your child’s favorite breakfast when they wake up to the morning alarm)”.

Finally, it is good to seek professional help when this behavior becomes dysfunctional and begins to impair one’s routine and interpersonal relations, she suggested.

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