Why do we often struggle to get started on the things we know will benefit us in future? Why do we get pulled into unimportant tasks instead of focusing on strategic work that can have the biggest impact? We've all heard advice on how to stop procrastinating and focus on important tasks. So, why don't we follow that advice? That's what we’ll explore here.

Procrastination is something we all deal with at times. For some people, though, it becomes a regular habit. This can lead to frustration and even guilt or shame. It's no surprise then, that there's so much advice published on how to just get things done. Whether it's breaking tasks into smaller chunks or working with an accountability partner, these tools can be very helpful.

The Catch-22

I've seen in my coaching practice, however, that many people still stay stuck. They know the steps, but even starting those steps falls prey to procrastination. This article focuses on what I believe is the key moment in procrastination and how mindfulness can help break the habit.

Take a moment to think about what procrastination feels like for you. Don't think about all the things you're avoiding. Focus instead on the moment when you think of a task but don’t act on it. Try it right now.

If you can’t remember what that feels like, that’s fine. Learning to become aware of this experience, instead of being stuck in it, is exactly what mindfulness can help with.

Let’s talk about what we mean by mindfulness in this context. Mindfulness is often equated with very focused, detailed attention. That’s not what we’re using here. The type of mindfulness we want is more like a wide awareness. It’s a way of broadly knowing what’s happening in the present moment. If you haven't practiced mindfulness before, this can be a little tricky to get the hang of.

Mindful Awareness Experiment

Here’s a two minute experiment you can try to get a feel for this type of mindfulness. You can listen to the audio guidance* now, or come back to it at a later time.

Applying Mindfulness to Procrastination

Now, let’s see how we can apply this broad mindfulness to procrastination. The first step is to set a clear intention to be mindful when you experience procrastination. Don’t focus on the task you’re avoiding. Instead, focus on the experience of having thoughts or feelings about a task, and then not acting on it.

Procrastination often starts with a thought. It might come from looking at a to-do list or just pop up out of nowhere. Then emotions or physical sensations come up in reaction. These feelings can lead to more thoughts and emotions. At some point, you either start the task or avoid it by doing something else, like checking your phone.

Here’s an example from my own life to make this clearer:

"I really should be working on that article about procrastination. Will anyone even care about it?” [Feelings of dread arise, I picture myself in front of the computer. My shoulders feel heavy.] “Oh, I wonder what the stock market is doing today..." [I pick up my phone and avoid the task.]

In this example, the cycle starts with thoughts, then moves to emotions and physical sensations. The experience feels unpleasant. In the end, I avoid the task by checking my phone.

How Mindfulness Helps

Mindfulness helps by making me aware of what’s happening. When I notice the thoughts and feelings that come up, I don’t argue with myself about whether I should do the task. I don’t get caught up in the story. I just notice the familiar pattern of thoughts and feelings.

How does this help? When we bring broad, mindful awareness to the experience, the expectation of unpleasantness of the task often lessens. Those habitual thoughts lose their grip on us. This lets us make choices more in line with our long-term goals.

But you might wonder, how do I remember to be mindful when procrastination hits? Good question. The reminder is built into the experience itself. Now that you've read this, when you feel that "ugh, I don’t want to do this" feeling, your mind will look for a way out. One way out will now be to step back and be mindful of the experience.

You can make this easier by practicing mindfulness daily, even for just 10 minutes. You could also place reminders around, like a sticky note on your computer.

Mindfulness opens up new possibilities when dealing with procrastination. Still, mindfulness alone may not be enough to build a new, productive habit. This is where you can try out proven techniques to combat procrastination. See the Resources section below for some suggestions. With mindfulness, you can take back control from procrastination and put practical techniques into play.

Resources on Procrastination and Mindfulness

Seth Gillihan: Working with Procrastination, from the Waking Up app

Tom Pychyl: Solving the Procrastination Puzzle, from the Waking Up app

James Clear: Procrastination: A Scientific Guide

Patrick Briody: Ten Minute Guided Mindfulness Meditation, from the Insight Timer app

*Audio generated by Eleven Labs from recordings of Patrick’s voice from the following text:

• Turn away from your computer or phone. Sit or stand with your eyes open. Look at whatever object is in the center of your field of vision. It doesn't matter what it is; a piece of furniture, the wall, a piece of fruit, a cup....

• Without moving your head or your eyes notice that you can simultaneously be aware of the rest of your field of vision as well as the object in the center.

• Again, not moving your head or eyes, and not picking out any one object from the rest of your field of vision - just remaining focused on the original object, and also being aware of the rest of your field of vision.

• This can be a little tricky to get the hang of. So please experiment, stop and start over, and perhaps read the instructions again closely and try again. Don't strain to do this, it does not take a lot of effort.

• When you set the intention to be aware of the broader field of vision along with the original object and are able to do that, you might notice that  in order to do so, there's a feeling of relaxing, letting go, releasing, down-shifting.

• Notice that you are knowing what you are aware of in a broad, open way. Right now we are using this panoramic awareness with respect to vision in order to get a feel for it. Next we will utilize this same panoramic awareness to recognize patterns of thinking and feeling.

• That's how we can apply mindfulness to procrastination (or any other experience).