Thursday, February 1, 2018 Stephanie Waechter, Ph.D., C.Psych., Psychologist Eleanor Donegan, Ph.D., C.Psych., Psychologist (Supervised Practice)
Outline o What is procrastination? o Why do we procrastinate? o Tips for changing these habits
Activity* o On your handout, write down: 1. Something you procrastinate on that you want to start working on today. 2. What kinds of activities/behaviours do you do when you re procrastinating? (these are your red flags to know that you re procrastinating!)
What is Procrastination? o Have you ever experienced any of the following? o A stack of unpaid bills o A partially completed income tax form due last April o A missed deadline for an assignment you had plenty of time to work on o Missing a deadline because you chose to prioritize less important (but also less unpleasant) tasks o These are all common examples of procrastination!
Procrastination: The Tomorrow Outlook o Making a decision to delay or not complete a task or goal, and instead doing something of lesser importance, despite negative consequences o Comes from the Latin pro, meaning forward and crastinate, meaning tomorrow
Procrastination has a long history o King Hammurabi (1792-1750 BCE) o Added an anti-procrastination measure to his 283 laws by setting a deadline for making complaints
Procrastination has a long history o Ancient Egyptians: had two hieroglyphs describing procrastination o Useful procrastination E.g., delaying to avoid impulsive decisions o Harmful procrastination E.g., putting off tilling the fields to coincide with the natural cycle of the Nile river
and some famous experts! o The Dalai Lama (1935-) o Only in the face of difficult challenge or an urgent deadline would I study and work o Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) o Many unfinished inventions and works of art o Victor Hugo (1802-1885) o Tended to put off writing in favour of socializing o And many others Bill Clinton, Margaret Atwood, Frank Lloyd Wright
Who procrastinates? o Everyone! Can occur at any age, stage in life, occupation o 90% of population reports at least one area where they feel stumped by procrastination o 60% of college students report that procrastination causes serious delays in academic work o 20% of people experience invasive, handicapping and chronic procrastination (Ellis & Knaus, 1979; Harriot & Ferrari, 1996)
What are the costs of procrastination for you?* o Occupational/Academic o Financial o Social o Emotional o Health *Write on your handout: 1. What costs/negative outcomes have you experienced? 2. What are the benefits of getting your tasks done?
A word about terminology o What are some common words we hear to describe people who procrastinate? Lazy
A word about terminology Why are labels like lazy not helpful? o Focus on blame o We tend to become defensive and less likely to think clearly about the problem o Leads to negative emotions and self-criticism o Rarely results in change o Can even lead to more procrastination
So why do we procrastinate? o Complex problem o Often involves entrenched (habitual) patterns in thinking, emotions and behaviour o Leads to difficulties in self-regulation
So why do we procrastinate? o Can occur for many reasons o Fear of physical discomfort o This will feel so uncomfortable or be so tiring that I can t do it right now. o Self-doubt o I don t have the skills to do this well, others could do it better. o Fear of failure/negative evaluation o If I can t do it well, I will have failed at the task. I ll be seen as incompetent. o Perfectionism o Making even one mistake on this task would mean I have failed at it. There s no point in trying. o Anxiety or depression o I m so anxious or down right now. I ll feel better tomorrow so I may as well put it off until then.
Summary so far To reduce procrastination on a task, we ll need to: 1. Increase how rewarding the task is in the short-term 2. Reduce the distress/discomfort associated with the task 3. Practice tolerating remaining discomfort while we get started 4. Assume that we ll feel more motivated after we ve started to take action rather than before
Model of Procrastination Triggers Thoughts Emotions Upcoming task I m too tired now I can t do this I won t do this well Dread/Frustration/Anxiety Short term: Relief/ Feel productive/ Have fun Positive Consequences Behaviours Watch TV/Do laundry/make a snack Negative Consequences Longer term: More anxiety or stress/feeling embarrassed or discouraged Procrastination Maintained
Strategies: How to move beyond My dog ate my homework! o Behavioural strategies o Cognitive strategies
1. Knowing what you need to do* o Start with a To Do list o Next, prioritize the tasks Priority Tasks This Week Call family member 4 Pay electricity bill 1 Tidy home for guests 3 Get more exercise 2
1. Knowing what you need to do* o Break tasks down into small, more manageable steps o The steps can be as small as necessary to help you feel less overwhelmed! Priority Tasks This Week 1. Pay electricity bill Find bill Go to ATM and pay bill 2. Get more exercise Find running shoes Get changed Start with 20-minute walk around block Must be checked and updated regularly!
2. Knowing how to do it o Worst-First o Finish the worst task first, get it done with, other tasks will seem easy after that o Using Momentum o Start with a task that energizes you, then start a more difficult task right away o Just 5-Minutes o Plan to spend 5 minutes on the task, then reassess whether you can do another 5 or even 10 minutes
2. Knowing how to do it o Set Time Goals (rather than task goals) o Just work on a task for a specific amount of time, rather than trying to complete a particular task o Prime Time o Choose to work on the tough tasks, at the time of day when you know you ll be at your best o Prime Place o Choose the environment that works best for you o E.g., Does clutter distract you? Clean up the night before.
