5 Tips to Trick Your Mind into Overcoming Procrastination

[[:encoded, "Mind over matter, right? Sometimes, that’s easier said than done. When we’re faced with a laundry list of to-dos and with not enough time in the day, it can be easier to distract ourselves and push things off to the next day. And when more items get added to our list, it becomes overwhelming, and we continue to procrastinate even more. A vicious cycle, but one that can be overcome.\n\nIn order to overcome procrastination, we have to first understand it. Start with perspective—procrastination may not be something you can ever fully get rid of. And that’s okay. When you accept that it may be a part of your process, that’s the first step to figuring out how to work through it. The reason why many of us procrastinate is because we choose to do something that’s more immediately gratifying than something we know we need to do, but it is probably not as fun. Procrastination is an emotional reaction, and we put off necessary tasks in order to stay happy in the moment.\n\nSo, how do you overcome procrastination and move on to a mode of productivity? Here are 5 tips to trick your mind into overcoming procrastination.\n\n1. Make It Super Easy to Get Started on Your Task\n\nThe hardest part of completing some tasks is getting started. Sometimes thinking about a task can snowball into feeling overwhelmed because of what the task entails. If you’re going into the task with a dreaded mindset, that will make it harder to get started. It’s much easier to get started if you don’t think about it as much.\n\nFor example, if the task at hand is getting out of bed to go work out, you might find yourself thinking about how you have to find your workout clothes, then you need to make sure you have clean socks, and by the time you work out, half your day will be over—before you know it, you’ve convinced yourself to stay in bed.\n\nSet things up ahead of time so it’s super easy to get started. If your goal is to work out in the morning, make sure your clothes are laid out the night before. Then, when you wake up, just ge