{"id":4558,"date":"2024-01-18T21:31:46","date_gmt":"2024-01-18T19:31:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mytherapist.gr\/?p=4558"},"modified":"2024-01-19T00:11:48","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T22:11:48","slug":"how-to-overcome-procrastination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mytherapist.gr\/en\/mental-health-articles\/procrastination\/how-to-overcome-procrastination\/","title":{"rendered":"Procrastination - is there a way to overcome it?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Procrastination, which has been described as \u201cthe intentional delay in starting or completing important tasks to the point of discomfort\u201d (Solomon & Rothblum, 1984), is so common that it hardly seems problematic or like a significant reason for concern. However, this behavior has been shown to potentially have harmful effects on our relationships, our mental well-being, and our work (Ellis & Knaus, 1977; Ferrari, Johnson & McCown, 1995; St\u00f6ber & Joormann, 2001).<\/p>

It appears in many different forms and, in practice, often serves multiple deep motives:<\/p>

  • Difficulty starting an action<\/li>
  • Difficulty completing an action<\/li>
  • Fear of failure<\/li>
  • Fear of success<\/li>
  • Fear of rejection<\/li>
  • Boredom<\/li>
  • Perfectionism - and the list could go on forever<\/li><\/ul>
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    In this way, it\u2019s easy to see that procrastination often involves an internal emotional conflict (Sapadin & Maguire, 1996, p. 10) that either activates feelings of fear, rejection, and insecurity, or simply triggers boredom - pushing the person to ignore an action they find irritating, boring, or uninteresting in order to do something else that offers immediate satisfaction or pleasure (Hauck, 1982, p. 18).<\/p>

    The six main types of procrastination<\/strong><\/p>

    1. The perfectionist procrastinator:<\/strong>\nReluctant to start or complete a task if it might turn out to be less than perfect and therefore make them feel like a failure in their own eyes and\/or in the eyes of others.<\/li>
    2. The dreamer procrastinator:<\/strong> Wants life to move calmly and smoothly, so they avoid difficult challenges. Grand ideas don\u2019t translate into achievable goals. Addicted to ease, their goals fail to materialize and remain wishes.<\/li>
    3. The worried procrastinator:<\/strong> Fears things will go wrong and feels overwhelmed by \u201cwhat if\u2026\u201d thoughts. Risk or change is avoided, and there is little trust in their ability to make decisions or tolerate discomfort.<\/li>
    4. The defier procrastinator:<\/strong> Resistant and argumentative toward others\u2019 instructions or suggestions because it feels like \u201cthey\u2019re telling me what to do\u201d or \u201ctrying to control me.\u201d This may appear as an indirect form of contempt - passive aggression - such as saying \u201cyes\u201d to someone\u2019s request when the person really means \u201cno,\u201d because they\u2019re not willing to take responsibility for doing it within the assigned timeframe.<\/li>
    5. The last-minute performer:<\/strong> Works best at the last moment and may say they can\u2019t get going before 11 a.m., or claim that this is when they do their \u201cbest work.\u201d Living life on the edge, they constantly seek the intense adrenaline rush this lifestyle provides. They have low tolerance for boredom, and leaving things until the last minute often causes them to lose opportunities or time.<\/li>
    6. The overcommitted procrastinator:<\/strong> Takes on many different tasks without defining priorities. As a result, time is managed inefficiently, leading to tasks that aren\u2019t completed, are inadequate, or are delayed beyond the deadline.<\/li><\/ol>
      \u00a0<\/div>

      At this point, however, we shouldn\u2019t ignore that there are cases where procrastination can have positive outcomes, especially when it is structured (e.g., reduced impulsivity, better decision-making, etc.). Over time though, if left uncontrolled, excessive procrastination - as we saw in the examples above - will most likely lead to delayed and inadequate outcomes, missed opportunities and deadlines, a damaged reputation, and extreme frustration - both for the person who procrastinates and for those who have to deal with or manage them.<\/p>

      How relieving would it be to identify the patterns of our procrastination? The why, when, and how of our procrastination - and, most importantly, what we can gain in our personal and\/or professional life by learning to manage it effectively.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Coaching and procrastination<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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      Using a range of tools from both the cognitive-behavioral approach and positive psychology, a coaching program incorporates the following six intervention areas:<\/p>

      • Strengthening motivation for change<\/li>
      • Setting goals and vision<\/li>
      • Monitoring progress<\/li>
      • More effective time management<\/li>
      • Challenging unrealistic\/unhelpful beliefs and replacing them<\/li>
      • Relapse prevention<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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        Take action now<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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        Until you enter a coaching collaboration and work on procrastination in greater depth, here are a few quick thoughts to help you approach it more effectively:<\/p>

        Action<\/u><\/p>

        Simplify everything and think about the first or second step you need to take. Sometimes, simply getting started is all you need.<\/p>

        Break the task down<\/u><\/p>

        A task often feels like a mountain. Break it into smaller tasks, creating small, easy, immediate steps. Writing them down may really help.<\/p>

        Stay connected to a sense of responsibility - toward yourself and others<\/u><\/p>

        Choose someone you feel comfortable with and trust. Let them know what you\u2019re working on and when you plan to complete it.<\/p>

        Connect with a higher purpose<\/u><\/p>

        Find the meaning behind your goal. What does it mean to you? The greater the meaning you give it, the greater your motivation.<\/p>

        Visualize completion<\/u><\/p>

        Take a moment to imagine how great you\u2019ll feel when you complete your goal. The more you focus on this, the more motivated you\u2019re likely to feel.<\/p>

        Celebrate your wins<\/u><\/p>

        Don\u2019t let your wins blur together without giving them proper importance. When you achieve something, celebrate it!<\/p>

        \u00a0<\/p>

        By Mary Spathari, Psychologist | 02\/10\/2020<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Procrastination has been described as \u201cthe intentional delay in starting or completing important tasks to the point of discomfort.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"author":236822084,"featured_media":4561,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[766568642,766568658,766568659,766568661,766568673],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arthra-psychologias","category-aftognosia-aftoektimisi","category-aftopepoithisi","category-synaisthimata","category-anavlitikotita"],"acf":{"article-authored-by":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t