Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Made Simple: 10 Strategies for Managing Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Panic, and Worry by Gillihan PhD Seth J

Author:Gillihan PhD, Seth J
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Althea Press
Published: 2018-05-07T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

Stay on Task: Push Through Procrastination

In this chapter, we’ll address why we often delay doing what we know we have to do. As we’ll see, there are several factors that lead us to procrastinate. Once we understand these factors, we’ll consider the many tools that CBT offers for breaking this habit.

Alec knew he needed to start on his final paper, which was due the next day at 5 p.m. “I’ve still got 24 hours,” he thought to himself as he looked at the stack of books he was going to use as references. He felt his stomach tighten with a surge of anxiety as he wondered how the paper would turn out. Just then another video autoplayed on his computer from the “Top Ten Funniest Pet Videos” playlist. “I’ll just watch this one. Maybe one more after this one,” he said to himself as he turned back to his laptop, feeling vaguely guilty but temporarily relieved.

Do You Have a Procrastination Problem?

People vary in their tendency to procrastinate and in the specific tasks they put off doing. Take some time to consider ways you might delay doing things you know you need to do. Do you find yourself in any of the following situations on a regular basis due to procrastination?

•Realizing you didn’t leave yourself enough time to finish a task by the deadline.

•Feeling inadequately prepared for meetings.

•Trying to force yourself to do a task.

•Being stressed about time as you rush to appointments.

•Trying to hide that you haven’t been working on a task.

•Producing lower quality work than you’re capable of.

•Telling yourself, “I’ll take care of that later.”

•Waiting to feel more inspired or motivated so you can do a task.

•Finding ways to waste time instead of doing what you need to do.

•Relying on last-minute pressure to complete a task.

Let’s begin by considering why we procrastinate and then turn to ways to overcome it.

What Drives Procrastination?

We’ve all been there—a paper to write, an errand to run, a home project to start, or any number of other tasks we put off. Little good seems to come from these delays—for example, procrastination is associated with worse academic performance and greater sickness. Nevertheless, we often struggle to take care of things in a timely way. The following factors contribute to our tendency to procrastinate:

Fear that it will be unpleasant. When we think about doing a task, our minds often go automatically to the most unenjoyable parts of it. If we imagine cleaning the gutters, we think about wrestling with the ladder. When we consider writing a paper, we dwell on the struggle we’ll have at times to express our ideas clearly. The more we imagine these negative aspects, the less incentive we have to get started.

Fear of not doing a good job. We rarely know for sure how something we work on will turn out, and that uncertainty can give rise to fear of doing it badly. For example, when Alec considered writing his paper, he worried that he would have nothing intelligent to say. This fear of possibly disappointing ourselves or others can prevent us from getting started.

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