Blog post: Lucy Collins, Grounded Choice Hypnotherapy
Procrastination: it lurks in the shadows of productivity, sabotaging our best intentions and achievements. In fact, there is a lot more going on behind the scenes of procrastination
than we have been perhaps led to believe.
‘Procrastination: the action of delaying or postponing something.’
Often, the capitalist society in which we live in, which favours productivity above all else, automatically links procrastination to being lazy or having a lack of self-discipline. Actually, looking at this pattern through a trauma informed lense, we can start to see that there is a lot more to it than that. Procrastination is not merely a matter of poor time management or laziness; it can be a complex interplay of psychological factors and pressures from past experiences and internal and external factors which lead to getting stuck in this stress response.
Procrastination can manifest through fear as a subconscious defense mechanism, leading individuals to be in the ‘freeze’ stress response, and delaying tasks to avoid facing potential challenges or expectations. Procrastination often stems from a lack of motivation or difficulty in regulating emotions, such as feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of a task or experiencing anxiety about starting it.
During the freeze response you might feel paralysed or unable to move due to the cocktail of stress chemicals being produced in the brain. This response is often triggered by the subconcious mind in an effort to 'protect' you from what it deams an unsafe situation, or one beyond your capacity -if your stress levels are incredibly high. The intention of the subconcious mind is good, but often missguided.
Some of the primary reasons for procrastination are:
- An underlying fear of failure and perfectionist ideals.
-A fear of success; procrastination can be the minds way of self-sabotaging, keeping you small and adhering to negative self-beliefs you may have.
- Negative past experiences/trauma linked in with the task that needs doing, the pressure or environment of the setting or other people involved.
-Feeling misaligned with the values of what you are doing (for example job) and potentially experiencing period of low mood, leading to no motivation and procrastination.
A common procrastination ‘tactic’ is using distractions, such as social media, online messaging etc to stimulate temporary releases of chemicals like dopamine (the reward chemical) in the brain, which then ultimately exacerbate procrastination tendencies by the temporary escape from responsibility or stress.
As Hypnotherapy targets both the concious and subconcious minds, on a sunconcious level it becomes possible to utilise a state of heightened of awareness and visualisation techniques to adjust associations to elements of procrastination patterns.
Using various techniques, it becomes possible to illicit the procrastination pattern in order to collapse the following emotional states induced by the pattern, therefore resetting the subconscious response and reaction in the nervous system, and creating new patterns of motivation, capability and confidence in achieving tasks.
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On a conscious level, hypnotherapy not only helps individuals reframe their mindset by challenging old limited beliefs and releasing stuck emotions, but also focusing on confidence and self-assurance.
Stress Reduction and Emotional Regulation are also huge focus points of targeting procrastination, as patterns often thrive in environments which trigger stress and emotional turmoil. Hypnotherapy equipts individuals with effective coping strategies to manage anxiety and overwhelm. By fostering emotional resilience, hypnotherapy enables you to navigate challenges with clarity, altering the triggers and impulses to procrastinate as a coping mechanism.
Hypnotherapy also facilitates the establishment of healthy habits and routines conducive to productivity. By reinforcing positive behavioural patterns at the subconscious level, hypnotherapy empowers individuals to consistently prioritise tasks and overcome procrastination tendencies through acknowledging and meeting emotional needs.
In conclusion, procrastination is a challenging state, rooted in the patterns of psychological beliefs and experiences. By understanding the science behind procrastination and leveraging the potential of hypnotherapeutic techniques, individuals can break free from and unlock their full potential.
Through targeted interventions that address underlying fears, enhance motivation, and foster emotional resilience, hypnotherapy offers a holistic approach to overcoming procrastination.
If you are interested in finding out more about hypnotherapy and how it could help support you in your life, contact me today to book in your Free Initial Consultation: lucy.collins@groundedchoicehypnotherapy.com
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