Procrastination!Ammera Kaing, Lucrecia Levy-Flores,, Christina OrchanianMay 17, 2004Holistic Health 382-3

ProcrastinationWhat 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 TimelineThere are 2 weeks until the assignment is due.IIIIIIIVFalse Sense of SecurityDeadline is SetI 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 InTime Passes

Negative Effects of ProcrastinationStress/AnxietyNeglecting Your Health Irritability/Bad MoodLetting Yourself & Others DownNot 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 thats 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 ProcrastinationDifficult The task seems too hard to doTime-consuming Free time is unavailable until the weekendLack of knowledge/skills Dont want to make a mistake until youre sure its rightFears Everyone will know you made a mistake

Procrastination ...something you can do right now.

Four Complex Reasons For ProcrastinationPerfectionism 1. If you cant do it right, dont do it at all2. May delay starting a project 3. Creates dissatisfaction & frustrationAnger/Hostility 1. Withhold best efforts out of spite 2. Getting EvenLow Frustration Tolerance 1. Feeling overwhelmed 2. UnfairnessSelf-Downing 1. Minimize your skills/abilities2. Attribute success to luck3. Cannot accept praise for work accomplished

Steps to Cure ProcrastinationAcknowledge that you are postponing a task.List the reasons why you are postponing doing the task.Discuss the reasons and list ways to overcome them.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 tipsDos:Change your thoughtsEngage 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!)

Donts:Criticize yourself!Anticipate catastropheFocus on faults, inadequacies, things left undone

Choosing a Plan of ActionChristina 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 assignmentsWork House chores

I procrastinate by:Watching TVEating snacksTalking to my friendsChristinas Plan of Action

Christinas 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.

Ammeras 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.

Lucrecias Plan of Action: Un-schedule & Exercising the No MuscleProcrastinators 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 doConsider 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.)

Lucrecias Un-Schedule

Learning to Tell TimeLook 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 projectReward yourself after working hour towards your goal & block off the time on your un-scheduleAdd 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 NOTips to Help You Say No:Buy yourself time to think (Ill 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 (dont give long-winded explanations or make excuses)Tackle easy situations first (Try it with the telemarketer on the phone..)

What Ive learnedTo reduce stress, I need to frequently use the Ill 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 cant 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 TimingPractice telling time Learn to use little bits of time Expect interruptions and disruptionsDelegate Dont spread yourself too thinIdentify your prime timeEnjoy your free time

Stress & ProcrastinationThink 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 Stress

Physical Signs:

knot, butterflies or pain in your stomachCold, clammy handsHeadacheRapid breathing, hyperventilatingTightness in neck or shoulders or bothLower back painTendency toward illness (colds, flu)Tension in jaws (grinding or clamping)Emotional & Behavioral Signs:IrritabilityFatigue, exhaustionTrouble concentratingIncreased alcohol or drug useChanges in sleep or appetiteInability to relax, fidgetingForgetfulnessInability to enjoy things that once brought you pleasure

Exercise in Progressive RelaxationSit in a comfortable positionGive yourself some quiet time to begin with (10-15 min. recommended)Close your eyes & breathe evenlyTense the selected body area; hold the tension tightly for 5 10 secondsRelax 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 ProcrastinationPeace of MindFeeling strongTaking charge of your lifeFeeling competentExperience personal freedom