How to deal with procrastination?

[Teacher]

Hello! Today, the thoughts are not mine, but our speaker's. Yes, we have our own speaker, who will flash from time to time in posts about human psychology. His her —Faith Lord, she runs own channel on the topic of social engineering. Today she is with you.

Very useful for novice scammers, and in general for everyone who is online. Sometimes I'm too lazy to get out of bed and turn on my computer...

• The essence and causes of procrastination
• What is the danger of procrastination?
• How to get rid of procrastination?

The essence and causes of procrastination​

Procrastination, or procrastination, is more or less common in everyone.

This is a type of self-destructive behavior in which a person postpones the solution of tasks until the last moment. Often this is accompanied by a sense of guilt, sometimes it comes to a kind of paralysis of the will. Sometimes the procrastinator in the process realizes the irrationality of his inaction and the negative consequences that his behavior can lead to, but still continues to procrastinate.

Most often, procrastination works as a defense mechanism — this is how the psyche fights anxiety when solving complex or boring tasks.

A person may take a different amount of time to complete the same task under certain concomitant conditions, depending on both external conditions and internal interest in completing the task: we often mistakenly perceive a simple task as something too much for us.

In most cases, procrastination is based on an internal conflict: one part of our personality is convinced of the high importance of the task, while the other does not believe in the possibility of its implementation in principle, an intrapersonal crisis is brewing, which subsequently gradually develops into paralysis of the will. In such a situation, only a burning deadline, the failure of which threatens serious consequences, can make us come out of our stupor and concentrate on the task at hand.

Let's take a closer look at the cognitive biases that contribute to the development of procrastination:

• Inadequate estimate of the amount of time left to complete the task;
• Overestimating the degree of personal motivation;
• Waiting for the right mood and state to get started.

Sometimes we mistakenly assume that some tasks will not take up much time. This leads to a false sense of security, which is replaced by stress if the solution of a deferred issue threatens to disrupt the deadline.

Another common reason for putting things off is the expectation of a "special state" — inspiration, motivation, desire, money, muse from the track (please underline). Friends, don't be fooled by this misconception! Inspiration comes in the process of working on a task, not before it. The main thing you need to do is get yourself started.

The fear of failure, the inability to plan and prioritize, too large or boring a task — all this inevitably provokes us to postpone things for later, and in the long run — leads to burnout.

Major causes of procrastination include depression, ADHD, and obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD). In more serious cases, a person does not feel the strength and energy to get down to business at all, or is distracted by destructive thoughts. In this case, it is better to seek help from a specialist-a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.

Researchers identify 3 blocks of problems that contribute to the development of procrastination:

• Insufficient or unclear motivation. Inaction results from a conflict of desires and rational goals. You may not really want this (not new knowledge, but new communication or recreation); specific current actions may conflict with the global goal later ("improve life" or "increase income"), because they are poorly connected with it and do not encourage action; or there is some strong motive-an opponent that you are never too lazy to engage in, but it is not so socially approved or seems useless.
• Problems at the problem solving level. For example, it is difficult to concentrate because there is no suitable place, there is not enough strength and energy, and there is not enough specific knowledge. Here it is important to make a clear plan, learn how to manage your attention and restore your strength efficiently. Procrastination can be a reaction to an overload of RAM — the brain requires a break to rest in this way!
• Fear of failure. Difficulties frighten, uncertainty of the result makes it less attractive (here the problems with motivation from point 1 are tightened). Some people avoid making an effort: they think that everything should be easy, and for some reason their efforts and mistakes discredit them. This attitude makes life more difficult and prevents you from enjoying complex tasks.

Based on the reasons for inactivity, there are different types of procrastination. According to the classification of psychologist Noah Milgram, there are 5 types of this phenomenon:

• Household appliances. It involves postponing routine tasks like cleaning the room;
• Neurotic. A consequence of high anxiety and fear of change;
• Academic. Typical for students and students;
• Problems of choice. Occurs when you need to choose one of the many options;
• Compulsive. It is associated with indecision, internal fears, and the habit of planning for a long time, instead of acting.

What is the danger of procrastination?​

Like all processes that are associated with the functioning of our body, procrastination has its own causes and consequences. In itself, it is neither good nor bad. An important feature of procrastination is to serve as an indicator that something is going wrong.

If you ignore procrastination and do not try to deal with its causes, over time it can lead to failures in all areas of life: career, relationships with family and friends, a growing number of unresolved problems, overdue bills, clutter in the house, etc. physical health, negatively affects the appearance, condition of the skin, nails, hair, and so on.

How to get rid of procrastination?​

• Deal with your fears. Fear of failure, mistakes, or even unexpected success forces us to put things off until later. Here it is important to imagine the most dangerous thing that can happen, and think about ways to solve the failure. It is important not to forget that any mistake is an opportunity for growth and progress. If you are afraid of success, think about why you deserve it and what positive changes success will bring to your life.
• Evaluate the potential of the task. What are you working on this or that case for? What positive contribution can it make to your life? Answer these questions before you start any work.
• Make a list of things to do that you regularly postpone. Estimate how long it will take to complete each task, and then double that number to avoid falling into the cognitive trap of underestimating the time it takes to complete the task.
• Learn to recognize the beginning of procrastination. You've probably noticed that you take a break during your work process to perform a minor action, which then drags you out for dozens of minutes. Learn to say "no" to yourself the next time something like this happens again.
• Negotiate with yourself. Try not to give in to the urge to postpone things for later. Instead, force yourself to spend at least a few minutes working on the task. In many cases, you may find that this is easier to accomplish than it sounds. You can promise yourself a reward after completing the task.
• Don't get distracted. Set yourself a period of time during which you will eliminate all the factors that might distract you. No notifications, music, or pointless Googling: all your attention is focused on the task at hand.
• Forgive yourself, criticize yourself less for failures. Getting rid of guilt is an important step on the road to productivity.

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