You always leave important tasks to the last minute?
Welcome to the club. About 20% of adults are chronic procrastinators, which means that they have this behavior as a regular problem. And here is the most important thing…
If you do not start with the root causes, you will continue to run in circles.
The good news is that therapeutic approaches can be used to help you overcome procrastination and distraction. If you are also struggling with the anxiety that is at the root of procrastination, you may need anxiety therapy in Denver to address underlying issues while learning new productivity habits. With professional therapist services, you can receive structured support in overcoming procrastination and understand what causes it for you in the first place.
In this article, I will show you the most effective therapeutic methods that actually work.
Ready? Let’s get right into it.
Here is what you will learn:
- Why do we procrastinate?
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Procrastination
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Techniques
- Mindfulness-Based Approaches
- Create Your Action Plan
Why do we procrastinate?
Before we get to solutions, you need to know what is happening under the hood when you procrastinate.
Procrastination is not a simple form of laziness. Instead, this is an emotional response which involves the need to get away from negative emotions.
It means that when you are facing an important task and your brain is not ready for that, it will choose a short-term benefit, at least in your perception.
Think about it:
Fear of failure, perfectionism, and the inability to manage your tasks are one of the most significant triggers for procrastination and distraction. Your brain will treat the task as a threat and actively try to avoid it.
The research found that 94% of people say procrastination makes them unhappy. Nevertheless, they still keep procrastinating. The main reason is that procrastination is a specific coping mechanism which is aimed to help you to deal with difficult emotions. This is not an issue of time management.
Tools for time management will not be able to fix emotional patterns of avoiding tasks. That is where therapeutic approaches will help you.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Procrastination
CBT is one of the most effective therapeutic approaches which can be used for procrastination treatment.
The reason is that it will address both thoughts and behaviors that are holding you back. CBT will help you to identify negative beliefs which are associated with procrastination and change them to more helpful patterns.
The studies have found that CBT has success rates around 75% when it comes to treating procrastination. Is it not a very impressive number?
Let’s have a look at how CBT deals with procrastination:
Identify negative thought patterns
The first step is to spot your unhelpful thoughts. It can be “I am not good enough to do it”, or “I need to wait until I feel motivated”.
You therapist will assist you to notice such patterns. When you will be able to identify them, you can start to challenge them.
Cognitive restructuring
This is the part when the real transformation occurs.
You will be required to challenge your negative thoughts and then substitute them with realistic ideas. Instead of “I will never finish this”, you can think “I can break this down into smaller steps”.
Behavioral activation
CBT not only works with your thoughts, but it will also change your actions.
Behavioral activation is about doing activities which will force you to move forward even when you are not in the mood. The key is that you need to build momentum by taking small steps.
This is the technique which will make you start the tasks before you will be ready and gain confidence by small wins.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Techniques
ACT is the approach which can be used instead of CBT. However, it is also very powerful for procrastination.
The main difference is that ACT does not teach you to fight with uncomfortable feelings and thoughts. This approach will help you to accept them and still move forward.
It matters for the following reason:
The main reason for procrastination is that you are trying to avoid the negative emotions. With ACT you can recognise that discomfort is normal and it does not have the ability to control your actions.
Values-based action
ACT is all about teaching you to connect your tasks with the deeper values.
The reason is that when you understand why this is valuable for you, you will be able to move forward despite of resistance. For example, when you finish that work project, it is not only about the deadline. It can be about building a career which you can be proud of or being able to provide for your family.
Defusion techniques
It is all about learning to observe your thoughts instead of getting hooked by them.
When you think “I do not want to do this”, you will be able to notice this thought without instantly following the order. It will give you the ability to make a decision rather than doing it by default.
Mindfulness-Based Approaches
Practices of mindfulness have been becoming more and more popular for distraction and procrastination management. The reason for that is quite obvious.
These techniques will help you to create awareness of your present moment experience without any judgment. The awareness is key in order to catch yourself when you are about to procrastinate.
Present-moment awareness
Most of the procrastination will occur when you are worrying about the future or reliving the past.
The mindfulness practices will bring you back to the present moment when you actually have the control. There are a number of simple exercises. It can be to take three deep breaths before you start a task, become aware of physical sensations when you experience resistance and then bring your attention back to the work when your mind starts to wander.
Self-compassion practices
It may sound silly, but the harder you treat yourself when you procrastinate the more this behavior will be reinforced.
Self-compassion is the ability to treat yourself kindly when you experience some issues. The research has proved that self-compassion increases your motivation while reducing procrastination. In other words, when you make a mistake, you should be able to talk to yourself as you would talk to a good friend.
Create Your Action Plan
To know the therapeutic approaches is quite good. However, the value is in the application.
Here is how you should get started:
Find the right therapist
You need to look for a person who specialises in CBT or ACT. The best news is that most therapists offer specialised programs for procrastination treatment.
Ask your potential therapists about their experience in treating procrastination. As I mentioned above, the right fit is crucial.
Start with small things
Do not try to rebuild your whole life from one day to another.
Choose only one small area where procrastination is creating problems for you. Apply all the techniques that you learn with your therapist to that one specific area first. When you will build the confidence and start to see the results, you can apply the same approach to other areas.
Track your progress
Maintain a simple log of when you procrastinate and when you decide to take action, despite the resistance.
Try to notice the situations, thoughts and feelings which are causing procrastination. This awareness will help you to intervene earlier.
Wrapping Things Up
Procrastination is a problem and the only way to overcome it is to use CBT, ACT and mindfulness.
It is not related to willpower and the ability to use better time management tools. The reason is that procrastination is all about emotional and cognitive patterns which are focused on avoidance.
Therapeutic approaches have effective strategies for you to break out of procrastination cycles. They will help you to identify and challenge negative thought patterns, learn to accept uncomfortable emotions without allowing them to control you and learn how to build sustainable productivity habits.
The first step is to find a therapist who specialises in these approaches. The next one is to start consistently applying what you learn. With the right support and therapeutic techniques, you can defeat procrastination and start building the productive life that you want.
Remember – 88% of people procrastinate at least one hour per day. You do not have to be part of this number anymore.
