Do you think there is a place for figuring out why we are procrastinating? For deciding to not doing what we are procrastinating about doing?

Absolutely Evan,

Sometimes being able to do Step 2 of redirecting to the physical feeling can reveal that there’s actually an emotion under there of fear or another uncomfortable feeling.

Where this fear or other emotion comes from is worth reflecting on.

I found this an interesting post. I’ve never read of anyone combining mindfulness practice with procrastination, but it sounds like a good approach. Thank you Elisha – I enjoy reading your work.

Interesting topic, but I wish this was in-depth and immediately applicable.

I did a weekend course with Colleen-Joy Page that addressed some of these issues. She taught us to stop for a minute or two and concentrate on one part of our body – she starts with the toes because they’re furthest away from the brain and then works her way up becoming aware of how each part of your body feels before finally tapping back into what you’re thinking. It was interesting to me as I found it a very difficult exercise – I realised that constant pain had made me cut off awareness of my body and by so doing I was losing what you call ‘mindfulness’. I also realise that I procrastinate about things that make me feel anxious – take a simple thing like a form, expecially a tax form, I will do anything to avoid having to deal with it until I have absolutely no choice whatsoever and that then triggers a major anxiety attack because of the deadline. I don’t know if anyone else has “form phobia”? I reckon it should be a recognised mental condition.

Interesting topic. It triggered me to think about the aspect of “taking ownership” of how one thinks about things and how procrastination is one of those things.

I went from one extreme to another, I use to never procrastinate, I “prided” myself in being done and prepared and organized. Now… I don’t know how I got like this…lathargic, apathetic, rather walk away than “fight” for the right thing. I don’t know if things are “that bad” or if wanting to leave my situation and either “start over” or have an atmosphere where things are done right and I don’t have to fight or give in to mediocrity a serviving instinct or not. I am what’s call a remission (as long as I’m on medication) depression type person. Is procrasition avoidance or just plain old not caring. Have I lived such a stressful life that the adrenalin surge has become such a need that i have subconsiously generated a way to feed the need…a “stress junkie” as I have referred to myself. I do lose hair when I get too stressed now in life….there are so many reasons and areas to examine procrastination…I don’t know if those three steps are enough for me to work through….I know I don’t do things only because I get tired of doing everything all the time in a “relationship” that it “should” be a joint effort according to my feeble mind.

When I procrastinate, I’m more aware of my feelings of anxiety and judgmental thoughts than actually noticing the procrastination directly.

I have learned to have these feelings/thoughts cue me to remember that “anxiety is a feedback signal that something is out of balance”. Just information.

I can then look at the information anxiety wants to share with me a little more objectively and better see what I need and want. Noticing what’s out of balance almost naturally stimulates ideas about how to return to balance.

Very interesting post, especially the part about redirecting back to the physical feeling. I hadn’t connected physical feelings back to avoidance behaviors, but in retrospect I can see how they are usually related. Thanks for the great insight.