Reduce Procrastination Counseling at Reconnect Relationship™ Therapy Beverly Hills & Laguna Beach
All of us put off our important tasks from time to time. In moderation, it is normal and this doesn’t affect our lives. However, if you often find yourself not working when the deadline is looming and cursing yourself later on, then you might have a problem on your hands.
Procrastination is an easy thing to do, but it almost always ends up making our situation worse. Procrastinators can create many self-made hurdles in their path. Fortunately, there are lots of solutions you can adopt.
Have You Been Procrastinating Too Much Lately and Long to Get Back to Your Old Self?
Effective Ways to Beat Procrastination
Let’s take a look at different ways with which we can beat procrastination.
Counseling Strategies to Get Unstuck and Get Back on Track?
1. Stop Catastrophizing
People avoid doing a task because deep down they feel that they will experience some extreme form of stress. That the work they’re putting off will either be extremely boring, very painful, or too difficult for them to handle. In their mind, the task that they want to perform seems “Unbearable.”
However, in reality, those things are not as unbearable as you have exaggerated them in your head. Whenever you’re making such assumptions that it will be too difficult to handle, understand that it’s not. Tell yourself that “Sure it is not my favorite thing to do, but it’s not impossible and I can go through it.”
2. Recognize That You’re Procrastinating
There’s no easier way around this. We all know when we need to be doing something important but we’re wasting our time. Catch yourself in the act and be honest. Remind yourself how you’re repeating the same process and it will only lead you to failure in the end. When you become aware of yourself, you have a choice.
Either you can repeat the same thing you did last time and bear the consequences or you can just get up and start doing your work. Starting your task is often the hardest part. Once you get into it, you always leave with some progress made. So, always take immediate action and start today.
3. Get Organized
One of the many reasons we procrastinate is that we are not disciplined in our lives. We spend our time in a random manner and when a task comes up, we find it difficult to put the proper time into it. A great way to tackle this is to create a routine and set aside specific time for important tasks each day.
When you have a daily time slot allotted for essential things, you learn to complete your work in steps. This makes your job a whole lot easier and your task doesn’t seem as intimidating as it once did. Also, invest in a planner where you can map out all the important upcoming jobs. This will help you keep track of what you need to complete .
4. Get Rid of Distractions
Our environment can boost or hinder our productivity. If you have distractions in your workplace, it’s going to seem almost impossible for you to focus on your task. Therefore, before you start, spend an extra few minutes cleaning up your table or getting rid of anything that might break your focus.
Put your cell phone on silent mode or place it in another room if you don’t need your phone at work. If you have a noisy environment, try listening to music or white noise as you work. Remind your family to not disturb you. You can even go to a library or a park as a change of environment sometimes helps. Having your workplace free of distractions will keep you focused and motivated for longer.
5. Break Your Task Into Small Manageable Chunks
Procrastination often follows when a task seems overbearing. Look for ways to make it easier for yourself. If you have an assignment that needs to be finished in three days, instead of doing it at one go, break it into five or six parts which you can easily complete in one study session.
Also, be realistic. Don’t expect yourself to study straight for 4 hours. Instead, you can use the Pomodoro technique in which you pay complete attention to your task for 25 minutes and then take a short 5-minute break. You can do three Pomodoro sessions at one time and then take a bigger break.
A workload divided into several parts will be far less intimidating and much more achievable. You won’t feel overwhelmed and your progress will be marked with certain milestones. So, learn to schedule a task into different parts and you will feel the difference in how easier it gets.
6. Drop the Perfectionism
Many people have an all-or-nothing mentality. For them, things have to be perfect otherwise they count it as a failure. They wait until things are perfect for them to proceed. For example, “if my environment isn’t completely according to my standards, I won’t start.” Or that “I won’t start until it’s a perfect time.” This mental state often holds people back from starting or completing their tasks.
Instead, focus on getting the job done with whatever resources you have. Even when you start and don’t accomplish much, remind yourself that getting something done is better than doing nothing at all. Always remember, done is better than perfect.
7. Get an Accountability Partner
Doing your task on your own takes lots of will power. But if you have someone else that you have to answer to, then it gets less easy for you to procrastinate. Establish specific deadlines for the completion of a task and then find someone who can help you be accountable. It could be a promise to your friend or client that you will have this work done by this time.
You can ask your friend to keep a track of your progress and remind you if you slack off. You wouldn’t want to break your word and this will motivate you even further to not procrastinate.
Reducing Procrastination with Accountability Therapy Conclusion – The Reconnect Relationship™ Therapy Approach
Procrastination can be the only thing standing between you and your goals. Getting rid of this habit will take time, but the benefits are certainly worth it. Using the techniques above will help you get a hold on yourself and beat the laziness for good so you can start living a more productive life.
Improve Your Productivity & Drive with Supportive Counseling & Accountability - The Reconnect Relationship™ Approach
Your counselor at Reconnect Relationship will assist you get to the bottom of the major causes of your procrastination by partnering with you to assess the thoughts, feelings and accompanying behaviors that are contributing to the state of your mind and life.
Together you will come up with personal coping strategies to help you better manage your procrastination, and you will be provided with accountability as well as tried and tested techniques as well as specific tools which be effective for you long-term.
Our counseling psychologists and psychotherapists at Reconnect Relationship in Beverly Hills & Laguna Beach, CA have substantial experience in helping with life transitions.
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Call us now or complete our Drop Us A Line form to make an appointment with one of our counseling psychologists and psychotherapists in Beverly Hills or Laguna Beach, CA.
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