Procrastination is putting off things for another day or doing things that are not productive as an excuse for not doing what is important. Dr. Wayne Dyer (1995), in his book Your Erroneous Zones, provides the rationale behind procrastination as a thought process, which is something like this: “I know I must do that, but I am really afraid that I might not do it well, or I won’t like it. So, I will tell myself that I will do it in the future, then I don’t have to admit to myself that I am not going to do it. And it is easier to accept myself this way.” This temporary avoidance gives you quick relief from the anxiety associated with a task, which then reinforces this behavior. We all have procrastinated at one time or another. Still, in depression, procrastination becomes more complex due to the self-defeating attitudes of perfectionism (“I can do things only if I can do them perfectly”), hopelessness (“My low motivation and low energy levels are never going get better”), and fear of failure or criticism. Of all the reasons why people with depression procrastinate, perhaps the most common is the lack of motivation.
People with depression who procrastinate tell
themselves, “Once I start feeling better and my motivation has improved, I will
do X, Y, or Z.” And then they wait for the day when they are in the right frame of
mind with the right amount of energy and motivation to get things done. Unfortunately,
that day doesn’t arrive and nothing gets done. This then increases frustration
and disappointment, which increases the severity of depression in these
individuals. The more severe depression further reduces energy levels and
motivation, which makes doing things that have been put off even less
appealing. This vicious “amotivation” cycle continues to wreak misery in the lives of people with depression.
You can break this amotivation cycle by challenging
the commonly held belief that motivation precedes action (Burns, 1999). In real
life, the opposite is true – action precedes motivation. When you do something
toward achieving a goal, no matter how small it is, you feel good about your
actions, which in turn enhances your self-confidence. This then makes you even
more motivated to do what you started off with. Therefore, don’t put the cart
before the horse with your “waiting for motivation” attitude and get into action mode. This doesn’t mean that you will only rest after you have
finished the task you have been putting off. It just means that you will do
whatever is the least amount of effort that it takes to start the process of
completing the task, pat yourself on the back for what you have done, build on
your gains, recognize your enhanced sense of self-efficacy (your ability to do
things) and motivation, and then do more. This action + motivation + reward yourself + more action = success is
the life equation that will help you break the amotivation cycle and overcome
procrastination.
To learn more about evidence-based
self-management techniques that are proven to work for depression, check out
Dr. Duggal's Author
Page.
HARPREET S. DUGGAL, MD,
FAPA
REFERENCES
Burns, D. D. (1999). Feeling good: The new mood therapy. New York, NY: Avon Books.
Dyer, W. W. (1995). Your erroneous zones. New York, NY: Harper Paperbacks.
Thank you for this article. Once I read that, "action precedes motivation," it explained the truth to me because manic depression does leave you, "Waiting for Godot." I've read so many books on how to not be me and to try to be that other person who isn't a manic depressive loser and they only can do so much but that one sentence of yours alleviated so much confusion and guilt; so, thank you again!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this article. Once I read that, "action precedes motivation," it explained the truth to me because manic depression does leave you, "Waiting for Godot." I've read so many books on how to not be me and to try to be that other person who isn't a manic depressive loser and they only can do so much but that one sentence of yours alleviated so much confusion and guilt; so, thank you again!
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate sharing this great post. Keep up your work. Thanks for sharing this great article. Great information thanks a lot for the detailed article. That is very interesting I love reading and I am always searching for informative information like this.
ReplyDeleteDepression severe
thank you for the article
ReplyDeleteVery good article.Sometim3 I procrastinate a lot ..I feel i need more motivation and i search from outside of myself. Selfmotivation is a real difficult task.Its my childhood habbit, but i try my best to keep things going &doing. Correctly said in this article that action precedes motivation. If u act on something, then automatically u become motivated. Its not just sitting and contemplating for the tasks not done..Its sad ,but its true .
ReplyDeleteWow! Great article indeed!! To quote an oft-used line of dialogue from 'The Brady Bunch';
ReplyDelete"Gee, I never THOUGHT about it THAT WAY!"
That phrase 'action precedes motivation' is an absolute game-changer. My mind is totally blown & my spirit is kindled anew with this breakthrough... Take care, y'all & Godspeed!!!