Mindfulness Techniques That Actually Beat Procrastination
Once you have got in the habit of postponing things, it is very hard to stop and get back to the regular schedule where everything is done on time. If you are in the situation where you struggle to fight procrastination, this might mean you have already tried the usual methods, like setting timers, pulling yourself together, or simply trying to eliminate all distractions. But those ways don’t fit everyone; that’s why we offer a list of techniques that are based on a totally different approach.
You can use a few techniques simultaneously—this article states it can be a working strategy. Or choose the one that fits you best and practice it regularly; it’s all up to you!
The ‘two-minute rule’
Procrastination often appears when you can’t force yourself to start doing the task. Therefore, it is important to keep the motivation at the very beginning. If you struggle to focus for a relatively long time, start little and use the two-minute rule: promise yourself to work efficiently for only two minutes. But make it strict: no cheating, no distractions, just you and mindful focus on the task.
After this short time, you will likely notice that the work goes smoothly and you won’t feel the urge to interrupt yourself with something else. The key is this little effort, no grand commitments to work for long periods of time—that’s what we tend to strive for, but rarely achieve.
The mindful pause
Automatic procrastination loops are what make you do a lot of things without even thinking. You have definitely been in this situation at least once in your life: you take your smartphone because you felt the urge to do something, but by the time you unlock it you can’t even remember properly what made you do it in the first place. So, that’s when the mindless scroll can begin.
To avoid it, take a 10-second pause before action. Notice the emotion you are feeling, think of the triggers, and then decide whether you still want to perform the action. Apps like Liven can help you process the insights from this practice. What is Liven? It is a self-discovery digital companion that helps you know more about your emotions and behavioral patterns, build habits, and become more self-aware.
A mindful starting ritual
Fighting procrastination can also come together with building strong habits. So, it is beneficial to create rituals that you will later associate with deep, focused work. It doesn’t have to be something great or complicated. Just light a candle, make yourself some tea or coffee in a fancy cup, clear your desk, or take a few deep breaths. Just make sure you do so every time before you get to work.
This is a simple way to give your brain a signal that, for the next hour or more, you will be up to a task that needs attention.
Single-task focus
Multitasking has already proven itself to be not a very effective way to do the job. Instead, single-task focus is now promoted by specialists as a working pattern.
Dedicating all of your attention to one task only lets your mind work better. Your brain feels relieved when it doesn’t have to focus on multiple things. So, you have more brainpower to do one task well.
If you feel like it is a little hard for you to stay focused on one thing for long, you can change your activity once in a while, for example, once an hour, or use the famous Pomodoro technique and take short breaks. But make sure that in those periods of focus, you dedicate all of your attention and effort to one task.
The urge surfing technique
This is one of the most powerful techniques for beating procrastination. It is based on observation without action. So, the main thing you have to do is just notice the urge to get distracted while working. And when the urge appears, you do nothing but wait. You don’t follow it or try hard to fight it, but instead just let your feelings flow. Usually, most urges pass within 90 seconds if you don’t feed them.
And the more you practice this technique, the more you understand what triggers you, because you have the space and time for observing your reactions. So, it is easier for you to get to their roots later on.
A self-compassion break
When trying to be as productive as possible, you might consider even little breaks a weakness. Even though it is understandable that no mind can work restlessly, a lot of people still feel guilty for pauses at work.
Take double advantage of this time and support yourself while getting a little rest. Stop the work whenever you feel like giving up, and tell yourself something compassionate. Like, ‘This is tough, but I can do it. One little step after another.’ If you lack comfort, there is no reason why you can’t be your own support! Nobody knows you as well as you do, and you are very likely to find the words that will feel just right.
Final word
Discipline and schedule are not the only ways to overcome procrastination. Some mental and emotional work can work just as well! Don’t be scared to experiment, and remember to stay compassionate to yourself. You are your best friend, after all, so maybe your best choice is to be gentle?
