Procrastination.
For many of us it feels like procrastination is the one thing standing between us and the lives we dream of.
If only we didn’t procrastinate so much we could get that new job, start the business, stick to the fitness routine, get our lives in order, write the book and do that list of inner child healing exercises we bookmarked 5 months ago.
No wonder we hate it so much. Not only does it seem to get in the way of everything we want, but it often feels pretty crappy while we’re doing it too.
It may appear like we’re just enjoying a funny reel or reading a good book, but inside our stomach is churning with guilt, a cloud of shame hangs around our head, and our energy feels scattered and chaotic.
What’s more we have a multitude of voices ringing in our heads telling us that procrastination is a sign that we are lazy, irresponsible, bad mannered, incapable, undeserving and any other insults our teachers or parents came up with when we put off doing our homework.
But you see, embodiment work has taught me that this relationship we have with procrastination isn’t really working out in our favour. The more we condemn it, the stronger a hold it seems to have over our lives.
And as I’ve learned that every sensation and impulse in our body carries its own unique wisdom, I’ve discovered that procrastination has a lot more going for it that we’ve been led to believe.
Here are ten reasons to love your procrastination.
Procrastination is the symptom, not the cause
Symptoms of dis-ease within our body often aren’t comfortable, but they usually serve an important purpose. A runny nose is our body’s way of expelling whatever is harming us; a rash may be an invitation to seek medical attention or change the environment our body is exposed to. While we don’t enjoy these symptoms, they’re ultimately an attempt to bring us back into harmony with ourselves.
Procrastination can be seen as a symptom of disconnect between our intention to act, and our body’s readiness to do so. I use ‘body’ in the broadest term here, to include our physical, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual selves. When we have decided on a course of action, but find ourselves unable to follow through, procrastination is a signal that something is out of alignment, and it’s an invitation to investigate further, so that we can make adjustments.
The procrastination isn’t what’s stopping us from taking action - it’s the signal that something within us is blocking action from occurring.
It helps to strengthen our conviction
The times in our lives when we’ve followed through on a big life change or project, are usually the times when we were so passionate about what we were doing that we were willing to deal with all the uncomfortable stuff that came with it.
Passion doesn’t always mean excitement. It can mean determination, intensity, or just deep curiosity. Whatever form it takes, it’s a form of sensation based fuel which helps to power our actions, even in the face of challenges or distractions.
The temptations of procrastination can act as a training ground for our conviction muscle. If we notice ourselves sinking into procrastination easily, it can be a sign that our conviction is lacking, and we have a chance to strengthen it by connecting more deeply to our motivation - or discovering that this new plan we came up with isn’t actually something we care all that much about.
It gives our vision a chance to form
In a similar vein, when we see some levels of procrastination as a natural part of the creation process, this can be the time when the “seed” of our ideas get a chance to burrow into the soil of our subconscious and grow in strength before we start manifesting them into reality.
In other words, sometimes we need to spend some time day-dreaming, pondering, wondering and doodling before that deep conviction in what we’re doing lands.
Procrastination can allow our brains the chance to be more creative than they would be if we just dove straight into structured action. In a study where participants were asked to come up with new business ideas, it was found that the procrastinators were 28% more creative, because it gives our brains a chance to come up with innovative solutions while we’ve engaged in other tasks.
If you’re feeling the urge to procrastinate after imagining a new project, maybe this is your body’s way of asking you to let it get into this creative “zone” while your conscious mind is engaged with other things.
It can show you where you’re straying from your core self
Sometimes procrastination is the rebel that refuses to let you follow a path that deep down you know you’re not supposed to be walking.
If you’re studying a class that you’ve been told is the “sensible” choice, but you have no interest in the subject matter it really isn’t a surprise that you’re struggling to motivate yourself to do the homework. Because of the nature of the school environment we grow up in, we’re usually taught to see this reticence as a sign of laziness or poor moral character.
But in reality, this inner compass which guides us towards activities which light us up, and away from ones that drain our energy, is an incredibly important tool in the task of building ourselves a fulfilling life.
In these circumstances, procrastination can be the inner rebel that refuses to let us stray too far from the path our soul knows we really want to walk.
It’s protecting you from emotions that you found difficult in the past
Often procrastination can show up even when we are pursuing something that excites and intrigues us. These are the times when our critical relationship with procrastination can really come to a head, because we become angry with ourselves for putting off the action that we know we really want to take.
When this is happening, procrastination may be playing the role of a protector, shielding us from emotions, sensations and experiences that are uncomfortable for us, and we once weren’t able to handle.
Procrastination can help us to avoid facing the sting of rejection when no one follows our business Instagram page. It can shield us from the feeling of failure, if we sign up to the dance class and discover that we’re actually terrible. And it can make sure that we never have to face those feelings of “not good enough” and “undeserving” when we decide we want more for ourselves.
