Stop procrastinating!

Stop procrastinating!

Emotion regulation is the whole story of procrastination.

I don’t feel like . . . I don’t want to . . . I’ll feel more like it tomorrow . . . are the lyrics to the procrastination song.  We might all sing it to a slightly different tune, but most of the tunes have that “poor little ol’ me” quality about them.

When we face a task for which we lack motivation, as evidenced by the “I don’t feel like it” thought, we face a choice. We can either move forward with the task despite the lack of motivation, or we can “go for the feel-good” by delaying the task now, with the delusion that we’ll do it at another time (and feel better then!). 

Delay comes at a cost.  Research shows that the hedonic boost we get from avoiding an unattractive task right now is short lived. We might give in to feel-good, but it doesn’t last. It’s what that Greeks called akrasia – weakness of will; acting contrary to what we know is in our best interest. It makes us feel weak and guilty.

When we get to that uncomfortable task during the day, we “don’t feel like it“ so we put it off. We needlessly delay the task despite expecting to be worse off for the delay. It may mean that the timely completion of the task was important and we’ll pay a cost for not getting it done on time, or it may mean that doing it later will result in something else getting pushed off.  For some people, life gets out of control because of this.

The key thing is that the only thing standing in the way of us doing an intended task is this – we don’t feel like it; we don’t want to.

Once you’ve acknowledged your negative feelings toward doing the task,  ask yourself, “what’s the next action?” Then do it. Or at least a small part of it. Often, once you start, the task loses much of its formidable facade. (Set the timer for 25 minutes, focus like crazy on the task and take a short, active break when the timer rings. Then jump back into the ring for another 25 minutes.)

Success is found in staying put, staying on task, getting the job done.

Maturity is recognizing that “not feeling like it” is not a reason, it’s an excuse.

Sleep Procrastination

Bedtime procrastination is defined as "failing to go to bed at the intended time, while no external circumstances prevent a person from doing so”.

A June 2014 study published by researchers at Utrecht University in the Netherlands found that 30% of their sample reported sleeping six hours or less on weeknights—significantly less than the seven to nine hours the National Sleep Foundation recommends for the average adult—even though 84% reported feeling that they slept too little at least once a week.

Just as we procrastinate when it comes to work, exercise, or other activities, we are probably also procrastinating when it’s time to go to bed.

So, how do we pry ourselves away from temptation and get to bed? It requires willingness, willpower, and good habits.

Observe yourself as you get varying amounts of sleep. Are you raring to go after six hours or do you need eight just to function well? Then, work backward to find your ideal sleep time, starting with your wake-up time. Do you get up at 5 a.m. to go to the gym? Do you work flex hours that let you sleep until 8 a.m.? Use your own circumstances and needs to determine your best sleep situation.

How much sleep do you NEED to feel alert and rested? Most people need between 6 1/2 and 8 hours of sleep. My experience with teaching stress management seminars is that many, many people are living and trying to work despite a chronic sleep deficit.

The Utrecht University study found that people who aren’t good at self-regulation were more likely to procrastinate at bedtime. So, set a time to power-down devices and stick to it as much as possible.

1. Figure out how much sleep you need.
2. Around what time would you need to be in bed to guarantee that you will probably sleep enough?
3. Work back from that time to find out when you need to start your “get ready for bed” ritual.
4. Try this out for a few nights and evaluate your energy and motivation levels.
5. Tweak your ritual and  sleep time so that you feel great in the morning.

Maybe, just maybe, you will stop procrastinating during the day, too.