How To Get Rid Of Procrastination And Laziness?
Adopting Anti-Procrastination Strategies is the Third Step – Habitually putting things off till later is a deeply entrenched pattern of behavior known as procrastination. This indicates that you probably won’t be able to break it in one day. The only way to break a habit is to quit doing it, therefore to give yourself the greatest possible chance of success, give as many of the tactics outlined below a go as you can.
- You need to forgive yourself for putting things off in the past. According to a number of studies, practicing self-forgiveness can make a person feel better about themselves overall and lessen the probability that they would put off important tasks in the future.
- Engage fully in the activity. Instead of trying to avoid something, you should concentrate on accomplishing it. Make a list of the things that need to be done, and give yourself a certain amount of time to do each one. Because of this, you will be more equipped to take charge of your work.
- You owe it to yourself to treat yourself. If you are successful in completing a challenging assignment within the allotted time, you should treat yourself to a tasty treat, such as a slice of cake or a cup of coffee from your favorite coffee shop. And make sure you take note of how satisfying it is to bring things to a close.
- Request that someone keep an eye on you. Peer pressure works! This is the fundamental idea that drives self-help organizations. Self-monitoring might be difficult if you don’t have somebody to ask for support, but an internet application like Procraster can give you a hand.
- Take actions on the go. Instead of letting chores pile up over the course of another day, get to work on them as soon as they come up.
- Modify the way you talk to yourself in your head. The expressions “need to” and “have to,” for instance, give the impression that you do not have a choice in the matter of what you do. This can leave you feeling powerless and may even lead to you engaging in self-sabotaging behavior. On the other hand, stating that “I choose to” suggests that you own a project and might help you feel like you have more control over the amount of labor you have to do.
- Minimize distractions . While you are working, you should avoid sitting anywhere near a television, as well as turning off your email and social media!
- Make it your daily goal to ” eat an elephant bug ” first thing in the morning! Get the things out of the way early that you perceive to be the most unpleasant responsibilities. Because of this, you will have the remainder of the day to devote your attention to activities that you find to be more satisfying.
What causes procrastination and laziness?
Wait. Why do we put things off when we’re in a foul mood? – In a few words, yeah. Procrastination is not a unique character flaw or a mysterious curse on your ability to manage time; rather, it is a method of coping with challenging emotions and negative moods induced by certain tasks, including but not limited to boredom, anxiety, insecurity, frustration, resentment, and self-doubt, amongst others.
According to Dr. Tim Pychyl, a professor of psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa and a member of the Procrastination Research Group there, “Procrastination is not an issue with time management; rather, it is a problem with emotion regulation.” Procrastination may be viewed as “the predominance of short-term mood repair over the longer-term pursuit of desired behaviors,” according to the findings of a research that was conducted in 2013 by Drs.
Procrastination – 7 Steps to Cure
Pychyl and Sirois. According to Dr. Sirois, one of the primary reasons people procrastinate is because they are more concerned with “the immediate urgency of controlling unpleasant feelings” than getting started on the work at hand. The specifics of our aversion change depending on the nature of the activity or the circumstances.
- It might be because the activity itself is intrinsically unpleasant, such as having to clean a filthy bathroom or arranging a long and tedious spreadsheet for your employer.
- However, it is also possible that it is the consequence of deeper sensations that are connected to the activity, such as fear, insecurity, poor self-esteem, or self-doubt.
As you look at the empty page in front of you, you could be thinking to yourself, “I’m not smart enough to write this.” Regardless of whether or not I am, what will other people think of it? Writing is such a difficult task. What if I do a lousy job? All of this may persuade us to believe that setting aside the paper and focusing instead on organizing the spice cabinet is a smart course of action to take.
But of course this will only serve to strengthen the negative associations we already have with the task, and those feelings will still be there whenever we return to it, along with feelings of increased stress and anxiety, feelings of low self-esteem, and feelings of being responsible for our mistakes.
In point of fact, the ruminative and self-blaming thoughts that many of us have a tendency to have in the aftermath of procrastination are referred to as ” procrastinatory cognitions,” and there is an entire body of research that has been dedicated to studying them.
- According to Dr.
- Sirois, the ideas we have about our procrastination almost always make our anguish and stress levels more worse, which in turn contributes to even more procrastination.
- But the fact that we get a sense of temporary comfort when we procrastinate is also what makes the cycle so particularly destructive.
Putting off a chore offers temporary respite in the here and now; as Dr. Sirois put it, “you’ve been rewarded for delaying.” And fundamental behaviorism tells us that when we are rewarded for doing something, we are more likely to repeat that behavior in the future.
- This is precisely the reason why procrastination is not often a one-time activity but rather a cycle, and one that may easily develop into a persistent habit.
- Chronic procrastination not only results in a loss of productivity over time, but it also has measurable and deleterious effects on our mental and physical health.
These effects include chronic stress, general psychological distress and low life satisfaction, symptoms of depression and anxiety, unhealthy behaviors, chronic illness, and even hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
Why have I become so lazy and unmotivated?
1. Have some compassion for yourself; there are scientifically documented reasons why you are feeling fatigued and unmotivated. We are all struggling with feelings of worry, tension, despair, uncertainty, and helplessness, and we are unable to find solace in our usual routines.
Can you be intelligent but lazy?
Let’s be honest: individuals who are lethargic receive a poor name, which is especially unfair considering that some of the world’s most successful billionaires are seen as the complete opposite of sluggish. For example, Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, rises every day at 5:00 a.m.
to start his day. Before going to bed at eleven o’clock at night, he checks his email, has breakfast with his family, reads the news, attends meetings, and engages in physical activity such as tennis, running, and kitesurfing (what?!). Essentially, Branson is a very busy and successful person who has achieved a lot in his life (and it should be a crime to call him lazy).
It is therefore not difficult to see why those who are lazy are thought to be less intelligent and less successful in their jobs. To the relief of all those people who self-identify as “lazy,” recent scientific research has uncovered evidence suggesting that slothfulness may in fact be an indicator of intellect.