The Art of Time Management: Effective Strategies
Very often you can hear from people that they have no time for anything, that they have a lot of accumulated things and they don’t know what to do, there is no time for rest or sleep.
As a result, a person simply abandons important tasks out of desperation, and they accumulate like a snowball, and everything becomes only more and more terrible.
In psychology there is such a concept as procrastination, the so-called "delayed life syndrome".
Procrastination is one of the most common problems that many people face, says Mariam Vladimirovna Fatueva , clinical psychologist and body therapist.
Procrastination occurs:
- academic;
- household;
- procrastination in decision making;
- neurotic procrastination.
The syndrome of postponed life, or procrastination, is a condition when you do not do things, you let them go, you put them off, but at the same time you worry and suffer inside because of it. And the more things accumulate, the more terrible and anxious a person becomes.
In severe cases, some people think about suicide, and some even commit it. Therefore, procrastination is a very dangerous phenomenon. A person understands that he misses many opportunities, relationships with other people and the person's well-being in general worsen.
Here are some tips to combat this tricky and nasty phenomenon.
The first and most important thing is to determine the reason for procrastination, why you put things off and accumulate them. It could be perfectionism, the so-called "straight A student syndrome", when a person wants to do everything perfectly and only with the highest score (if it doesn't turn out perfectly, then it's better not to start). Low self-esteem could also be the reason, for example: I won't go there because I'm nobody, or I won't clean the house because my mother once said that I'm clumsy, or I'm fat, and it's better for me to sit at home and keep my head down, but I still can't handle this pile of things...
Another reason may be a lack of motivation, this happens when a person does something that is not his own, something that is not interesting to him, is engaged in something that is not his business, goes to an unloved job, lives with an unloved person or tries to please everyone except himself. Another reason may be taking on other people's affairs to his own detriment (the so-called "rescuer"), or when he takes on too many of his own affairs, setting unrealistic goals. Procrastination may also arise from the fear of failure.
Understanding the root of the problem will help you find more effective ways to combat procrastination.
The next thing that will help you is to set specific, clear goals. Clearly define what exactly you want to achieve and why it is important to you. The clearer and more specific your goals are, the easier it will be to start fulfilling the tasks set. The goal should be your own, for your development and benefit. Determine where your goal is and where someone else's.
The next step is to break down big goals into subtasks, that is, into small goals, things that can be done easily and simply in the near future. Working on small tasks will not cause you fear, it will seem more feasible, and it will also be easier to start doing them.
Create an action plan. Get yourself a daily planner and plan what you can accomplish each day, but do it regularly. Planning is very helpful in achieving goals and helps you focus on the task at hand.
A very important point is to avoid distractions. Find a place in the house where you will not be disturbed, tell your friends that you are busy for a certain time, and contact them yourself when you are free. Put away your phone, social media, TV, etc. for a while. Concentrate entirely on the task at hand.
Set specific deadlines for completing goals and objectives.
And if you can't cope at all, then ask your family and friends for help. Learn to ask for help, because some tasks are impossible to handle alone.
And the last point - reward yourself for each completed task. After successfully completing the work, reward yourself with small gifts, pleasantries. In general, start small, and each even the smallest task completed by you will increase your motivation.
As we can see, procrastination can be defeated with the help of planning, setting clear goals and support from others. But if you can’t cope on your own, don’t hesitate to contact specialists. Good luck in the fight against procrastination.
