10 Ways To Overcome Procrastination At Work

We on Dr. Job Pro understand that procrastination at work represents a huge issue for most employees; the time has come to discuss it thoroughly.

There’s a constant misconception about procrastination and its reasons; many people think it’s a time management issue, while it’s not.

On the other hand, others believe that it’s caused by laziness or failure, while it’s the total opposite.

Those who procrastinate are not lazy; nonetheless, they care the most about their work and results.

Procrastinators worry too much about getting their jobs done perfectly; that’s why they never start it in the first place.

Your problem is solvable. Don’t worry!

Here are ten golden ways to help you overcome procrastination.

1- Deal with the root of the problem

Self-awareness is essential when it comes to dealing with procrastination. But, unfortunately, most people don’t understand the reasons behind their tendency to procrastinate their tasks, so they never reach an acceptable solution.

Procrastination mainly exists as a result of you trying to avoid certain feelings or emotions. Ask yourself those questions, “What am I avoiding? Am I afraid to fail? Is it the feeling of boredom? Or is it that I don’t believe I am worthy of success?”

Dig deeper and write down your thoughts. Moreover, talking to a therapist would help you understand your feelings and organize them efficiently.

2- Start working

We understand that the first step takes most of your effort, as it’s the hardest to start.

Please push yourself to start, and the rest will be way easier. Of course, you don’t have to accomplish many goals once you begin, but only taking the first step gets a lot of burden off your chest.

As well as that, there are specific thoughts that pop up in your mind when you get to start any new task, for example, “No, I can’t do this. It’s too boring to finish. I am too stupid to finish such huge work. It’s too tiring and consuming.”

Once you spot any of the previous thoughts or any similar ones to them, please abort them immediately and start your task as early as possible.

3- Break tasks down and make a list

Having a vast project might get you overwhelmed and makes you feel intimidated. But, unfortunately, it also maximizes the size of the task, so your mind starts making a big deal out of it and panics.

Breaking down the big project into more uncomplicated and easy to finish tasks helps you feel motivated and decreases your anxiety.

Get yourself a cute notebook, make a to-do list, set a mini-deadline for every simple task, and be realistic about the estimated time.

Once you finish a small task, you’ll get encouraged and feel of accomplishment.

4- Let someone be a part of it

Talk to someone you trust and ask for their help. Having a supportive friend or a partner around empowers you the most.

Share your to-do list with that person and communicate with them once you finish a mini task. Let them remind you from time to time if it’s possible.

Furthermore, if that person isn’t a procrastinator and wouldn’t affect your work negatively, you can choose to work together, share your achievements and encourage each other.

5- Be gentle to yourself

Sometimes we need to change the way we perceive ourselves to change our behavior. For example, many who procrastinate think they’re lazy, failures, and will never change their work style.

Your mind believes what you tell it. Once you change the messages you send to your mind, your perspective and behavior will change.

Remember that you’re never meant to be perfect and that mistakes are expected. So instead, think of the past mistakes as fuel to push you for a better future.

Please don’t beat yourself up over what you’ve done before, as it would be a vicious circle of self-blame. Instead, tell your mind that it’s okay to make mistakes to learn from them.

Don’t forget to reward yourself once you finish a task. Your mind is brilliant and will get more encouraged over accomplishing new goals day by day.

6- Don’t let it control you

Sometimes perfectionism holds you back from completing your tasks. Most people who procrastinate do that because they want to get perfect results or wait for the ideal circumstances to start.

Please resist the urge to make everything perfect because it will hinder you from achieving your goals.

Think logically before setting unrealistic expectations for yourself, and remember that we’re learning through experiencing things.

Let yourself makes mistakes, and don’t wait for the perfect time to start because there’s never going to be one.

Talk to yourself and stop the series of excuses that you’re making up. Once you have the power to do that, you’ve taken the first step to get over procrastination.

7- Set a suitable environment

When your workplace is messy or unorganized, you’ll probably not be encouraged to perform your best. So please try to set your workplace ready and make a suitable work environment out of it.

Get good natural lighting, a comfortable chair, and keep your place clean.

Please pay attention not to waste your time setting the perfect work environment, as it might be a method of procrastination. Instead, exert the minimum effort to make the place bearable and acceptable.

For more information, Drjobpro Survey: 53% Of Employees Agree That A Healthy Work Environment Enhances Performance

8- Get rid of distractions

Keep your mobile phone, TV, or any means of distractions away from you while working. For example, please stay away from making phone calls or checking social media websites.

Assign yourself a certain amount of time and ban yourself from getting distracted by any means. For example, give yourself one hour to finish a small task and keep the social media away from you; after completing the job, allow yourself to check your mobile phone for 10 minutes only.

Please try not to check overwhelming news or depressing social media posts because it will affect your state of mind.

9- Follow a healthier lifestyle

Many of us don’t realize that our lifestyle participates a lot in forming our thoughts, emotions, and issues.

For instance, lack of sleep causes concentration problems, bad moods, and anxiety. Unhealthy food or too much caffeine increase stress levels for some people.

The reasons mentioned earlier may cause physical and mental issues that might discourage you from working and let you use procrastination.

Tasks are harder to finish when you don’t get enough sleep, eat junk food, and consume incredible amounts of caffeine.

10- Consult a specialist

People who experience anxiety suffer a lot from procrastination. Maybe a psychiatrist has a solution for you, as sometimes the problem should be solved from its roots.

A psychiatrist might suggest some medications to help you function better and get over your loop of anxiety.

Some other times, there are physical reasons behind feeling tired most of the time, like vitamins deficiency or other diseases. Please consult a doctor if you’re experiencing any unusual symptoms.

In essence, we realize that it’s such a challenge to get over procrastination, but imagine the positive results of every task you finish and the feeling of accomplishment. Don’t worry! Your effort eventually pays off.