7 Tips To Push Past Procrastination

Years ago, a professional life coach spoke at an event I attended and said something I still remember: We all have tolerances in our daily lives that distract us and drain our energy. She defined tolerances as the “shoulds” that take up space in our minds (and homes) like the basket of clean laundry that needs to be folded and put away, the stack of unpaid bills on the dining room table, and the 15th reminder from your smartphone to update your software. Though minor in the scheme of things, collectively they weigh on us and cause varying degrees of shame, anxiety, or underlying stress. All have one thing in common: procrastination.

What exactly is procrastination?

Procrastination is a form of avoidance using delay, distraction, or escape, explains Daniel L. Hoffman, PhD, ABPP, director of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Practice at Northwell Health. When we procrastinate, there’s some sort of motivation or extrinsic value behind doing that task, whether positive (If I finish this report, I will impress my boss) or negative (If I am late with this report, I will hold up the project and feel embarrassed).

Hoffman says we typically procrastinate because we find a task aversive for any number of reasons, like it’s anxiety-provoking, boring, or frustrating. Sometimes a learning disability, lack of a skill, or perfectionism becomes an obstacle. Procrastination can mean completely ignoring a responsibility or putting it off by focusing on activities that aren’t as time-sensitive or important. The good news? There are proven workarounds to help avoid avoidance.

Done is better than perfect

Writers have a trick for evading the intimidation of a blank page: We aim for a messy first draft. Depending on the project, it’s sometimes wise to shoot for completion versus perfection.

 “A primary technique that we use in cognitive behavior therapy is cost-benefit analysis. We try to help people see what the pros and cons are of completing the task and how that is consistent with their values and goals,” says Hoffman. For example, a closet renovation may involve three weeks of inconvenience and the cost of labor and materials, but the benefits include a more pleasing aesthetic, greater ease of getting dressed, and money saved by adding new life to your existing wardrobe.

Break a large job into small steps

You’ve decided a project is worth undertaking, but don’t know how to begin. What then? Hoffman says, “It’s not enough to just focus on the positives. We have to see what’s making a task difficult for you.”

When avoiding a large project that feels overwhelming, ask yourself why. Is it a skill or knowledge deficit? Do you need help structuring the work? Think back to being in school and assigned a term paper to write. You were likely taught to start with an outline and flesh it out a section at a time. Breaking down a project into smaller components makes it more manageable logistically and mentally. This sub-goal analysis helps reduce feeling overwhelmed, and the anticipatory anxiety surrounding the task. If you need to empty a dresser, or go through files, take it one drawer or folder at a time. Incremental accomplishments are successes. 

Build in rewards and breaks

“You also benefit from rewards sprinkled throughout the task,” Hoffman says. Once you’ve accomplished a step, celebrate with an activity or treat you enjoy, as a reward. Rewards serve as motivation—for example, allowing yourself to stream the next episode of a series only after finishing grocery shopping or clearing your unread emails.

Breaks help with concentration, especially when staring at a screen. Try the Pomodoro technique of working in intervals by setting a timer and focusing on an activity for 25 minutes, then taking a break for five minutes to move your body, have a snack, or scroll social media (OK, also a screen, but it’s mindless entertainment).

When tackling boring, rote tasks like folding laundry, cleaning after a meal, or emptying the dishwasher, pair the activity with a pleasurable reward, such as listening to a favorite podcast or playlist. By creating fun distractions, you can make chores less aversive; you’re rewarding overcoming the procrastination to start, as well as the completion of the task.

However, the opposite is true with anxious procrastination. Anxiety assumes the worst—that past failures will come back to haunt us, and that negative outcomes of our actions are very likely, and will be unbearable and catastrophic. When we’re buckling down to tackle something we’ve been anxiously avoiding, distraction is your enemy. It’s important to focus on the task fully, allowing ourselves to experience the worry and discomfort. We’re usually pleasantly surprised, and relieved when we (finally) confront our fears. The situation/task usually isn’t as bad, and the outcome isn’t as bad as our anxiety predicts.

Schedule it

Technology fatigue almost belongs in its own category of procrastination. Hoffman understands why it’s tempting to ignore a barrage of update notifications on our computers or smartphones because new software means adjusting to change. “A lot of times we try to use what we know for as long as we can,” he says. The problem is, putting off these smaller, regular updates may leave you vulnerable to security issues or falling behind your colleagues at work. Hoffman suggests scheduling more significant updates or switching to a new device when you can block out time for being offline and learn a new system. It’s also a good strategy for non-tech projects that require a chunk of your attention.

For example, if you’ve been putting off a big, daunting task like weeding through your closet or sorting through old boxes that have piled up in your attic, scheduling time to complete the task may help you to stop procrastinating starting it in the first place. Likewise, if you know that you tend to be more productive at certain times of the day, prioritize scheduling these big tasks during those hours when you’ll be most likely to complete them.

Remember: OHIO

Hoffman recommends a method for defeating procrastination called OHIO, which stands for “Only Handle It Once.” Tasks and chores accumulate when we procrastinate—take care of it when you notice it. Opening snail mail? Deal with it on the spot: Pay it, respond to it, file it, shred it, or recycle it. Finished with a dish? Don’t leave it in the sink. Wash it by hand and put it away or place it in the dishwasher.

Don’t be afraid to begin

The most surefire way to get over anticipatory anxiety is to simply get started. Set a timer for 15 minutes and empty that junk drawer, watch that tutorial on website design, or gather clothing from your closets for donating. Hoffman concludes, “I think Nike says it best. Just do it.”

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