It's Monday morning and you have an office assignment to hand over in 2 hours. A notification pops up about your favorite Netflix series. A New season is finally out! Great news, right?
Unconsciously, you now watching the trailer. Before you realize it, you're already stalking the new cast, watching teasers, and even rewatching the trailer 10 more times.
After doing all this for one hour and thirty minutes, you realize that you had an assignment that is due today.
If this sounds like you, you're not alone. Distractions can play a huge role in procrastination and affect our physical, mental, and even emotional health. For example, procrastination cause insomnia, and lack of sleep, if goals are attained.
"I want to know more" principle
Ever been warned not to touch something as a child but you still did?
Well, This is because you were curious why you were forbidden and wanted to know more. You had some strange interest in knowing why you were forbidden. Your unconscious mind is at work here. You act then think.
In the same way, you know that distractions are forbidden, and you find yourself indulging in them. You unconsciously touch that dial. Your desire to know more pushes you to do that.
The moment you are in distraction mode, you find yourself relaxed. Every stressful event is blocked from your memory. This is what is referred to as the pleasure principle. You avoid negative emotions like stress, anxiety, and depression by distracting yourself.
Let me explain,
You're supposed to write a blog post in the morning. Out of curiosity, which is an unconscious process, you decide to check the latest update of your show. After you've checked it out, you decide to check some similar shows. ( know more.)
At this point, your mind has relaxed. It doesn't want to deal with anything stressful. As a result, you put all your attention here. You procrastinate writing the blog post.
How to manage distractions and stop procrastinating
We saw that distraction is the work of the unconscious mind. Distractions are inevitable. There are also useful to create balance to some extent.
Imagine if we were to work 24/7 Monday to Friday. That would be depressing, right?
Thank God, there are shows like Bridgeton to keep us entertained after a long day at work.
Design your environment
If you design your environment the right way, you'll stop procrastinating by managing your distractions. For example, if you leave your phone in a different room, the chances of getting distractions, are minimal. You're more likely to do your work.
If you place your skipping rope next to your bed, you're more likely to exercise than if it's locked away in your drawer. It will be a sign for you to work out. As a result, you won't procrastinate your workout.
In conclusion,
We find ourselves distracted because of our desire to know more. This distraction is what causes us to procrastinate. This is because we want to avoid the negative emotions. We prioritize feeling good in the short term.
When we design our environment, we are less likely to procrastinate.
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