Procrastination
Procrastination is a common struggle. It is easy but incorrect to characterize someone as “lazy”, but several factors are involved in the behavior. The previous post addressed how dopamine is related to motivation, and how to overcome obstacles and effectively intervene with regard to dopamine. The following resource addresses thoughts and feelings. This resource is thorough and long, and people procrastinate from using it! Just take a little time to go through one module each week if that helps.
https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/looking-after-yourself/procrastination
It is helpful to challenge your ideas that a task will feel like torture. Reminding yourself that a little tedium, boredom, or frustration is endurable. Fortify yourself to tolerate discomfort. Change the story you tell about yourself and your tasks. You can survive some productivity, and you will feel great when you are done instead of holding on to feeling overwhelmed indefinitely.
This Therapy in a Nutshell video also has some helpful tips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gzVhnT3pB4&t=624s
Keep a “done” list. Stay focused on your values and goals. Don’t beat yourself up for struggling. And this key idea that Dr. K also talks about on healthygamergg: if you are not using your time to get due tasks done, do nothing at all. Set yourself up so that boredom is worse than productivity, and do not reward yourself with fun activities for procrastinating.
Folks have also been helped by applying forms of the Pomodoro Technique, which combines time management with discomfort tolerance. Again, though, the breaks in this technique are for becoming refreshed, not for consuming stimulating entertainment. Do not take your Pomodoro break by doomscrolling media or playing a game or show. Drink some water and meditate, then stay on schedule.