This issue includes ...
1) TODAY'S MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE
2) FEATURE ARTICLE: Simple and Easy Procrastination Buster!
3) TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!
4) CONTENT FOR YOUR WEB SITE OR E-ZINE
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1) TODAY'S MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE
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"Aim for success not perfection... Remember that fear
always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your
fears and allowing yourself the right to be human can,
paradoxically, make you a far happier and more
productive person."
-- Dr. David Burns
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2) FEATURE ARTICLE: Simple and Easy Procrastination Buster!
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"I'll do it...tomorrow." Sound familiar?
Procrastination -- putting things off until the last moment --
or beyond the last moment, is a common problem. For
anxiety sufferers, procrastination can really do a number
on us mentally and physically. It can put our fight or flight
response into high gear and trigger a rush of anxiety
symptoms.
Here's the good news: Procrastination is a habit that
you can change!
Let's look at why we procrastinate in the first place.
Then I'll share a simple and easy procrastination buster
you can use immediately.
When we procrastinate, we conserve energy by not
doing the task we're avoiding. However, what we often
fail to realize is that we're using even MORE energy over
the long haul by avoiding the task. Here are some of
the downsides of procrastination:
-- Nagging guilt
-- Not enjoying other activities because you're thinking
about the task
-- Feeling disappointed in yourself
-- Feeling like you're lazy
-- Self-criticism
-- Feeling frustrated because you want to get started
on the task, but you don't
-- Fatigue and lack of energy
-- Letting the avoidance control your life -- doing
your laundry, meeting friends, cleaning out your filing
cabinet -- anything to avoid the task
-- Spending lots of time THINKING about the task
without DOING the task
-- Missing deadlines and making excuses
Most of us are painfully aware of the downsides of
procrastination. So why do we procrastinate? I'll bet each
of us could come up with a hundred different reasons
explaining why...we have a fear of failure, we don't want to
disappoint others, we're busy, the task feels overwhelming
because we've avoided it for so long, and so on.
Our reasons all boil down to one basic fact: Procrastination
is our way of avoiding uncomfortable feelings. When a
task seems difficult or overwhelming, we feel uncomfortable.
People gravitate toward things that make them feel
COMFORTABLE. We procrastinate because the prospect
of doing the task -- even though it benefits us in the long haul --
makes us feel UNCOMFORTABLE. Even though we don't
like procrastinating, it feels like the lesser of two evils.
Procrastination seems less uncomfortable than doing the
task.
So, what if I showed you a procrastination buster that
made the task easier? What if the task was achievable
and you felt comfortable doing it. You'd procrastinate
a lot less, wouldn't you?
You'd get a lot more done and feel a lot better.
That's what the Divide and Conquer method is all
about. The Divide and Conquer method works because
it makes you feel COMFORTABLE, and it's EASY.
Give it a try!
Divide and Conquer Method
1) Pick an important task that you've been avoiding --
something that you've been wasting lots of energy
thinking about. Write it down on a blank piece of paper,
for example: "Prepare for job interviews."
Note: Complete this technique on paper instead of
mentally because you'll get better results. The process
of writing things down keeps your mind from making a
task seem more difficult than it really is.
2) Starting at the final goal listed at the top of the page
(e.g. Prepare for job interviews), DIVIDE that goal.
Break the goal down into several steps, writing each
one down.
For example, you might have a list that starts with
"Prepare for job interviews" and breaks that task down
into ten, twenty, or more steps. Your list of steps might
end with "Buy new interview outfit."
3) Read the last step you wrote down. Ask yourself:
"Does this feel comfortable? Is it something I know I
can easily do?" If the answer is Yes, CONQUER the
goal. Do it right then and there.
After you complete the step, congratulate yourself
and move on to the item above it on your list.
If the answer is No, then Divide and Conquer THAT step.
Repeat the Divide and Conquer process, as many times
as necessary until you come up with a step that feels
easy, comfortable, and achievable.
For example, if buying an entire interview outfit feels
too difficult, then you might divide it into several
smaller steps such as "buy new suit," "buy new socks,"
and "buy new shoes." If buying new shoes feels very
uncomfortable, divide THAT step into several smaller
steps until you reach a step that you know you can easily
do (e.g. "decide on shoe color"). DO it, congratulate
yourself, and then move one step up the list.
It's easy, isn't it?
This Divide and Conquer process works because it
allows us to complete even the most intimidating tasks
in manageable chunks that fulfill our human desire to
feel comfortable. By doing tasks in a graduated
sequence they become easy and doable.
In addition, we feel GOOD because we see visible progress.
We feel instant gratification -- a sense of accomplishment
after completing each small step. Each step we complete
creates a positive snowball effect -- increasing our
self-confidence and making it easier to do the next step.
You've probably heard the saying: "How do you eat an
elephant? One bite at a time." The same goes with any
other task. Divide tasks into easily doable steps that
you feel comfortable with and you will succeed.
Remember, Divide and Conquer!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Deanne Repich is the Director
of the National Institute of Anxiety and Stress, Inc., a
former
anxiety sufferer, and creator of the Conquer Anxiety
Success Program. The course is a "take-action" self-study
program that guides you step by step through over seventy
practical strategies for overcoming anxiety. The course, our
newsletter, and other helpful resources are available at:
http://www.ConquerAnxiety.com
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Check out Omega supplements to
support your anxiety-free lifestyle at:
http://wellness.conqueranxiety.com
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3) TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!
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4) CONTENT FOR YOUR WEB SITE OR E-ZINE
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Need some fresh content for your web site or e-zine?
You now have permission to reprint these Anxiety Tips
articles on your web site or in your e-zine as long as:
a) Each article is printed in its full form with no changes.
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c) You include the following byline at the end of each article:
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Deanne Repich is the Director
of the National Institute of Anxiety and Stress, Inc., a
former
anxiety sufferer, and creator of the Conquer Anxiety
Success Program. The course is a "take-action" self-study
program that guides you step by step through over seventy
practical strategies for overcoming anxiety. The course, our
newsletter, and other helpful resources are available at:
http://www.ConquerAnxiety.com
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Copyright 2001-2005 by the
National Institute of Anxiety and Stress, Inc.
900 E. Pecan St., Ste. 300, PMB 305
Pflugerville, TX 78660
All rights reserved.
Article copyright
April 3, 2003,
revised June 1, 2005
Disclaimer: All material provided in this newsletter
is provided
for informational or educational purposes
only. No content is
intended to be a substitute for
professional medical advice,
diagnosis, or treatment.
Consult your physician regarding the
applicability of
any opinions or recommendations with respect
to
your symptoms or medical condition.
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