Procrastination

By Sofia Tedesco 

I should really start this paper…

I should really go to the gym…

I should really save my money…

These are thoughts that run through my head, and as the clock continues to tick - will not be accomplished unless I do it for myself. 

You heard me - do it for myself. 

So why do I procrastinate?

I know this question takes over our brains and usually leads to a domino effect of putting off work, then thinking about putting off work, and finally stressing about what should’ve been done ages ago ending with the inevitable, “I always do this to myself”. 

After listening to Dr. Rangan Chatterjee’s Feel Better; Live More podcast, Episode #120 with guest Nir Eyal, a behavioral design expert, they discussed how we can control our attention and choose our life. They discuss the idea that we are constantly being distracted and how to fix it- becoming “indistractable”. This process requires patience, but once achieved you will never be more efficient. 

To give you a snippet of one technique they discuss, they talk about a situation where you have to sit down and start a project. I know it’s not just me and I know once I would start, I would constantly look at my phone for the duration of completing the project. 

Dr. Chatterjee and Nir Eyal say that the best way to overcome this feeling is to address it. 

So, instead of scrolling through your phone - put a timer on for ten minutes. 

Let yourself understand why you want to go on your phone, why you need a distraction.

Putting this in practice, I’ve allowed myself to understand the feeling of wanting to be distracted, and I have become comfortable with addressing it. 

At the end of the day, we are constantly in pursuit of pleasure and trying to avoid discomfort - but avoidance, such as procrastination, will only hurt us, not help us.