While this type of procrastination can be frustrating it is well intentioned, and will usually cease as soon as we make a conscious decision that we’re okay with feeling the uncomfortable emotions it’s been protecting us from.
It’s an invitation to gather what you need before a new challenge
Similar to number five, sometimes procrastination is forcing us to pause before we dive head first into action without preparing first.
Sometimes we need an attitude adjustment (“This’ll never work” isn’t the best foundation on which to build something new), or some support along the way (like a community, a friend who’s on our side, or a teacher to guide us as we develop new skills).
Sometimes we may need to dissolve an old identity we’ve been lugging around (like “Not sporty”) so that a new one can emerge (like “Half marathon runner”)
In these scenarios, procrastination is like stage one of the video game, making us collect all the tools, skills and insights we need before we can progress to the higher stages.
It’s a rebellion against systems that want you to treat your body like a machine
Sometimes our procrastination shows up when we’ve been doing far, far too much, and we need to slow down.
Have you noticed that you’re more likely to procrastinate when your to-do list has 20 items, rather than 3?
Most of us have grown up under capitalist ideology, which encourages us to place productivity at the top of our priorities - even when it means exhausting the natural resources of our body and energy.
Procrastination is one form of rebellion against this system. It’s our body’s way of going on strike due to poor working conditions. It’s always best to negotiate with the union, rather than ignore them and hope they go away, so if your instinct says that your procrastination is a way of rebelling against your current pace of work, it’s time to listen to what it’s trying to tell you, and negotiate a way forward together.
It can reconnect us with the rhythm of nature
While the industrial revolution created the illusion that nature is something separate to us, in reality we are just as much a part of the natural world as a tree, a river or a butterfly.
And the natural world goes through seasons - periods of high activity and output, periods of slowness, death and renewal.
Sometimes our bodies ‘force’ us into a season of winter, either after a period of high activity and productivity, or when we’ve made plans for high activity in the future.
This period is only seen as a problem through the lens of our modern society which doesn’t understand rhythms and cycles. In reality, it’s exactly what we need to restore balance, and prepare ourselves for the future.
It can save us from burnout.
A lot of modern ‘productivity hacks’ are really ways that we can teach ourselves to ignore and become numb to our body’s cues to pause, rest, and realign.
When we ignore the messages that procrastination is sending us, we can push ourselves too far either by delving down an unfulfilling path, moving through stages of growth without the fuel we need (like emotional power, and support) or by simply making ourselves keep working long past the time for rest has arrived.
When we do this for too long, we exhaust all of our reserves. And that’s when our bodies escalate to an emergency response: burnout.
Once you love and accept it, it no longer controls you
“Well this is all very well Sarah, but I still don’t like that I’m spending hours procrastinating and doing none of the things I really want to do.” I hear you cry.
Carl Jung said “Until we make the unconscious conscious, it will run our lives and we will call it fate.”
You see when we’re unaware of our deeper desires and motivations, they’ll still show up but we’ll imagine that we have no control over them whatsoever.
When we don’t deeply understand why procrastination is playing a role in our lives, we imagine that it’s some destructive force that we have little power to influence. But when we pull back the veil, listen closely and accept and understand what’s happening, not only do new choices present themselves to us, but our procrastination no longer has to shout so loudly to get our attention.
When we recognise that our inner rebel is letting us know we hate doing tax returns, we can soothe it, and connect to a deeper motivation, like our desire to transform our financial systems into a place where women are welcome, powerful and full of agency (which, may include doing boring and complicated forms).
When we recognise that procrastination is protecting us from the feeling of rejection by putting off going to the networking meeting until next week (again) we can hold ourselves, and remind ourselves that even if we do experience feelings of rejection, we’re no longer a little kid on the playground. We’re an adult now and we promise to be nice to ourselves no matter what happens.
And when we recognise that procrastination is telling us to sit our asses down and stop trying to do it all, we can radically accept that we are humans and not machines, and take a nap while the house lays cluttered.
By allowing ourselves to see procrastination as a friend, rather than an enemy, it can become just that.
And wouldn’t it be so delicious to no longer be at war with ourselves.
At the end of January I’m running a special offer on my deep dive coaching sessions for women who are struggling with procrastination.
Normally valued at £120, I’m offering 6 women the opportunity to book a session for just £40.
During our 90 minute deep dive embodiment coaching session, we’ll flip the traditional view of procrastination on its head, and welcome it like an old friend who has some great stories to tell.
Through guided meditation and embodied exploration, we will use movement, breath, awareness and sound to get underneath the repetitive loops that you’ve been circling through for weeks (or months, or years) already, and find out what’s really going on. So that you can move into action naturally, and stop working against yourself.
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