Rapidly checking your 20 new emails while taking an important call from the boss -- and while shovelling your lunch into your mouth. For many of us, this is part and parcel of our daily work routine; in other words, we’re always available and always at work. The coronavirus pandemic has only added to this trend. As a result, the line between work and play is so blurry that it’s hard to know if you’re just on a break or if work is actually over for the day.
In other words, feel as though there’s always something you should be taking care of or getting done. In fact, the need to be constantly productive can become an obsession that eclipses other areas in your life
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For example, one clear sign of toxic productivity is when you start to neglect your own health and social life. People who are toxically productive also place unrealistic expectations on themselves, often feel like they’ll never be able to meet demands and find it difficult to relax even while at rest.
Unfortunately, the opposite problem – that is, the tendency to procrastinate – can also affect your everyday life and well-being. This occurs, for example, when you have a series of tasks on your to-do list and you keep putting off doing them, to the point where it gets almost pathological. Find out exactly what procrastination is and how you can overcome it with the help of our 3 tips to fight procrastinitis.
What is procrastination?
Whether it’s writing a term paper at university, taking a dreaded telephone call, studying for an exam or doing your annual tax return – we tend to put off completing unpleasant tasks, preferring to do them when we absolutely have to. For some people, however, this procrastination becomes pathological, and it can actually have serious consequences. For example, people who constantly postpone studying or completing a specific work-related task run the risk of failing at their studies or in their professional life.
When procrastination makes you sick
Let’s be clear, procrastination is not at all the same thing as laziness. Instead, procrastination can actually represent a serious problem. In some cases, professional psychological help can be helpful: Roughly 7 percent of students who took part in a study carried out by the University of Münster said they would make use of psychological treatment to help them combat their tendency to procrastinate.
Overcome your tendency to procrastinate – You can do it with these 3 tips
If you’re one of many people who have problems completing tasks right away, that is, without procrastinating, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need immediate professional help. We’ve compiled 3 tips to combat procrastination that will help you keep this type of behaviour from getting out of hand.
Tip 1: Plan your day as precisely as possible and check off each completed task on your to-do list
One way of combating the tendency to procrastinate is to plan your days carefully from morning to night-time. We often waste precious time thinking about all the things on our to-do list. And sometimes we never really manage to start ticking things off on that list. One way to avoid this is to plan in advance when exactly you’re going to work on each item on your list. This allows you to have a more focused approach to your work.
Another way of combating procrastinitis is to actually cross or check off each item on your to-do list as soon as you get it done. Although it might sound trivial at first, it can actually work wonders. It will help to visualize what you’ve already accomplished and give you more momentum to keep going.
Tip 2: Remember to take enough breaks
One of the biggest problems associated with toxic productivity is the tendency to avoid taking any breaks. But these breaks are precisely what you need to be able to continue being productive but also to avoid slipping into a state of procrastination. In other words, you should always plan to take the right number of breaks for that specific day and actually use them to relax and unwind. But you should also set an alarm clock to remind you when it’s time to get back to work.
Tip 3: Make a clear distinction between work and free time
You should also make sure to make a clear distinction between work and free time. For example, when it comes to being able to complete the tasks at hand, the most important thing above all else is getting a good night sleep. In general, you should get at least seven hours of sleep. If you're having trouble with this, there are several sleep sprays that can help you with that. Another key to ensuring productive work is making sure to get two to three balanced meals per day – preferably not while you’re sitting at your laptop or staring at your phone.
Here’s how CBD can help combat procrastination
Breaking free from the tendency to procrastinate is not easy, even if you follow our tips and others advice. CBD oil can have a positive effect on our general well-being and our ability to concentrate at least that what some studies have suggested. However, the impact of CBD is different for each individual.
Get rid of diffuse fears and anxiety
Toxic productivity produces feelings and emotions that we often find it difficult to deal with. We have a sense of being permanently uncomfortable and stressed, and we develop a general fear of failure. According to a scientific paper published in 2015, CBD holds the potential to combat such fears and anxieties. However, that study happened to use an unusually high dose of CBD.
Fall asleep more easily
Whether CBD can have a positive influence on your sleep has not yet been determined conclusively, however, some studies suggest that it can. This is why you now find an increasing number of CBD products that contain melatonin.
Conclusion
Most of us know what it like to have a constant flow of to-do lists in our mind but not the drive to actually start getting them done. With the help of a couple of simple tips to combat procrastination, you can work towards escaping this pattern of behaviour and increase your productivity in a healthy manner.
We hope our tips will help you break the cycle of toxic productivity that’s constantly driving you to do more and more. Otherwise, you’re likely to develop a defensive attitude that might result in the tendency to procrastinate: A reduced workload can make you not only a more productive person, but also a healthier one.
