Procrastination can be quite a pain, and you know us: we're not fans of problems. In fact, we've dedicated ourselves to making life as easy as possible with our healthy meals and minimal impact on the environment. That's why we've declared war on procrastination and made it our nemesis, our arch-enemy. So you better watch your back, procrastination, we'll take you down!

Did you know that about 20% of Americans are chronic procrastinators, while the other 80% are just occasional procrastinators (2)? There is virtually no escape! To fight procrastination and its evil allure, we must understand its mechanism – how it works and how it keeps hooking us. Fortunately, science has investigated the topic, first of all to prove its harmful effect. Sure, sometimes putting off a task can be a smart move. For example, your mood or energy might improve the next day, making it easier (less hassle) for you to complete the task. And sometimes what may seem like procrastination isn’t always actually procrastination. Time can be a powerful tool to help you make better decisions. It allows for better analysis and therefore better results.

Two American researchers, Dianne Tice (1) and her husband Roy F. Baumeister, conducted a study in the late 1990s in which they asked college students to observe their emotional state over a semester, some with a procrastinating profile, others not. At first, the procrastinators felt happier, but as time went on, they felt increasingly stressed and anxious, with more visits to doctors and worse academic results than non-procrastinators.

Chronic procrastination is therefore a non-rational strategy that brings few short-term benefits and some serious long-term problems.

So where does the desire to procrastinate come from, what triggers all this?

Procrastination is not a problem of lack of time or poor organizational skills, but is strongly linked to our emotions. Procrastinators tend to give priority to their moods and feelings of the moment, so any complicated, boring or time-consuming task is considered a disturbing element for their well-being (3). They fear mood swings and care more about "feeling good now" than solving the problem. They are constantly negotiating with themselves, looking for what requires the least effort. Despite this, most feel a strong sense of guilt and anxiety as the to-do list grows longer and longer...

Since the source of our procrastination is actually ourselves, in other words: the irrational management of our emotional state, this is where we need to dig deeper.

The tips

Deadlines

Setting simple deadlines allows you to better own your tasks, making them seem less of a threat to your emotional well-being. But stick with it, dude! Don't plan too far ahead. You may be tempted to schedule your tasks for weeks or even months into the future, but if you fall behind on your planning, you can get discouraged and actually prevent yourself from being productive. Case in point: "I must have done these two things before I watch Netflix tonight."

Positive association

Positive association involves visualizing the task at hand and linking it to positive feelings to convince ourselves that the task won't affect our mood (and maybe even make us feel, dare we say it, good...)

For example, “I’m going to sort out all my emails while listening to my favourite playlist” or “I’m going to iron my clothes while having a Plenny Drink and watching Friends”. This can also include a reward system, so the positive aspect that will provide you with the motivation to complete your tasks comes from the reward that was promised afterwards. Treat yourself to something you love if you’ve completed a difficult (or not so difficult) task!

Above all, visualize the relief, satisfaction and pride you will feel when you have completed the task.

The potential of the morning

Procrastination is one of those nasty little habits that's hard to break. Probably the best way to do it is to tackle it first thing in the morning. The first 15 minutes after waking up usually set the tone for the rest of your day, so try to set your mood before it's affected by other stimuli that are out of your control (hunger, fatigue, snacks, smartphone).

For example: as soon as you wake up (even before getting up), read a motivational text for a few minutes. Prepare it the day before: the Internet offers many resources on this topic. Or motivate yourself out loud:

“Good morning superstar! You are going to crush your goals today! You are motivated! You are excited! You are beautiful!”

Something like that. Once you've motivated yourself, set the tasks you want to accomplish. The secret? Don't set the bar too high! A maximum of two tasks will make you want to do them quickly and do them well. Before you leave your room, set in your head an action plan for the day, a work mood. Or better yet: write it down. Do this and we guarantee that you will notice that external stimuli will have less effect on you.

Instead of focusing on two tasks, you can even focus on just one task. In his book Eat that Frog (4), Brian Tracy advises doing the most important and difficult task first – first thing in the morning. It shouldn’t take you more than 4 hours. If the task is too overwhelming to complete in those 4 hours, break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks. Doing the most unpleasant thing before lunch will give you an endorphin boost for the rest of the day.

Not a morning person? No problem! Do this priority task when you feel most energetic and focused.

And how can Jimmy Joy help you with that?

With our easy-to-prepare, nutritionally complete meals , there are literally no more excuses to skip a meal. Being too lazy or busy to prepare a healthy meal is no longer a valid reason! Each of our meals will provide you with the vitamins and energy you need to be productive for the rest of the day.

Tabula Rasa

How we start our day plays a huge role in how we will experience the rest of it. Our mind is a blank canvas ready to be filled with stimulating and motivating thoughts, ideas and feelings, but it can also easily be filled with external stimuli and distractions. So let’s use this to our advantage and actively prepare to accomplish the tasks we have to accomplish during the day!

Sources

(1) BYU (Brigham young university), Family, Home and Social Sciences, psychology, Dianne Tice

(2) American Psychological Association, Psychology of Procrastination: Why People Put Off Important Tasks Until the Last Minute, Five questions for Joseph Ferrari

(3) Wiley Online Library, Procrastination and the Priority of Short Term Mood Regulation: Consequences for Future Self, Fuschia Sirois Timothy Pychyl, 07 February 2013

(4) Todoist, productivity methods, Eat the frog, Becky Kane