Procrastination is a natural reaction for most people, often triggered by stress and feelings of being overwhelmed with work, ironically enough. Procrastination doesn't even need a trigger to become a really bad habit. A really, really bad habit.
Here are the seven common causes and respective cures of procrastination.
1.
Fear of the outcome. The best cure for this is to recognize the fear, do not avoid it. once you recognize fear for what it is, it just becomes a state of mind which you are apt to deal with. 2.
Helplessness in the face of complexity. The cure for this feeling over being overwhelmed with the task is to break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks. If you have a project to do, or an essay, don't view it as a whole. Tackle one section, one part of it at a time, instead of trying to do it all at once. 3.
Rebellion and laziness. If you know you have to do it, but you just plain don't want to, the simple cure here is a reward for yourself. A delicious food item often works best here for me (i.e., candy, my favorite bagel place, treating myself to a lunch out instead of out of the bag, etcetera), but using food as a reward could become an unhealthy option, so also consider rewarding yourself with other things as well. 4.
Lack of motivation. The cure for this is reframing the situation. Take something that is not at all emotionally important to you, and make it important in some type of way. For example, when I have troubles deciding whether or not I'm actually going to go to class for the day, I reframe my mind remembering that if I go to class, I'll be close to that bagel shop I love, so it would make sense to grab a bagel and coffee after class, so I don't mind going anymore. 5.
Lack of focus and fatigue. The simple way to deal with distractions is to eradicate them, or learn to ignore them. Distractions are everywhere -- friends, siblings and even parents, our telephones, the internet browser, your cat, and speaking of your cat, you should probably check his litter before you really sit down to do that essay, right? NO. Stop distracting yourself. This may be one of the "harder" solutions because it requires you to recognize that the issue is not simply cured. Set your phone aside and only decide to use it at set intervals at little breaks, take larger breaks after every major accomplishment in your project, essay, etcetera. 6.
Not knowing where or how to start. Projects become a lot more manageable once you can visualize a start and and end point. Just viewing the project as a whole can overwhelm your mind and picture it to be a lot more disorganized and chaotic than it really is. Once you see exactly what the beginning and the end is, the middle will follow in suit and come together much easier. 7.
Perfectionism. The only way to overcome perfectionism is to regularly manage and improve your skill level, to make mistakes and correct them, and then learn from them. Practice can come in all forms, including that essay you have to get done anyway.
Please see this article for further details if needed! Fear no more, everyone experiences procrastination, and it becomes a nasty fallback for a lot of people. You are not alone! BUt you do have to stop procrastination overcoming your procrastination, and these tips and cures are a good way to start. Best of luck!
