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Those who are stressed and anxious fall very easily into the trap of
procrastination, when problems or issues crop up that have to be dealt
with it is so easy for sufferers to bury their head in the sand and hope
problems go away. Of course problems don't go away they have to be dealt
with and by ignoring them they only get worse, as they do the panic mounts
and depression deepens.
Most of us realise this, so why if we realise it do we continually fall
into the trap of procrastination?, simply because it brings immediate
relief and seems easier. There are many styles of procrastination but
they always overlap into one of four themes, self-doubt, discomfort dodging,
guilt driven and habitual.
Self-doubt
These people always feel there are very rigid standards that must be adhered
to about how things should be done and their main fear is failing. The
person suffering from this type of procrastination will always self-doubt
and second-guess themselves, they will always delay taking action.
Discomfort dodging
This type of person will always avoid situations or activities that cause
them distress, anxiety or discomfort. What they don't realise is that
this very act of dodging only goes towards making their problems worse.
Guilt-driven
Enormous guilt will be felt over tasks that haven't been completed, but
rather than take charge and complete tasks they will continue to procrastinate
so as not to have to face up to the feelings of guilt.
Habitual
Procrastination has by now become habitual and is a way of life and dealing
with or rather not dealing problems, the person will no longer give it
any thought, it is now just an automatic response.
How you can break the habit of procrastination
Breaking the habit won't be easy and it won't be something which you can
expect to happen overnight, there are several methods you can use to help
you break the habit and you should choose one which would work better
for you. Good ideas and a place to start are:
* Making lists - make a list of everything that needs to be accomplished,
it doesn't matter if they are organised or not as long as you put everything
down that needs taking care of
* Prioritise - once you have made a list then put them in order of when
they are due, for example when a bill should be paid and write them down
on a calendar where you will see them
* Get a big calendar - choose a calendar where you can write down notes
at the side of important dates or things which need your immediate attention
and put it somewhere where you can see it on a daily basis
* Fill the calendar - keep filling the calendar with things that need
your attention until you have set aside a time to take care of each problem.
Allow for any delays and make sure you have plenty of time, when you have
done this, you can relax knowing that you will be able to accomplish everything
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