10 Ways to Get out of the Quicksand of Procrastination
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It happens to the best of us. We have a big project looming, a major report due, even this article to be written, and we are determined to get it done. But 10 minutes after sitting down at the desk, you find yourself in the kitchen making another coffee.
Determined now, you return to work, but your phone beeps with a notification. An hour later, you’re surfing completely random nonsense on your phone, and that project has barely gotten started.
That’s it, you tell yourself. No more excuses! And yet, your brain refuses to get on board, and you’re stuck and feeling completely frustrated.
Some days it’s easy to get into the flow. We get lots done and feel really accomplished.
But others, it’s like being under a spell. No matter how much you know that you need to get to work, the struggle to get started feels like trying to walk through quicksand.
Here are some of the best strategies that I have found to help get unstuck and get that project back on track:
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Break it into smaller pieces
Sometimes it’s hard to get started because it feels overwhelming. All we see is the overall project, and it feels intimidatingly large. Procrastination follows as a natural reaction to this stress.
Try breaking it into smaller tasks. Depending on the project, it might be an outline, a sketch, or a layout but find some way to break it down into manageable pieces.
Decide to work on only one piece at a time and then reward yourself when each is completed. Doing just a little at a time can add up to a lot of work.
“You may delay, but time will not.”
― Benjamin Franklin
Turn off the distractions
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Our phones are amazing devices that connect us to the world. But they also create the perfect recipe for procrastination. Both iPhones and Androids have a Do Not Disturb mode that will mute all notifications while allowing exceptions to ensure certain people can still reach you.
There are also programs to block or limit visits to certain or all websites during a restricted time for the computer.
Having a few hours without the procrastination pitfalls of social media interactions or other internet distractions can help keep you on track.
Practice deep breathing or try meditation
When we procrastinate, we aren’t even always aware that we’re doing it. We know we need to work, yet we lose track of time while doing everything else but what needs to get done. Try taking some deep breaths, focusing only on your breathing for at least a minute or two. Alternatively, do a 5-minute mediation session. (Check out some other relaxation techniques in 12 Centering Techniques For Gamers When Dealing with Stress and Anxiety)
Breathing exercises can help anxiety and increase mindfulness. It can also bring us more into the present, becoming more aware of what we are doing, and thereby limit some of that procrastination wandering.
“Procrastination is the thief of time”
― Charles Dickens
Have a glass of water
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Having a difficult time concentrating on that project might be more than just procrastination. Feeling like you’re in a mental slump and having a hard time staying focused might be dehydration.
Studies have found as little as 1.5-2% dehydration, which we may not even feel, can impact our ability to concentrate. Additionally, we get fatigued more quickly and have lower cognitive performance when our water levels are low.
So, while another cup of coffee might feel like it’s the right choice to be alert, try reaching for a glass of water instead.
Clean up your working space
Research shows that our physical environment impacts our thought processes. A disorganized workspace can be draining mentally and cause anxiety. Neuroscientists found that clearing away the clutter can improve our productivity and our ability to focus.
Try taking a few minutes to organize your workspace and see if it helps your concentration.
As a warning, though, some people (myself included) have taken the need to clean to become another form of procrastination. With a deadline looming, today is not the day to tackle that junk drawer or decide to organize your book collection. Clean up your desk space but then get back to work.
“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone”
― Pablo Picasso
Go outside
Ventilation systems may not always be adequate to maintain the best air quality. Carpets, furniture, cleaners, even that burnt toast you forgot about at breakfast can all contribute to indoor air pollution. Bad air can cause various health issues, including decreased productivity.
Beyond a breath of fresh air, going outside also reduces digital strain by giving our eyes a break. Ophthalmologists recommend the 20-20-20 rule, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds, every 20 minutes.
Taking a break to step outside can help you feel more refreshed and ready to tackle that project with more focus.
Put on music
If you are working in a noisy open office or working from home with many distractions, adding music can significantly help your concentration. Your brain tries to decipher all the noise around you, and finding something that drowns it out can relax it and allow it to focus elsewhere better. But music has been found to have benefits even when working in quiet workspaces.
Research shows music, in general, can help you work faster and with fewer mistakes. (Check out the types of music that can work best in 12 Centering Techniques for Gamers)
“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Phone a friend
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Being stuck in the rut of procrastination and the anxiety from an overwhelming task list can leave us feeling very isolated. Taking a few minutes for a quick chat with a friend or co-worker can make us feel less alone. (Read more on the power of working with others - Real Life Party Members and Traveling Companions)
It can also help organize our thoughts or work out a difficult problem by talking it through with someone.
Additionally, telling someone that you are working on a project can make us feel more accountable to complete it when we say that we are going to, motivating us to get back to work on it.
Set a timer
Your brain feels like a child on a Halloween sugar rush, chasing around, unable to sit still, and can’t focus on anything. It feels impossible to get any work done.
Try setting a timer for 10 minutes. It’s easier to tell your wired brain that you only need to focus for 10 minutes at a time than to try to convince it that it needs to concentrate for the next several hours.
Spend that 10 minutes working with no interruption and complete focus. It might be challenging, but it’s only 10 minutes. Often when the timer goes off, now that you’re already started, it’s easier to continue working.
A popular variation on this technique is called the Pomodoro Technique. It involves focusing for 25 minutes, taking a 5 minute and then back for another 25 minutes, with a 30-minute break every 2 hours. I like this so-called “tomato timer” method (Pomodoro means tomato in Italian) for bigger projects.
“A day can really slip by when you're deliberately avoiding what you're supposed to do.”
― Bill Watterson
Take a break
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It may sound counterintuitive, but sometimes, it’s the best way to be productive. We can get trapped between the anxiety of needing to get a project done and our resistance Walking away from it for a few minutes may be the best way to break this.
Set a timer and take a break; no work, no thinking about the work, and no guilt about not doing the work. Use that time to relax, do those other projects that you keep gravitating towards, or anything that you find fun.
When you go back to work, your mind will feel like it’s had a break and feel more refreshed and motivated. Ultimately, that 20 minutes of fun might help you get more accomplished than two hours staring at the screen with nothing to show for it.
Try a productivity app
There are several mobile apps that use some of the other techniques to encourage productivity. From timers for productivity, breaking up goals into smaller tasks, and turning off distractions. Check out the full list here for some ideas: 10 Roleplaying Gamification Apps to Add Some Adventure to Your Day-To-Day
Procrastination can make life hard, and know that you’re not alone in the anxiety that it can bring. I hope that some of these methods can help you to overcome it. And for myself, I finished today’s project, so I know that they worked for me.
What’s your experience with procrastination, and what techniques have you found to beat it?
Author:
Laurie Trueblood is a writer and life coach that enjoys fantasy, science, psychology, and everything nerdy. As the founder of Adventures to Authenticity, her mission is to help others level up and become the best versions of themselves.
Interested in reading more on productivity, check out: How To Stay Motivated When It Feels Like You’re Not Making Any Progress and The Importance of Downtime for a Productive Mind
