Last year, procrastination was searched over 46,000 per month.
The number 1 location of those searches?
Hawaii
Maybe it’s the sunshine and good vibes that make taking it easy so hard to shake.
For those of us without the good fortune of 24/7 fun in the sun, procrastination can be a huge drag on getting things done.
I went ahead and looked for the best advice I could find, and came up with the 6 articles below. Each has been shared (tweeted, linked to, and pinned) more times that any other articles on the topic.
Read, enjoy, and then go get something done!
Decluttering Minimalist Home
https://easyorganizedhome.com/decluttering-minimalist-quotes/
Seems like people have so much more stuff in their lives than they ever did before. Getting rid of those things can prove to be really challenging, especially when you become attached. Gifts and occasions create memories that we want to hold on to, and we want to hang on to the stuff that makes us think of those memories. So how do we overcome our attachments to all the clutter?
Turns out people have been forming attachments to things they don’t need for a long time, and there have been more than a few wise words shared on the matter. Famous quotes for your personal use, to help you realize what you need and what you don’t in life. Print them and hang them up next to your closet, garage or attic. Put it in a space that will inspire you to let go of the things you don’t need.
Once all the things weighing you down in life are gone, you will feel lighter, freer and better able to prioritize what is truly important in your life. Use the newfound freedom and pursue your dreams.
A minimal home is way easier to maintain
Weighted Blankets – Do They Work?
Sleeplessness can be both the symptom and the source of a wide range of physical and mental health issues. But many of the treatments for insomnia or sleep based anxiety have concerns or side effects that make them hard to utilizes.
This makes weighted blankets the perfect solution for anyone suffering from a disease or disorder that makes it difficult for them to sleep. Studies prove that the weight of the blanket when applied to the human body, causes the release of serotonin. This causes the person to relax and more easily fall asleep.
People looking to procure a weighted blanket for themselves or a loved one would be able to do so easily. There are many sites that provide weighted blankets as an aid or resource to people with certain conditions. Weighted blankets can also be found on many popular online shopping websites.
Weighted blankets have been scientifically proven to help sleep
Procrastinator Procrastinate
https://waitbutwhy.com/2013/10/why-procrastinators-procrastinate.html
Procrastination has a specific definition and that doesn’t reflect the reality of what it’s like in the mind of a chronic procrastinator. Procrastinators specifically lack the capacity to understand how their actions are destructive and harmful to their own growth and happiness.
How is the mind of a chronic procrastinator different though? While they have the mind of a capable and rational person, they also have another driver inside of them. A part of their mind that is driven only by instant gratification and not the satisfaction of fulfilling activities. Usually, they will avoid activities that require time, practice, and/or commitment. Many procrastinators are aware of this other aspect of themselves and often try to counteract it, but the best they can do is put themselves in a mindset in between that is neither productive no satisfying. That is when the panic begins to set in. Some procrastinators are able to use this panic to still accomplish their needs, but many shut down once they start to panic. This often makes the problem worse.
These are the situations and symptoms that many chronic procrastinators experience and while people may struggle with these behaviors they definitely do not struggle alone.
Procrastination is often a “silent” problem
Procrastination and Self Control
People more often procrastinate to avoid emotional insecurity and to self-harm in relation to a task rather than the unpleasantness of the task itself. The harm comes from the known negative emotions we experience during and post procrastination. We know we are doing something we shouldn’t over something we should and we punish ourselves for it.
Thus the behavior becomes a cycle. We seek relief from the stress, and in using procrastination become more stressed, and in turn causing us to seek relief again.
But what can we do to alter this train of behavior? While many options exist one of the most effective and proven methods is self-forgiveness. Allowing yourself to make the mistake of procrastination and move on without forcing yourself to feel guilt breaks the cycle and promotes a more positive, and healthier, outlook on work in the future.
Procrastination grows out of emotional distress
The Psychology of Procrastination
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/03/well/mind/clutter-stress-procrastination-psychology.html
People don’t like to deal with clutter. But what defines clutter isn’t clear cut. The inherent negative connotation of clutter means that clutter is defined by the emotions surrounding the object. Negative emotions, often based on the stress of the task, meaning that while some people will dislike having a pile of mail on the coffee tables others won’t be bothered by the shoes on the staircase.
Many of these associations come with the projected perception of the middle class and what it means to achieve that status. Many women experience higher stress levels than men because of their perception as keeper of the house, despite oftentimes being employed on the same level as their male counterparts.
While de-cluttering is a difficult task some suggest that keeping the items you bring into your house to a minimum so you don’t become attached.
Clutter often subtly triggers procrastination
Manage Emotions, Not Time
Procrastination is an emotional regulation problem, not a time management problem. Originally many researchers agreed that time management was the issue and that people had little to no ability to properly keep track of the time. Now more recent research shows procrastination is actually a stress response to avoidance and guilt.
What can be done to help treat the issues with procrastination? Studies show that people procrastinate to lift their mood, so altering your mood positively will help you avoid procrastination. Specifically psychological techniques like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, teach you to regulate your mood so it is easier to stay on task.
Since ACT isn’t accessible to everyone the best thing you can do, once the procrastination problem has been acknowledged, is to break your tasks into small manageable parts to minimize your stress.
Studies show that people procrastinate to lift their mood