This may seem ironic, but I do believe Procrastinators are terrible at taking breaks and resting. Just awful. While others may believe Procrastinators are blowing things off or just chillin’, Procrastinators are being incredibly busy doing some of the following things:
- worrying
- planning
- hiding
- deciding
- dreading
- despairing
- ruminating
- praying
- bargaining with themselves
- bargaining with the universe
Not only are Procrastinators busy in this way, they also tend to lose sight of the fact that this process of “working on things” has enveloped their entire day. All in the name of productivity.
The Argument for Learning How to Pause
Although we may think the time we use during a break is a “waste,” it is anything but. We need to pause in order to have clarity, in order to be creative, in order to know when we are done and totally not done. When we don’t pause, we become submerged in 24-hour dramas. It’s like binge TV watching without the fun or interesting finales. Just boring drama. Snore.
Very often, when I am meeting a new patient or their parents for the first time and the core problem is seen as Procrastination, I recommend the patient take a pause before delving into their work again. When we have difficulty functioning, especially when we are suffering with Procrastination, we also tend to forbid ourselves from taking any sort of break. Then the punitive cycle really takes hold. In comes self-criticism, isolation, and then the sound of self-esteem being slowly crushed (#beingdramatic). When patients begin to allow themselves to enter a break period, their stress level goes down. Although the assignments still need to get done, there is no longer a feeling of never-ending crisis to go with the assignment.
How to Take a Break
I can tell someone is a chronic Procrastinator if they have no idea how to take a break. When patients ask for guidance, I am glad to help because this is the fun part. Almost any activity can be considered a break to a Procrastinator, as long as the right attitude that a break is needed is there. A break just needs to be a period away from the stress of having to perform, of having to be “on.”
You can try these ideas:
- calling a friend (and not talking about work)
- daydreaming about a new activity or adventure
- light meditation where all you do is let your thoughts wander, but you allow yourself to breathe deeply
- turning off your phone or your notifications so you can have some peace for 15 minutes
- moving away from the space in which you work to take a walk outside
- drinking some of your favorite tea
When we learn to take breaks, we are essentially teaching ourselves to respect time, to respect ourselves, and to know how to begin and to end. If we continuously chase productivity, we will never feel the relief of reaching the end. Worse than that, we will shortchange ourselves from the possibilities of all those new beginnings ahead.
As always, I wish you the best of luck in your efforts to move away from Procrastination. If you have a problem knowing how to take a pause, or if you have ingenious ways of tricking Procrastinators into taking a break, please share your thoughts by replying to this post.
