One of many greatest classes I discovered from spending eight days in complete darkness.

This sounds paradoxical, however…

…I discovered considered one of my greatest classes about stopping procrastination by doing nothing for eight days.

Final 12 months, I spent over every week in a darkness retreat, the place I sat in pitch-black with out something to do. Okay, that’s not 100% appropriate – I really did lots. Plenty of feeling.

As a result of there’s nothing to distract your self, it’s important to sit with no matter emotion comes up. It’s an extremely robust, but very therapeutic expertise. However what does that should do with procrastination?

Rather a lot.

Procrastination might be tremendous irritating since you:

• Don’t transfer ahead
• Really feel caught and get mad at your self
•  Don’t attain your objectives, which frustrates you much more and begins the entire cycle anew

“Procrastination is an emotion regulation drawback, not a time administration drawback.” – Dr. Tim Pychyl, professor of psychology and member of the Procrastination Analysis Group at Carleton College in Ottawa

This implies the explanations behind your procrastination aren’t what you thought they had been.

The True Causes Why You Procrastinate Aren’t What You Suppose

Neglect all the things you suppose you realize about procrastination for a minute.

Let go of all of the beliefs you have got about it – that you just’re lazy, not disciplined, can’t focus, are dangerous with schedules, or no matter story you’ve been telling your self.

As an alternative, have a look at procrastination from a unique angle. If you wish to know why you aren’t doing one thing, have a look at what doing it brings up in you:

• Discomfort as a result of it’s arduous otherwise you don’t get pleasure from it (e.g. going to the fitness center)
• Worry of failure since you may not be good at it (e.g. studying a brand new talent)
• Worry of success as a result of it might add extra accountability (e.g. having to ship worth to the purchasers of your aspect hustle)

To evade these uncomfortable feelings, your unconscious presents you with a easy answer.

“I’ll simply watch one YouTube video, scroll just a little bit, do that different factor…”

“Procrastination makes straightforward issues arduous and arduous issues more durable.” – Mason Cooley

Which means as an alternative of managing your time higher, it’s worthwhile to regulate your feelings higher.

It’s essential to be taught to cope with the worry, discomfort, stress, and all the things that comes with doing what it’s worthwhile to do.

This may help you dive head-first into it quite than discovering low cost excuses and straightforward methods out.

Right here’s how.

How To Cease Procrastinating – By Doing Nothing

Once I was within the darkness retreat, I didn’t have a simple approach out.

There was no YouTube, no Instagram, and no different issues I might do – all I might do was sit with the sensation.

To beat procrastination, you are able to do the identical.

As an alternative of grabbing no matter distraction is inside attain, take a deep breath and keep the place you’re.

All you want are 5 minutes wherein you don’t permit your self to do something however the factor – or really feel what comes up.

This may trigger both of two issues to occur:

• You are feeling via the discomfort, worry, and different feelings till you launch them and get to work
• The discomfort of doing nothing turns into so large that you just begin engaged on the factor as an alternative

This requires a heightened consciousness so you possibly can cease your self earlier than the distraction.

It’s okay for those who don’t make it on the primary strive. Once I began doing this, I generally solely observed after half an hour of scrolling via my cellphone what I used to be doing. Then, I pulled myself out of it and sat nonetheless.

In case you wrestle with this, listed below are just a few suggestions that may assist:

• Work in your consciousness
  A couple of instances throughout the day, cease what you’re doing, take a deep breath, and test in with your self. This may assist you acknowledge how you are feeling and whenever you’re attempting to flee.
• Really feel into your physique
  Feelings are linked to bodily sensations, normally within the chest and abdomen. When you have a tough time exploring your emotions, merely observe the bodily sensation till it dissolves.
• Study your patterns
  Most individuals have a particular sample they interact in when confronted with an amazing job. Mine is resistance, frustration, overwhelm, after which dropping my prepare of thought as a result of my mind will get foggy. When you perceive yours, you’ll have a better time catching your self.

Keep in mind, you don’t should do something – you simply have to sit down nonetheless till you don’t wish to anymore.

Wrap-Up To Assist You Cease Procrastination As soon as And For All

In case you procrastinate, you don’t have a time administration drawback – you simply wrestle to control your feelings.

Doing nothing to beat it may appear foolish, but it surely’s precisely what is going to assist.

The worry, discomfort, and overwhelm are a lot harder to cope with than to achieve for a fast distraction. However if you wish to cease procrastinating, there’s no approach round them. You may solely undergo.

Don’t permit your self to do something however the factor – or undergo the feelings it causes.

Paradoxically, doing nothing like that may make you much more productive.