Why do we procrastinate? Delay seemingly important tasks in favor of seemingly unimportant ones? The main cause of procrastination is our “inability to manage negative moods around a task.”
The sword of Damocles
If the task involves unpleasant experiences, talking to toxic people, or simply doing something dull — my mind knows how I react to such things. Not the demonstrated positivity on the surface, but my actual negative responses. And it knows what happens to my energy when I am in bad mood.
In addition to that, my battery could already be half empty. What makes things worse is my fragile state will make the task even more energy-consuming. It is like not getting enough sleep and getting annoyed even by minor hurdles. Negative reactions multiply my energy spending. Productivity and the quality of my work suffer too.
Both predicted and current negative emotions add unnecessary energy losses. Your mind protects you from them. Procrastinates to delay the tasks it cannot engage with constructively, without excessive energy expenditure.
Seemingly irrational “laziness” is a necessary “safe mode”
We delay the tasks to rest and recharge. Distract the mind by unimportant things that do not trigger us. So negative emotional background may subside and we restore normal energy levels.
Mindful procrastination
An educated delay may be quite beneficial. I consider my reserves and prepare.
I do not beat a dead horse by forcing myself on tasks I cannot process constructively. I clear the causes of expected draining emotions so they do not arise. My current well-replenished battery goes without saying. So I let the horse breathe again, and organically become enthusiastic.
I can share the abundance of energy, not steal my emergency ration. Ensure energy-efficient engagement, even if I am not particularly happy about the task.
Time and task management
Balanced decisions require a balanced mind. I cannot expect my procrastination to be ”mindful” if I am mindless.
My choice of tasks and time management become much more effective if I maintain Emotional Hygiene.