{"id":2183,"date":"2024-06-30T10:40:22","date_gmt":"2024-06-30T09:40:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nicoleohme.ch\/site\/?p=2183"},"modified":"2024-07-28T15:41:46","modified_gmt":"2024-07-28T14:41:46","slug":"what-are-you-procrastinating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nicoleohme.ch\/site\/what-are-you-procrastinating\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are You Procrastinating?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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inner pig dog<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My dear Global Yoga Community,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lately I have found myself in the wave of emotions that come up when I keep on procrastinating tasks. I started to change my language from have to and need to into choose to. But this alone is not enough. Maybe you remember me talking about that 50% of the yoga practice is already done when you are on your mat?! \ud83d\ude42

It is incredible how much resistance can come up or how many other to does come to mind to avoid what we have been procrastinating. And that even knowing how much better we feel afterwards or already while doing it! Is it really about overcoming our “inner pig dog” or is there more behind it?

I came across this great article you might enjoy as much as I did. (New York Times 2019<\/a>)

If you are not up for reading the whole article here are a few of the interesting studies:
Etymologically, \u201cprocrastination\u201d is derived from the Latin verb procrastinare<\/em> \u2014 to put off until tomorrow. But it\u2019s more than just voluntarily delaying. Procrastination is also derived from the ancient Greek word akrasia \u2014 <\/em>doing something against our better judgment.

\u201cProcrastination is an emotion regulation problem, not a time management problem\u201d
Procrastination isn\u2019t a unique character flaw or a mysterious curse on your ability to manage time, but a way of coping with challenging emotions and negative moods induced by certain tasks \u2014 boredom, anxiety, insecurity, frustration, resentment, self-doubt and beyond.

\u201cWe really weren\u2019t designed to think ahead into the further future because we needed to focus on providing for ourselves in the here and now,\u201d
Procrastination is a perfect example of present bias<\/em>, our hard-wired tendency to prioritize short-term needs ahead of long-term ones.
Dr. Hershfield’s research has shown that, on a neural level, we perceive our \u201cfuture selves\u201d more like strangers than as parts of ourselves. When we procrastinate, parts of our brains actually think that the tasks we\u2019re putting off \u2014 and the accompanying negative feelings that await us on the other side \u2014 are somebody else\u2019s problem.

To make things worse, we\u2019re even less able to make thoughtful, future-oriented decisions in the midst of stress. When faced with a task that makes us feel anxious or insecure, the amygdala \u2014 the \u201cthreat detector\u201d part of the brain \u2014 perceives that task as a genuine threat, in this case to our self-esteem or well-being. Even if we intellectually recognize that putting off the task will create more stress for ourselves in the future, our brains are still wired to be more concerned with removing the threat in the present. Researchers call this \u201camygdala hijack.\u201d

\u201cOur brains are always looking for relative rewards. If we have a habit loop around procrastination but we haven\u2019t found a better reward, our brain is just going to keep doing it over and over until we give it something better to do\u201d
We must realize that, at its core, procrastination is about emotions, not productivity. The solution doesn\u2019t involve downloading a time management app or learning new strategies for self-control. It has to do with managing our emotions in a new way.

To rewire any habit, we have to give our brains the \u201cBigger Better Offer\u201d or \u201cB.B.O.\u201d
In the case of procrastination, we have to find a better reward than avoidance \u2014 one that can relieve our challenging feelings in the present moment without causing harm to our future selves. The difficulty with breaking the addiction to procrastination in particular is that there is an infinite number of potential substitute actions that would still be forms of procrastination, Dr. Brewer said. That\u2019s why the solution must therefore be internal, and not dependent on anything but ourselves.

One option is to forgive yourself in the moments you procrastinate.
Another tactic is the related practice of self-compassion, which is treating ourselves with kindness and understanding in the face of our mistakes and failures. 


Healthier ways to manage the feelings that typically trigger procrastination

Cultivate curiosity<\/strong>
If you\u2019re feeling tempted to procrastinate, bring your attention to the sensations arising in your mind and body. What feelings are eliciting your temptation? Where do you feel them in your body? What do they remind you of? What happens to the thought of procrastinating as you observe it? Does it intensify? Dissipate? Cause other emotions to arise? How are the sensations in your body shifting as you continue to rest your awareness on them?

Consider the next action<\/strong>
This is different than the age-old advice to break up a task you\u2019re tempted to avoid into bite-sized chunks. According to Dr. Pychyl, focusing only on the \u201cnext action\u201d helps calm our nerves, and it allows for what Dr. Pychyl called \u201ca layer of self-deception.\u201d At the start of a given task, you can consider the next action as a mere possibility, as if you were method acting: \u201cWhat\u2019s the next action I\u2019d take on this if I were going to do it, even though I\u2019m not?\u201d Maybe you would<\/em> open your email. Or perhaps you would<\/em> put the date at the top of your document. Don\u2019t wait to be in the mood to do a certain task. \u201cMotivation follows action. Get started, and you\u2019ll find your motivation follows,\u201d Dr. Pychyl said.

Make your temptations more inconvenient<\/strong>
It\u2019s still easier to change our circumstances than ourselves, said Gretchen Rubin, author of \u201cBetter Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits.\u201d According to Ms. Rubin, we can take what we know about procrastination and \u201cuse it to our advantage\u201d by placing obstacles between ourselves and our temptations to induce a certain degree of frustration or anxiety. If you compulsively check social media, delete those apps from your phone or \u201cgive yourself a really complicated password with not just five digits, but 12,\u201d Ms. Rubin said. By doing this, you\u2019re adding friction to the procrastination cycle and making the reward value of your temptation less immediate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monday 01.07.
Move with Ease<\/strong>
Slow Flow

Wednesday 03.07.
E-Motions<\/strong>
Flow

Thursday 04.07.
Open Theme<\/strong>
Yogis Choice

Friday 05.07.
Loving Kindness<\/strong>
Flow

Monday 08.07.
Commit to Yourself<\/strong>
Flow

Wednesday 10.07.
Sense to Receive<\/strong>
Flow

Thursday 11.07.
Open Theme<\/strong>
Yogis Choice

Friday 12.07.
Ground to Open Up<\/strong>
Slow Flow

Monday 15.07.
Consciously Connect<\/strong>
Adding-on Flow

Wednesday 17.07.
Bladder – Heart – Brain<\/strong>
Organ Flow

Thursday 18.07.
Open Theme<\/strong>
Yogis Choice

Friday 19.07.
Pelvis Awareness<\/strong>
Flow

Monday 22.07.
Let Love in<\/strong>
Slow Flow

Wednesday 24.07.
Enjoy the Journey<\/strong>
Flow

Thursday 25.07.
Open Theme<\/strong>
Yogis Choice

Friday 26.07.
Reconnect<\/strong>
Flow

Monday 29.07.
Giving ~ Receiving<\/strong>
Flow

Wednesday 31.07.
Midweek Detox<\/strong>
Flow
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Thank you for being so committed to your yoga practice and this global community \ud83d\udc9e

Love,

Nicole
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My dear Global Yoga Community, Lately I have found myself in the wave of emotions that come up when I keep on procrastinating tasks. I started to change my language from have to and need (…) Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-body-mind-soul","category-yoga"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t