PROCRASTINATION VERSUS PRODUCTIVITY
We all do it sometimes, some more than others and if you say you don’t, you’re lying. You know what I’m going to say procrastination. What is procrastination, well according to Websters dictionary it means “the action of delaying or postponing something”. Yep, according to this definition this is something that we all began doing in childhood. Whenever there was a task that we didn’t really like, or a task was interrupting us from doing something else we preferred, we would delay the undesired task for as long as possible. I think many of us started to learn this pattern of behavior also from observing the adults around us. Believe it or not there is healthy procrastination.
For example, if you have a ton of tasks to do in a twenty-four-hour period and to complete all those tasks you would need to forfeit sleep or eating, guess what? It is healthy for you to postpone or delay one or more of those tasks for another day. It’s never okay to deny yourself the basic needs of your human existence to complete tasks. However, if you’re struggling getting important or essential tasks done at home, work, or other roles that you are responsible for, this could be unhealthy procrastination.
Productivity is basically the opposite of procrastination. Everyone wants to be productive or thinks they are being productive (sometimes you are actually just busy and not productive), either way let’s get into a few tips to support productivity that are often overlooked. One of the things that can help you be productive is staying organized. You don’t want to be flying by the seat of your pants, buy an organizer/planner, calendar or if you desire use sticky notes. Write down appointments, meetings, and other significant dates this helps keep you productive or helps start the process. Being productive is a process so, don’t beat yourself up. If you are seeing progress, then you are moving in the right direction.
Sometimes to help improve productivity you may simply need to remove clutter, rearrange the seating or furniture, even get better lighting or just need a new location. A change in location can give you a new perspective or revive energy and this in turn increases productivity. In addition to where you do some of these tasks, how you do them matters, including utilizing things like music and appearance. Music can set the vibe to just about anything, and we need to be honest some music will set a vibe for procrastination or productivity, you decide what genre or artist does what for you. Another tip, rarely discussed, is how we are dressed or your appearance. Yes, there is a such thing as being too comfortable to be productive or being overdressed for the tasks needed to be completed. This is something worth further discussing with a therapist or coach, as each individual situation should be reviewed for appropriate recommendations.
If you find that your motivation is still low, then next look at what is distracting you. Distractions can be a huge part of low productivity, that includes social media, tv, form of entertainment, multitasking, environments, and people. Once you locate the cause/reason, you should try to decrease the distraction using minimal risks. A good therapist or coach can support you in this technique. It’s very important to focus on the tasks that support you accomplishing your goals. Also, you should have a balance between home-life, work-life, and self-care as it’s vital to maintain good productivity.
There will probably be a little bit of procrastination in all of us always. If you find yourself less productive than desired, with little to no motivation, this can also be a symptom of a diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health condition. If you believe that your procrastination is a symptom to a mental health condition, it’s time for you to find a therapist that can support you in symptom reduction. One thing is for sure, if procrastination prevents you from being the best version of yourself, doing nothing about it will ensure things won’t change. We all are a work in progress, so rather than continue to struggle alone, get the support you need and speak with a professional.