Why am I procrastinating?
What is procrastination?
Procrastination is about delaying doing something even if we know that there may be negative consequences of doing this.
Coping with a very fast world
The world moves very fast and there is always something to do personally and professionally. Life admin is full of tasks – pay bills, respond to letters, emails, phone calls, contact medical team, work on business plans, attend meetings, arrange meetings, keep accounts up to date, respond promptly to business enquiries or clients. This is just for starters. We are expected to be able to multi-task without any problems. The truth is we all have a limit. We need to be self-aware and boundaried. If we don’t prioritize our mental and physical heath we will collapse under the weight of the enormity of our responsibilities.
So many demands
The world is noisy and there are many voices vying for our attention – work, family, friends, social media, relaxation, expectations of ourselves, expectations of other people. We may be aware of what tasks need to be done and then notice that we are frozen as we try to think about where to start. Time marches on and now our ‘to do list’ is even bigger. We are aware of anxiety increasing as we know that these tasks must be addressed. Everything seems so much bigger and threatening when we are overwhelmed. We may even have someone asking us if we have done a task yet. This can lead to more anxiety, particularly if we can’t tell them when it will be done. We may feel shame and embarrassment that we are letting people down and they are not happy with us. Perhaps we have thoughts that we are ‘not good enough’ and imagine that everyone else is coping well.
How am I?
To be able to discern reasons for procrastinating and then work out practical next steps we need to check how we are. If we are tired, unwell, sad, stressed, anxious, angry or distressed we will not be able to plan and address our tasks well. It is important to take time to be still with ourselves and do this first otherwise we will become stuck going round and round in circles. Perhaps we need some emotional or practical support. Can someone help you – will you reach out to them?
Why am I procrastinating?
There are many reasons why we do this – perhaps the task is difficult and we feel overwhelmed. Is there someone we can ask for help? Maybe we are bored and really don’t want to do the task and would rather find something more interesting to do. It could be that we are burnt-out and don’t have any more energy or motivation even though we know the tasks are important.
Criticism
We may be aware of people criticizing us and wondering why we are ‘so lazy.’ This adds to our sense of powerlessness and low self-esteem. Sometimes we are self critical and focus on what we haven’t done rather than noticing and acknowledging what we have done.
How can I help myself?
It can be helpful to consider when we have the most energy. If we have slept well this may be in the morning. It is important to prioritise tasks taking into consideration what needs to be done today and in what order. Doing one task at a time in small steps and taking regular breaks can make the tasks less daunting. Do give yourself praise and encouragement as you go along.
Be realistic
Some things really do need to be done – some can wait for another day. Are we able to discern which is which?
Be compassionate
We all struggle to be organised sometimes. Once we can find out the reasons for this we can begin to think about what one small step we can and will take.
Would you like some professional support?
If you think that counselling might help and are in the UK do feel free to contact me via my website www.stellagoddard.com
