6 Tips to Overcome Guilt due to Procrastination
Have you procrastinated a lot recently? Have you been putting things off for tomorrow just out of laziness? If you have, you are likely to feel very guilty for leaving things pending. Here are a few ways in which you can overcome the guilt you have inside you because of procrastination.
1. Finish pending tasks right away
An easy ways to overcome guilt due to procrastination is to actually get to the pending task and finish it right away. Once you finish such tasks, you will be able to heave a sigh of relief and forgive yourself for having piled up that work in the first place. This will also make you realize that finishing something is not always as difficult as it appears to be.
2. Finish more than what you procrastinated
If you can’t soothe your guilt even after you finish your pending tasks, you might have to do something more. You may be able to extinguish your guilt by finishing a few more tasks than what you procrastinated. Doing more work will help you feel assured of the fact that you have completed much more than what you delayed.
3. Find out the reason of your procrastination
If you want to remove guilt due to procrastination from its root, you will have to find out the reason why you procrastinated in the first place. Is it because you are scared of something? Is it because you don’t know how to do something? Is it because your laziness is getting in the way of your everyday life? If you find the exact reason, you will feel less guilty and you will be able to invest energy in fixing the problem rather than feeling sorry for yourself.
4. Apologize to yourself and everyone who has been impacted by your procrastination
When you feel guilty because of any reason, you must apologize. This apology may be meant for yourself or for the person who has been negatively impacted. If your procrastination has affected many people, apologize to them to get the guilt off your mind. And if your procrastination has affected only you on a personal level, apologize and assure yourself that you will do better next time.
5. Plan productively for the next few weeks or months
If you feel charged up to overcome your feeling of guilt due to your habit of procrastination, use this energy positively to get work done for the next few weeks or months. Shirk off your laziness and plan to get a hefty amount of work done. If you see that you accomplished a lot of work at the end of that period, you will forget the guilt which you are feeling right now. This will also make you feel proud and worthy again.
6. Punish yourself by canceling your rewards and treats
If you want to resort to dire attempts to penalize yourself for having procrastinated, you can refrain from rewarding yourself even after working hard. By putting off all your treats, you may feel reassured of the fact that you have received the punishment you deserved. Pinpoint a leisure activity that you like and stop yourself from doing it. For example, you can decide that you will not watch any movie until you stop procrastination.