Procrastination and Motivation Counselling in Halifax
Psychologists can help with procrastination
Struggling with procrastination in Halifax? Help is available in Nova Scotia.
Habitual procrastination refers to the tendency to avoid important tasks which need to be accomplished. For students, this may result in poor performance on tests or exams. For others, procrastination and a lack of motivation may interfere with career advancement, home maintenance, and the achievement of personal goals.
Although some procrastination is normal, it does not have to be a lifestyle choice! You can learn how to stay motivated and follow through on important goals and responsibilities more often.
Habitual procrastination refers to the tendency to avoid important tasks which need to be accomplished. For students, this may result in poor performance on tests or exams. For others, procrastination and a lack of motivation may interfere with career advancement, home maintenance, and the achievement of personal goals.
Although some procrastination is normal, it does not have to be a lifestyle choice! You can learn how to stay motivated and follow through on important goals and responsibilities more often.
How does procrastination happen?
Procrastination (and an associated lack of motivation) is a vicious cycle of feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities, experiencing pressure to complete these tasks, fearing failure, delaying action, allowing oneself to be distracted by less important tasks, losing motivation, avoiding the original responsibility, and ultimately feeling guilty about procrastinating.
Why do we procrastinate?
There is no single explanation for procrastination. Rather procrastination can have many causes including:
● A fear of failure (this is a very common one)
● Perfectionism ("If I can't do it perfectly, I don't want to do it at all")
● Lack of challenge or interest in the task to be completed
● Feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities
● Poor organizational skills
● Difficulty setting priorities
● A lack of self confidence
● Poor time management skills
● A fear of failure (this is a very common one)
● Perfectionism ("If I can't do it perfectly, I don't want to do it at all")
● Lack of challenge or interest in the task to be completed
● Feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities
● Poor organizational skills
● Difficulty setting priorities
● A lack of self confidence
● Poor time management skills
What are the signs of procrastination?
● Long, incomplete “to-do” lists
● Worrying about being “caught” procrastinating (for example, by a spouse, family member, or boss)
● Losing track of how you spend your time
● Lack of a clear schedule with defined dates for task completion
● Frequently underestimating the time it takes to do things
● Being very vague about goals
● Frequently switching to a new task before the current one is complete
● Delaying projects because you worry that your efforts will not be good enough
● Feeling inadequate and unable to handle responsibilities
● Worrying about being “caught” procrastinating (for example, by a spouse, family member, or boss)
● Losing track of how you spend your time
● Lack of a clear schedule with defined dates for task completion
● Frequently underestimating the time it takes to do things
● Being very vague about goals
● Frequently switching to a new task before the current one is complete
● Delaying projects because you worry that your efforts will not be good enough
● Feeling inadequate and unable to handle responsibilities
How to Get Help for Excessive Procrastination in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Counselling can help you learn how to stay motivated, attend to responsibilities and stop procrastinating. If you would like to receive help for procrastination (and live in the areas of Halifax, Bedford, or Dartmouth) please read more about therapy and counselling, my treatment approach, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions at all, or if you would like to set up an initial consultation.
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