Executive function toolkit: procrastination

 

Understood.org defines executive function (EF) as “a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. We use these skills every day to learn, work and manage daily life. My favorite definition however is the set of skills to get things done and not get punched in the face. EF skills are important to learn as poor ones can interfere with school, job and relationship success.

 “Experts define procrastination as a self-defeating behavior pattern marked by short-term benefits and long-term costs. Many of us know it as putting off things that we need to get done, no matter the level of difficulty behind the task.” (McLean) Procrastination is a common phenomenon in both children and adults. Approximately 20% of adults struggle with it. Often procrastination is linked to depression, anxiety, ADHD and poor physical health. As the graphic indicates, procrastination has many possible sources and often they overlap. So what can you do?

1.       Don’t think about one overwhelming thing or all the overwhelming things, pick one little thing that will help you get there. Don’t think about the whole paper, think about writing the first sentence. Then write one more…. Don’t think about going to the gym to work out for a while, just get your gym bag ready to go. Then get in the car to go. Don’t think, I have to clean my whole room, just start with the clothes on the floor. Then pick another thing. S. Perler

2.       Chunking- if your child has an IEP you might have seen this word. It just means breaking a task down and giving yourself credit for each little piece. Depending on how bad your procrastination is, you may need to use smaller chunks. For one person it is the first sentence, for another, the first paragraph, for another, it is getting out your computer. This is related to the above idea. S. Perler

3.       Sometimes therapy with or without medication can help with catastrophizing, anxiety, and depression.

4.       Learn to tolerate discomfort. Name the feeling, imagine yourself doing the task, face the discomfort and notice that the sky doesn’t fall down. L. Phillips

5.       Pomodoro technique: Pick a task, set a 25 minute timer, work on the task as hard as you can until the timer rings, take a 5 minute break, and repeat. Todoits For children, 25 minutes may be too long to work. You can start as short as 5 minutes and gradually increase your time on challenging tasks. You can even chart the number of successful cycles that you complete in a day and try to increase it.

6.       Set the conditions right- working in a warm environment with sunlight can by itself help with focus. K. Davis Then eliminate distractions- turn off the TV and music, set your phone to silent and maybe even put it in another room, go to the bathroom and get a drink.

7.       Get enough exercise. K. Davis If a child is not getting 60 minutes a day of exercise, push to increase exercise. Adults should target at least 30 minutes a day. This can help with mood and fitness, but grades, attentiveness and impulsivity are improved with exercise.

8.       Reward yourself when you finish a challenging task- spend some time on that favorite video game, watch your favorite show, whatever it is that you will work for. Caution: rewarding children with money can backfire. They can start to work ONLY for an offer of cash, and as adults, no one pays us to clean our toilets. Sometimes we just have to do the unpleasant job.