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Quick, what are you procrastinating on right now?
Antonio Rodriguez/Adobe Stock
For a lot of uscough, methe answer might be, Uh, what am Inotprocrastinating on?
Heck, you probably even drag your feet on doing things you know youd enjoy.
Understanding the brain science behind procrastination doesnt save her from falling prey to this nearly universal habit.
I procrastinate because Im human, she says.
Why are most of us like this?
You freeze because, for whatever reason, your brain perceives a threat, Frank says.
Here are her best tips, a.k.a.
exactly how she plans to finish her dang laundry.
Look, youcouldsit around and unpack why, exactly, youve been putting off Doing The Thing.
BUT RESIST THE URGE.
Stop asking why, Frank says.
That is the most important first step.
Dont get her wrongsometimes a little self-reflection can yield helpful insight.
Its just rarely a usefulfirststep.
you might analyze your why, but then youll just be insightfully stuck, she continues.
Insight is good, but movement is better, at least at first.
If Im feeling really stuck, analysis and awareness can come after momentum, but not before.
All those sound better than put away the giant mountain of laundry, right?
Okay, but what if baby steps dont unfreeze you?
Then, it might be time to try Franks next tip….
You read that correctly.
This brings us back to snow-globing your brainwhich means doing something that shifts you from inertia to action.
It sounds ridiculous because it is ridiculous, but it works.
After you get some momentum going, you might hit another wall.
Again, procrastination is human, so theres no magic bullet for overcoming it completely.
When you inevitably put something off for too long, resist the negative self-talk.
No one has ever shamed themselves into productivity sustainably, Frank says.
This self-compassion isnt just about beingkind to yourself, though thats important tooits about not making things evenharderon yourself.
Because that freeze response youre trying to overcome?
Yeah, yelling at it isnt going to help.
If anything, per Frank, itll just make you clam up more.
Now, if youre feeling ready…maybe its time to go put away that sock?
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