3 Helpful Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination

When talking about procrastination, it is first helpful to understand the reasons behind why someone may be putting off starting or finishing important tasks. For a vast majority of people, procrastination is either a symptom of anxiety or a challenge in maintaining attention to the task at hand. If anxiety is the cause, someone may find that the thought of starting a task makes them feel overwhelmed or worried about all the steps and time it takes to get the task done. 

If someone struggles with attention and concentration, they may find that they start and stop multiple tasks but rarely complete them. Whatever the reason behind procrastination, there are several practical strategies someone can employ to help them finish tasks sooner and with more efficiency.

1. Break Up the Tasks 

One strategy I have found helpful in supporting clients overcoming procrastination, especially if the source is anxiety, is to break up the task into manageable chunks. I have them take the task as a whole, break it up into about 3-5 steps that seem doable, and then work on one step at a time. That way, they can ease anxiety’s concerns by demonstrating that each step can be accomplished with little to no stress.

2. Use a Timer Based Exercise

When clients express difficulty with maintaining focus and attention causing procrastination, I suggest a slightly different strategy. I have them take any kind of stopwatch or timer, set the timer for a certain amount of time that they are willing to work on the task and can hold their attention, then work on the task until the timer goes off. Once the timer goes off, they set it for half the time and take a break until the timer goes off again and repeat the process until the task is completed! For example, they would first set the timer for 30 minutes and work without stopping until the timer goes off, then set it for 15 minutes and take a break until the timer goes off and repeat. They get the task finished with built-in breaks and a timer to keep them on track.

3. Accountability Buddy

The third strategy involves the help of the people around us. This is called the Accountability Buddy. With this strategy, I have clients pick a friend or family member and tell them their intentions of what they are going to get done. They don’t need this person to supervise them working, just someone to tell them what they are planning to do. The act of telling someone their intentions can keep them accountable to start and finish the task because they know someone in their life knows their plan.

Procrastination is a challenging obstacle for many people, but it does not have to be a lifelong struggle. By employing one or all of these practical strategies, procrastination can be easily avoided and a thing of the past.