2. Knowing how to do it o Breaking down tasks into manageable chunks o www.mytomatoes.com
2. Knowing how to do it o Enhance Rewards o Plan rewards during/after the task o Pairing pleasant experiences with unpleasant ones can help motivate us! o Short, rewarding activities or experiences for after the task is done o Reduce Distress o What strategies help reduce your distress? o Exercise o Calming routines (e.g., bath or shower, favourite place) o Relaxation exercises (e.g., deep breathing techniques, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, mindful meditation)
2. Planning when to do it o Behaviour change is more likely to occur if it is planned (and committed to) in advance! o Tell others your when/where you ll start the task o Schedule in agenda/on phone o Set an alarm as a reminder! o Leave back-up reminders where they re clearly visible
Model of Procrastination Triggers Thoughts Emotions Behaviours Positive Consequences Negative Consequences Procrastination Maintained
Cognitive Strategies Tackling Unhelpful Thoughts o Thoughts about a task (or about ourselves) can decrease motivation and get in the way of action owe need to challenge these unhelpful thoughts! owe need to start replacing them with more helpful thoughts that promote action!
1. Identify your unhelpful thoughts* o I m tired right now. I m better off doing it after I ve rested o I can t do a good job if I don t feel inspired. It s better to wait until I do o I m more likely to get it done if I leave it until the last minute o I don t have to start it now I have lots of time! o I should be able to enjoy the fun now and can do the work later o There is no point in starting unless everything is perfectly set up Adapted from Saulsman & Nathan (2008) Centre for Clinical Interventions.
2. Challenge your unhelpful thoughts o Use your experience o What does your past experience tell you? o Use your best friend o What would you say to someone else if they were in this situation and had that thought? o Imagine how you ll feel o If you do make a start now, how will you feel or what will happen? o How will you feel if you don t make a start now?
3. Develop more helpful thoughts o I m tired right now. I m better off doing it after I ve rested o I don t actually need to be fully rested to get started on most tasks. I know it will feel great to finally get part of it done! o I can t do a good job if I don t feel inspired. It s better to wait until I do o I don t actually know if I ll feel more inspired later. In fact, I might feel more inspired once I really look at the task and start working through it. Adapted from Saulsman & Nathan (2008) Centre for Clinical Interventions.
3. Develop more helpful thoughts o I m more likely to get it done if I leave it until the last minute o This leaves too much up to chance - something unexpected could come up that means I run out of time. o I don t have to start it now I have lots of time! o Things can take longer than expected why take the chance of running out of time? Adapted from Saulsman & Nathan (2008) Centre for Clinical Interventions.
3. Develop more helpful thoughts o I should be able to enjoy the fun now and can do the work later o Fun activities often feel a lot more enjoyable if you engage in them after having completed a tough task (the reward is even more rewarding) o There is no point in starting unless everything is perfectly set up o Things really don t need to be perfectly set up to get started on most tasks. You can always get other things you ll need as the need arises later. Adapted from Saulsman & Nathan (2008) Centre for Clinical Interventions.
Now Putting it all into Action! 1. Break it down! 2. Maximize the rewards (during and after task is done) 3. Minimize distress AND/OR practice tolerating distress 4. Try a behavioural strategy: -Break it Down (To do list) -Worst First -Use Momentum -Just 5 Minutes -Set Time Goals -Prime Time/Prime Place 5. Identify unhelpful thoughts that are maintaining your procrastination 6. Challenge unhelpful thinking! 7. Ready, set, START!
A Final Tip: Monitor Your Progress Before Task (Writing a paper) After Task Task Time & Date Distress Before (0-10) Planned Strategies What I did Distress After (0-10) Next Steps Step 1: Gather sources for paper Thursday, February 1 at 8 PM 7 Set Time Goal (30 minutes) Best Place Unhelpful thoughts: I don t know if I ll be able to do this What I learned: More helpful thoughts: I definitely won t if I don t try. Sometimes I ve started tasks and they ve turned out better than I expected. Maybe this will too.
A Final Tip: Monitor Your Progress Before Task (Writing a paper) After Task Task Time & Date Distress Before (0-10) Planned Strategies What I did Distress After (0-10) Next Steps Step 1: Gather sources for paper Thursday, February 1 at 8 PM 7 Set Time Goal (30 minutes) Best Place Gathered 5 new sources 3 Write a 1-page outline Unhelpful thoughts: I don t know if I ll be able to do this More helpful thoughts: I definitely won t if I don t try. Sometimes I ve started tasks and they ve turned out better than I expected. Maybe this will too. What I learned: I felt more confident after I started and even felt more hopeful that I could do a good job. Setting a short time goal felt more manageable
CONTACT Eleanor Donegan at edonegan@stjoes.ca Stephanie Waechter at swaechte@stjoes.ca