A Simple Psychological Trick I Use to Stop Me from Self-Procrastinating

Procrastination is a natural human trait.

We all put things off sometimes — it’s part of the way we operate. But when it becomes detrimental to our mental, physical, and emotional health, that’s when it becomes a problem.

The thing about procrastination is that the more you do it, the worse it gets.

It can take over your life and make you feel down on yourself for not meeting deadlines or expectations, which only makes you want to avoid work even more.

This post offers simple psychological tricks that can stop you from self-procrastinating and help you focus on getting the task at hand done as soon as possible!

1. Forgiving yourself

The first trick to stop self-procrastination is forgiving yourself.

We can’t change the past, so there is no point in beating ourselves up about our mistakes in the present. Instead of beating yourself up for something you did yesterday, why not forgive yourself for it today?

“When we have opened ourselves to give forgiveness or to accept forgiveness, we have opened ourselves to touch the Divine.”

― Genevieve Gerard

When you forgive yourself, you let go of that heavyweight that has been bringing your mood down. You then allow yourself to move on and focus on the task at hand.

To do this, remind yourself that everyone makes mistakes. Think about all the problems you have faced in your life and how many times you have forgiven other people for their wrongdoings against you.

It’s time to do the same for yourself!

2. Changing the people around you

The second trick for stopping self-procrastination is to change the people around you. There are lots of ways to do this.

For starters, you can work in a different environment — like changing where you work, or who you work with.

“Even if you cannot change all the people around you, you can change the people you choose to be around. Life is too short to waste your time on people who don’t respect, appreciate, and value you. Spend your life with people who make you smile, laugh, and feel loved.”

― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

It’s also important to make sure that the people around you believe in your success and are helping to support that success.

This could mean finding a friend or family member that supports your goals and working with them on it together.

Finally, try changing the people around you by surrounding yourself with other successful people — whether they’re mentors, friends, or other members of your network.

The more successful people you surround yourself with, the more likely it is that their habits will rub off on you!

3. Take more risk

Taking more risks is a great way to stimulate motivation and excitement.

Risk-taking can be anything from doing something that’s outside of your comfort zone, trying out a new style of food, or making a call you know will probably go unanswered.

When you take risks, you experience the thrill and adrenaline rush of not knowing what will happen next.

“Take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise.”

— Swami Vivekananda

You might feel fear or apprehension and it might not always be successful, but the payoff is worth the emotional rollercoaster.

You could try taking risks by exploring new stores in your city, trying an unfamiliar dish at a restaurant, or starting up a conversation with someone you don’t know at work.

The Final Thoughts

I think it’s safe to say that most people have procrastinated at some point in their lives. Heck, I’m guilty of it myself even now and then. But it’s also true that there are some people who are more likely to put things off than others.

We were all born with a lot of potential, but it can be hard to live up to that potential if you’re self-sabotaging your success by procrastinating on the tasks you need to complete.

Start putting these tips into action today, and you’ll notice a difference in both your mental and emotional health within just a few days' time!

Before You Go

Subscribe to my email list if you want to stay up to date on health, productivity, and entrepreneurship.

Thank you for reading this article. If you would like to support me as a writer, please consider becoming a Medium member through my referral link. It’s just $5 a month and you will have unlimited access to Medium.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also like:

You Won’t Make Any Money Just Giving Away Your Affiliate Link

I Know Why Every *Good* Headline You Make, Fails Miserably

I originally posted this article on Medium.