Coping with Procrastination 

     “I’ll do it later.” How often have we heard this or said it ourselves when we just really didn't want to do something. Why do people procrastinate and what can we do about it? People procrastinate for many reasons.  If something seems too hard or overwhelming, we have a tendency to put it off.  Maybe you don’t have enough information or guidance and are not sure where to start.  Maybe what you have to do is outside of your comfort zone and you feel insecure and concerned you will do the task incorrectly.  Maybe you would just rather be doing something else and maybe you just don’t like the task at hand.  Whatever your reason, think about what you have to do, whether or not you need help, guidance or training, the stress you will eliminate if it is not hanging over your head, the feelings of accomplishment that accompany completion of a task, and how you will create balance  in your life by rewarding yourself with something that you do enjoy.  Many patients have looked for guidance on how to get themselves to complete paper work such as bills and taxes (for those of you who love paperwork and numbers, we will come up with other examples).  If your project seems complicated and you are not that organized, enlist someone to help you organize so it is not so overwhelming.  If you just don’t know where to start and you are not sure what to do, obtain some training that will allow you to feel more comfortable.  

Break the project or task down into smaller chunks that do not seem so huge and overwhelming.  Making a schedule to keep a project flowing is often very helpful.  If you don’t like the task, reward yourself with something you really enjoy after completing the task (this is what I do with housework).  Give yourself praise for completing something that you were either afraid to do or just didn't want to do.  You know when you are making excuses.  It is so important that you be honest with yourself and not lie to yourself.  It would be healthier to acknowledge to yourself that you don’t want to do something and you are going to do it anyway so it might as well be now.  If you do it now you can have fun later but if you have fun now, it won’t be as much fun because you know what is waiting for you.

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