Are You A Master At Procrastination?

by Paige West July 12, 2019

Everyone knows about procrastination and has probably experienced it at some point in their lives.

Do you want to know how many times I procrastinated writing this blog on procrastination? (haha!). I know first hand how procrastination be detrimental to your health, and here’s how can Neuro Touch help you.

What does Procrastination mean?

The action of delaying or postponing something.
To keep delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring
To delay doing something
The act of putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention:
Leaving things you should do until later, often because you do not want to do them.

Do you see a pattern here?

Something you do not want to do, or maybe it’s something that is going to take a lot of time that you think you don’t have time doing because you are spending time making up excuses for not doing something, that may have taken the time you have spent making excuses?!

WOW that was a big mumble… Does your procrastination mumble you up too? It can mumble up our body systems, our general health and our mental health!

Through work I find that …

96% of people who procrastinate are also suffering from some forms of depression or anxiety, whether one is the cause of the other; the affects are still the same.
81% of procrastination has lead to chronic health problems such as poor immunity, constant sickness/illness and poor general self care.
63% of procrastination patterns lead to brain fog, concentration and loss of interest in studies or workplace.

So not only can procrastination be detrimental to school or work or tasks or house chores; it can have a MAJOR affect on your health.

Procrastination can lead to guilt, inadequacy, depression and self-doubt. You may be delaying stressful tasks because you are already stressed but then will stress about not doing the stressful task.

Why delay? Take control today!

Best ways to take control of your procrastination:

1. Admit - “Yes, I am a chronic procrastinator”

This is the hardest part of gaining control of procrastination. To admit there is a problem here, one that is more than just putting off doing the dishes until the morning.

A chronic procrastinator would procrastinate near everything, from the dishes to a work review or eliminating the breathing issues that has been going on for years.

A chronic procrastinator may not even know their procrastination is that bad until they sit and review.

Do you procrastinate anything within the first hour of the day, or maybe 5 things?
Do you procrastinate doing your hair or brushing your teeth or having breakfast because you procrastinated getting out of bed?
Do you procrastinate listening to that pain in your side as you drive to work, or procrastinate going to work by stopping for your 4th coffee?
Do you procrastinate lunch and then not eat it because you’re too busy clearing your schedule to work due to that later start?
Do you procrastinate doing exercise because you’re too tired or too busy?
Do you procrastinate? Are you sure you don’t?
ARE YOU REALLY LISTENING TO YOURSELF?

If you answered yes to any of there … well you procrastinate. And if you answered yes to EVERYTHNG, I beg you to keep reading.

On that note, it can be important to understand yourself. Do you operate better in the early morning or late at night? This doesn’t mean by admitting to procrastination that you have to change your personality or traits. If your functioning is far better at night time, don’t force yourself in the morning.

2. Know yourself

The key is to celebrate in every success, yes, even “YAY I DID THE WASHING BEFORE I RAN OUT OF CLOTHES” (I hope some of my old flat mates are reading this!).

But in all seriousness, it is not that you may have put off the washing, it is more of a concern if you put off checking in with yourself. Or realising those symptoms or complaints in your body that you are trying so hard to ignore.

You could solve two problems in one! Gain control of your procrastination, listening to yourself more, AND BOOM, head to living your best life by getting on top of your health!

Why is procrastination such a concern when talking about our health?

Not only have we discussed links to stress but there is the pressure of cardiovascular health due to this stress and the affects of this leading on to chronic health problems and on-going stresses to you and your body. And there are lot of illnesses/diseases that are controlled by stress too.

I know for a fact my endometriosis symptoms are, most clients autoimmune disorders are, general colds, fibromyalgia, MS, and MORE. Procrastination can affect our behaviours too, simply due to the fact that procrastination is a behaviour! DUH.

One we need to keep in check, not necessarily clear entirely. Some people may use procrastination as a coping mechanism or a way to disengage from things not wanted; putting off the inevitable. That can lead onto the self-doubt we mentioned, and self-blaming.

Honestly, do not feel bad for procrastinating, that’s not the problem, it is more the issues that arise from chronic procrastination, this can all put pressure on out mental health and general well-being.

So you need to be able to start listening to your body and not procrastinate the health care advise needed because it’s too expensive, or takes too much time, or you just can’t be bothered. There’s always an excuse to everything, doesn’t mean that we have to use them!

On that note, let’s work out if your procrastination affects your health:

Do you put off meals?
Do you put off exercise ?
Do you ignore any aches and pains in your body?
Do you worry about being stressed?
Do you put off tasks and then find yourself swamped under too much work?
Do you ignore that headache or achy eyes?

And yes, I understand that some complaints we have learnt to live with and then it no longer becomes a priority, but it should. BECAUSE YOU ARE A PRIORITY!

What is on your list of priorities? Is it actually a priority? Know yourself! You know what you should be doing so start listening to that little nagging voice in your head, I promise it becomes easier.

3. How to get onto this procrastination??

Evaluate your prioritises. Write yourself a list, maybe you’ve noticed those habits you don’t like and now want to eliminate some of them. Start with one thing at a time! WRITE A LIST…
Goal setting is the best way to grab onto this. “Eat the frog”, I first heard this at Outward Bound, do the nasty thing first! If that means waking up early to get your 20 minutes of exercise in, or to eat breakfast that morning then DO IT!
Keep a ratio: 70-30 or 80-20, and no I don’t mean seconds! Keep 70% of your day for work and 30% play; or 70% of the hour working and 30% play. Ratio to your priorities, this can change every day; we want to eliminate your stress!
Release distractions and clear bad habits. Have you ever thought to write down a list of all the habits you could live without? - I’d advise to not procrastinate doing this!
Its okay to ask for help, whether this be a family or friend, or health care professional. I find it easier to ask for help to keep me on track of my goals!
Look at your strengths, HIGHLIGHT them! Yes you eat breakfast everyday but maybe ignore lunch, start applying one strength and use to it boost another weakness.

The secret to banishing procrastination

The key to clearing procrastination, for myself, is to Acknowledged, Celebrate and Re-enforce.

ACKNOWLEDGE your procrastination and get onto your task, CELEBRATE your success in the task and then RE-ENFORCE all over again.

Remember, you are not the only procrastinator out there, and there is probably someone who procrastinates more. But you don’t want to be this person anymore.

Control your procrastination to live your best life!