Stop Procrastinating

Procrastination is something we all experience. Many of us struggle with it. So, first of all, know that you are not alone. You are not lazy, careless, or a poor time manager. Procrastination is often a result of how our brain processes emotions and mood-management. It is related to perfectionism, fear of failure, and of having a very harsh inner critic. This audio trance includes a range of powerful positive suggestions to address these underlying causes of procrastination.

 

When we are in stressful situations or are faced with demanding tasks, our brain activates a region known as the amygdala. A very old part of our brain, the amygdala processes emotions and registers and signals threats. It can trigger our fight, flight, or freeze response. Flight and freeze responses contribute to procrastination. We imagine future effort or unpleasantness associated with the tasks which we keep postponing so vividly that we feel anticipatory stress.

 

Procrastination causes stress. We constantly think about our to-dos but aren’t doing them. We neither enjoy the present moment nor do we tackle the work that is on our mind. We languish in a grey zone. What is more, we constantly feel shame and guilt. We cannot enjoy being present and neither do we begin the work that would enhance our future.

 

Procrastination can also be related to perfectionism and to harsh inner critics. We often procrastinate on tasks that are very meaningful to us, of which we have very high expectations. The threat of failing at these meaningful tasks is so high that we prefer not even to get started. We imagine that the blow to our ego would be too devastating. Or else we fear a merely good enough or mediocre outcome. Researchers have also found that people who are prone to chronic procrastination tend to have very harsh inner critics. They talk to themselves very harshly, perhaps even cruelly. They can lack self-compassion. 

 

Research suggests that chronic procrastination can lead to high levels of stress, and various acute health problems such as headaches, insomnia, or digestive issues. It weakens our immune system and makes us more susceptible to flu and colds.

 

Procrastination is also a factor that can lead to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. It negatively affects our education and career prospects. It also tends to lead to lower self-esteem.