ProcrastinatioProcrastination!n!

Ammera Kaing, Lucrecia Levy-Flores,, Ammera Kaing, Lucrecia Levy-Flores,, Christina OrchanianChristina Orchanian

May 17, 2004May 17, 2004Holistic Health 382-3Holistic Health 382-3

Procrastination…What is it?

Psychological behavior that allows a person to postpone or delay a certain activity or task.

Source of great stress and anxiety for many people.

Time management is not directly related to procrastination.

Cycle Timeline

“There are 2 weeks until the assignment is

due.”

I II III IV

False Sense of Security

Deadline is Set

“I have plenty of time.”

“I will get started soon,I only work well under

pressure.”

“Oh no! The assignment is due tomorrow!

”

Panic & Stress Set In

Time Passes

Negative Effects of Procrastination

Stress/Anxiety Neglecting Your Health Irritability/Bad Mood Letting Yourself & Others Down Not Achieving Your Full Potential

What do you do when you procrastinate?

I raid the refrigerator. I read mystery novels & science fiction. I start calling up my friends. I work on something that’s less important. I become obsessed with cleaning my desk. I go out jogging. I sit and stare. I keep doing research. I watch TV. I read the newspaper. I go to sleep. I go shopping.

Four Simple Reasons For Procrastination

Difficult The task seems too hard to do Time-consuming Free time is unavailable until the

weekend Lack of knowledge/skills Don’t want to make a mistake

until you’re sure it’s right Fears Everyone will know you made a mistake

Procrastination ...something you can do right now.

Four Complex Reasons For Procrastination

Perfectionism 1. “If you can’t do it right, don’t do it at all”

2. May delay starting a project 3. Creates dissatisfaction & frustration

Anger/Hostility 1. Withhold best efforts out of spite

2. Getting Even

Low Frustration Tolerance 1. Feeling overwhelmed

2. Unfairness

Self-Downing 1. Minimize your skills/abilities

2. Attribute success to luck3. Cannot accept praise for work

accomplished

Steps to Cure Procrastination

1.Acknowledge that you are postponing a task.

2.List the reasons why you are postponing doing the task.

3.Discuss the reasons and list ways to overcome them.

4.Begin the task immediately!

Helpful Techniques Write down your tasks in a visible place with their due

dates Make the tasks look easy in your mind Have a 5 minute plan: start a task for 5 minutes,

eventually you will want to complete it Break the task into components Tackle each component separately Modify your environment to encourage accomplishing

the task Tell your family/friends about your goal; they will

motivate you along the way REWARD yourself for a job well done!

Other tips…

Do’s: Change your thoughts Engage in physical

activity (exercise) Give yourself some alone

time (15 – 30 min. without distractions)

Increase alertness by changing your position or stretching for a few minutes (important thing is movement!)

Don’ts: Criticize yourself! Anticipate catastrophe Focus on faults,

inadequacies, things left undone

Choosing a Plan of Action Christina chose to…

- set weekly goals & write down tasks

Ammera chose to…- break tasks down

Lucrecia chose to…- apply un-schedule technique- learn to say “no”!

I procrastinate on:

•School assignments

•Work

•House chores

I procrastinate by:

•Watching TV

•Eating snacks

•Talking to my friends

Christina’s Plan of Action

Christina’s Plan of Action I wrote down my weekly tasks in my schedule. Each weekly schedule listed specific tasks to be

accomplished. I had post-it notes attached to my books and

living space to remind myself of what was to be done.

I followed the 5 minute rule. I began the task believing I would work on it for 5 minutes, but continued it until it was complete.

Having lots of reminders made procrastinating (for example, watching tv) seem like a waste of much needed time.

I went through my task list on Sunday making sure I completed them.

I began the following week with a clean slate.

Ammera’s Plan of Action I procrastinate on studying for exams. I chose to break down the assignments I needed to complete to prepare for

exams. Next, I estimated the number of days I could spend studying before the

exam. I divided the number of pages I had to read by the number of days I had to

study. For example, if I had 150 pages to read, and 10 days before the exam, I set

a goal to read 15 pages per day. To motivate myself, I made a check off list with the pages I needed to read.

After I completed a page, I checked off the page number. This allowed me to visualize my accomplishments.

I rewarded myself my scheduling breaks. I would study in an environment conducive to studying, such as the library.

Lucrecia’s Plan of Action: “Un-schedule” & Exercising

the “No” Muscle Procrastinators’ view of time is quite unrealistic

(hope to find more than there really is!). Procrastinators often underestimate/overestimate

how long a task will take. Un-schedule is a weekly calendar of all of your

committed activities, not what you “should” do Consider all your activities (i.e. work hours;

scheduled meetings and appointments.; classes & social events; time for regular exercise; time for meals including prep & clean-up; time for chores & cleaning, laundry & shopping, etc.)

Lucrecia’s Un-Schedule

Learning to Tell Time…

Look at your schedule – How do you feel? Overwhelmed? Anxious? Depressed? Visualize going thru this week & consider what

makes you feel that way. Un-schedule shows you the maximum amount of

time you “could” use to work on a project Reward yourself after working ½ hour towards your

goal & block off the time on your un-schedule Add up the “blocked” time to calculate how much

time you spent working towards your goal that week (self-monitoring helps procrastinators be more realistic!)

Learning to say “NO”

Tips to Help You Say No: Buy yourself time to think (I’ll get back to you….) Shift the focus back to you (This is not about you;

I need to say no for me…) Know your priorities and stick to them! Keep it simple (don’t give long-winded

explanations or make excuses…) Tackle easy situations first (Try it with the

telemarketer on the phone…..)

What I’ve learned…

To reduce stress, I need to frequently use the “I’ll get back to you…” technique and refer to my schedule before booking social get-togethers (especially during school semesters!)

I need to more realistic about time and juggling work, school and a family (sometimes you can’t do it all!)

Prioritize – I will set priorities at the beginning of the week for goal(s) to be accomplished during “free time” that week instead of trying to “squeeze-in” the time…

Other Techniques to Improve Your Timing…

Practice telling time Learn to use little bits of time Expect interruptions and disruptions Delegate Don’t spread yourself too thin Identify your prime time Enjoy your “free time”

Stress & Procrastination

Think back to a time when you felt a great deal of pressure.

Recall the circumstances around the incident and remember how you felt.

Were there any changes in your behavior or attitude?

Were there sensations in your body that were letting you know that you were feeling pressured?

Some Signs of StressPhysical Signs:

“knot,” “butterflies” or pain in your stomach

Cold, clammy hands Headache Rapid breathing, hyperventilating Tightness in neck or shoulders or

both Lower back pain Tendency toward illness (colds,

flu) Tension in jaws (grinding or

clamping)

Emotional & Behavioral Signs:

Irritability Fatigue, exhaustion Trouble concentrating Increased alcohol or drug

use Changes in sleep or

appetite Inability to relax, fidgeting Forgetfulness Inability to enjoy things

that once brought you pleasure

Exercise in Progressive Relaxation

Sit in a comfortable position Give yourself some quiet time to begin with (10-15

min. recommended) Close your eyes & breathe evenly Tense the selected body area; hold the tension

tightly for 5 – 10 seconds Relax the area you just tensed for 10 – 15 seconds. Let the muscles become soft, heavy, warm and

loose. Breathe slowly and comfortably.

Benefits of Overcoming Procrastination

Peace of Mind

Feeling strong

Taking charge of your life

Feeling competent

Experience personal freedom