How to stop putting off until tomorrow what can be done today?
Will everything resume after the holidays?
Not really, certainly not if you (like a lot of other people) are guilty of procrastination.
Gila Nevo, district attorney at Maccabi Health Services, explains why we postpone tasks - and how to stop it
Nebo discovered
18/10/2022
Tuesday, October 18, 2022, 09:35 Updated: 09:55
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That's it, the holidays are over - get off the couch.
A woman dozing in the living room (Photo: ShutterStock)
How many times have you promised yourself that after the holidays you will start a diet or make sure to go to the gym?
How many times have you said that after retirement you will start riding a bike or playing the guitar?
And how many times have you not met the schedule of submitting work for studies or an important project, not to mention making an appointment with the dentist? All of us, men and women, children and adults, suffer to one degree or another from procrastination.
Procrastination is a phenomenon defined as the difficulty of starting or finishing any task within a time frame allotted to her. Many of us tend to postpone tasks, which we find threatening and frightening, unpleasant or boring. Many times we find ourselves performing unimportant activities and all in order to postpone and avoid the activity from which we are trying to avoid. Sometimes behind the procrastination there is a fear of not meeting the standard of excellence that we have set for ourselves , fear that we will not be able to meet our expectations or those of the environment, fear that this is a task that seems too complicated and difficult, and sometimes - just plain laziness.
In the chronic cases, procrastination can also be seen as a result of attention disorders, low self-esteem, insecurity and various anxieties
Familiar?
A man is debating whether to postpone or do (Photo: ShutterStock)
So how do you stop procrastinating?
First, you should ask yourself which tasks are difficult for you to perform and which you have a tendency to postpone.
Also think about the reasons why you avoid the task - is the task too big and complex?
Does it cause you a feeling of discomfort, fear of failure, etc.?
When you have the answers and are aware of the factors that are holding you back, you will be able to deal with them more easily.
More in Walla!
The three minute rule that will help you overcome procrastination
To the full article
After you have understood what is behind your procrastination, it is time for some tools to help you recalculate a route:
1. Make a list of required tasks according to monthly, weekly and daily classification and rank them according to their level of importance.
At the top of the list are assignments of high importance with a tight deadline (submitting a project at work, finishing an academic assignment, writing a report for an accountant, etc.).
Then combine less urgent tasks into the list.
The list will help you to be early and organized and to set the right order of priorities.
2. It is important that you give yourself a realistic time to complete the task,
because an incorrect allocation of time will discourage the procrastinators among you and postpone the beginning of the task.
If the time allotted for the task is not practical - do not be shy and ask for a suitable timing for submitting the tasks that you can meet.
3. Focus on doing one task at a time
, and promise yourself that you commit to doing it within the predetermined time frame.
Disconnect from various distractions such as emails, WhatsApp and inform your co-workers or the surrounding family members that you are taking quiet time to complete a task and that you should not be disturbed.
There are those who prefer to put on headphones in order to maintain concentration and there are those who prefer their favorite music to motivate them to carry out the task.
One task at a time.
Task list (Photo: ShutterStock)
4. Set up a comfortable work environment for you and start the task immediately and without postponements or excuses
.
The practical recommendation is to "jump into the water", start the task and progress step by step.
5. Concentrate.
even for a little bit.
Studies have shown that our brain works in peaks of work and rest.
There are time periods of about 20 minutes in which concentration is optimal, so it is recommended to work on the task for 20 consecutive minutes and then take a break of about 5 minutes to refresh yourself, and return to the task for another 20 minutes and God forbid.
6. Help from outside.
If you feel that you are wasting time while performing the task, put a stopwatch or a clock that will help you get within the time frame you have allocated for yourself.
At the same time, you can also ask a friend to help you and remind you of your commitment to complete the task.
7. If at the end of the process you met the goal you set for yourself and managed to delete several tasks from the list - treat yourself to some kind of treat
.
Tangible or virtual positive reinforcement increases motivation and improves future achievements.
Success in the task will increase your sense of security and abilities and encourage you to complete all the tasks on the list.
However, it is important to emphasize that if you feel that the phenomenon of procrastination is chronic, harms your normal lifestyle or interferes with your daily conduct - you should contact a professional, who will help you deal with the problem and overcome the difficulties.
Gila Nevo is a district social worker at Maccabi Health Services in the Jerusalem and Shefala district
health
psychology
Tags
Procrastination
psychology
