The constant sound in your mind telling you to do the work on the table, whilst you are at a state of inertia trying to figure out the big bang theory! It is only at the last moment that you finish your work in hours – for what you were given days!
Sound familiar? That’s the sound of procrastination.
Why do you procrastinate? The answer to that question is the first step to getting yourself to stop doing it. And believe it that this journey is not supposed to be a guilt trip for getting late all the time and keeping people waiting. It is just that once you know where the problem starts – it is easier to cope up with it. So, let’s stop procrastinating.
The Psychology Behind Procrastination
From a clinical perspective, the reasons behind procrastination can be certain demotivating factors – like anxiety, boredom, fear of failure or lack of confidence. Procrastination is not a mental disorder, it is only a mental state. However, sometimes it can be a symptom or an early sign of mental illnesses like depression, ADHD or anxiety. Lack of sleep can also play a pivotal role in causing us to lose focus.
Lifestyle Choices, Emotional Stress, Video Gaming – Decoding Rumored Causes of Procrastination
There are many times when life choices, lifestyle choices and personal habits can turn down our performance at work by making us a procrastinator: when someone is pursuing a career or academic subject that does not interest them whilst their real calling is something else. Emotional and relationship issues fall in the same domain too. When you just can’t concentrate on work because according to your priorities, there are more important things happening in the world outside of your desk job.
Video gaming is also associated with procrastination, especially when it becomes an addiction. Speaking of online gaming, nowadays, there is another aspect of it – online gambling, which is now popular in many countries and many such online punters find themselves in similar situations being glued to slots or poker during a work hour.
Licenced gambling sites like the Vulcan Vegas online casino have certain settings that allow players to control their gaming habits. But according to experts, stopping to play doesn’t solve the problem because sometimes, there is more to the story.
In a recent study published in BMC Psychology, it was revealed that there is hardly any direct connection between video gaming and procrastination. It could not be pinpointed that excess video gaming causes procrastination. However, the report also revealed that when the survey members were asked the reason behind their video gaming, most of the responses were about reducing stress or taking some time off from reality – this can rather be a bigger concern.
How to Stop Procrastinating?
Now that you have an idea of the direct causes of procrastination – the best way to treat yourself to stop procrastinating is by understanding which one of these causes you relate to the most. What makes YOU procrastinate? Once you have your cause, you can choose your remedy accordingly.
- Move anti-clockwise
Give yourself the free time to contemplate what holds you back from doing your work on time.
The guilt for constantly being late and running behind time has to stop – so for once, stop running, and maybe you will pick pace. Instead of doing a job at a work hour, why don’t you experiment by doing it beforehand at night and submit the job before time?
- Make an accomplishment
Accomplishments can be excellent motivators that make you more and more ambitious. So, get yourself to do that one task that will earn you the status of a star performer. For many people, it is a direct healer for procrastination.
- Challenge yourself
Most of the time, procrastinators are also secretly dynamic performers. So, you can coax yourself with a fake target. Plan a date with a friend or an appointment with the dentist after work or class – push yourself to the brink that you have to do it on time. And unleash the real performer within yourself.
- Reward Yourself For No Reason
When you multitask with a remarkable lack of relaxation, usually starting a new day feels like a drudge. You need to give yourself the amount of relaxation that your body and mind need. Maybe a cup of tea at a fancy cafe or a day at the spa or a big Mac… whatever makes you happy.
- Do a health checkup
Sometimes health issues like low blood pressure or malnutrition can lead to lack of energy. And lack of energy may lead to lack of focus at work. So, one thing leads to another. Be healthy to be wise.
- Consulting a psychological counsellor helps
It has already been established that procrastination is not a mental disorder by itself. But seeing a psychological counsellor does not mean that you have a mental disorder either. General counsellors can also help with lifestyle management and help you perform better in your career or studies. When you can express yourself fully and have a wider perspective of things about yourself and your habits, the know-how radically boosts your conscience and motivation.
Final Word of Advice
So, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, know that procrastination may be a big problem, but there is a way out of it. And it doesn’t cost you a lot of strain or time. Decode the reason that makes you lose focus – you have to treat the reason to have a happy day end.
