The hypnotic approach to procrastination: A fresh perspective

Why do we delay tasks we know matter? It's not about laziness but how our minds handle stress and fear. Here's how you can break the cycle. In this article, I'll explain how cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy can help transform your procrastination into productivity.

Understanding procrastination

Procrastination is a universal experience that is part of who we are. In one way or another, we all procrastinate, even for those who consider themselves highly productive. It is fair to say that not all procrastination is equal. For some, procrastination is a debilitating condition’ which seems to wrap them in a cycle of perpetual delay and dither, irrespective of the consequences. For others, procrastination is just a feature of who they are, perhaps a drummer in a band who has a different outlook on what is essential in life and what needs to get gone 'next’.

The role of affirmation and cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy could be a promising solution if procrastination keeps you from living life to the fullest. More than just poor task management, procrastination is often a form of emotional avoidance. We all have built-in mechanisms to dodge stress, fear of failure or overwhelm.

Before we discuss how hypnotherapy can help you overcome excessive procrastination, let's establish some key truths about it.

Procrastination is not what it looks like, which is laziness, poor time management, or even a general lack of personal discipline. What it looks like may influence how you are treated, however. People do not generally have the time to look into the nuances of human behaviour; if you're known to get things done, guess what? You will be given tasks to get done. If you are known to have long to-do lists of things that are almost done, guess what? You may occasionally be on the sharp, short end of human hospitality and accommodation.

I once struggled with procrastination; in fact, it was one of the reasons I got into therapy. I could never understand why I was becoming a proficient habitual task avoider. In the early days of searching for solutions, I came across the idea of developing a repeatable affirmation that I would end up incorporating into my relaxation routines, mental rehearsals and focus sessions:

’Procrastination works best when I can meet a challenge and deliver when it matters.'

This affirmation was helpful as it reminded me I did not need to solve and eradicate all of my procrastinating ways; I just had to focus on things that mattered. It also reminded me why some people within my orbit knew me as a productive task finisher (professional clients), and some would know me more for the laid-back characteristic of getting things almost done. 

Creating an affirmation that genuinely resonates with you can help transform how you respond or think about a specific experience. I used this affirmation to help me reframe the emotional context in which I viewed all tasks by subtly introducing the idea that not all tasks are equal or relevant.

Can I tell you affirmations solved my procrastination struggles? Well, It started me on a journey to understand the power of positive suggestion, which led me to discover hypnosis, which then led me to be trained in cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy. 

Cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy uses focused attention and guided suggestions to help you reframe unhelpful thought patterns, reduce emotional resistance and develop a more constructive approach to starting and completing tasks. 

Practical strategies to overcome procrastination

The power of reframing tasks isn't just theoretical. A simple yet effective approach you can do today is to incorporate an affirmation into your daily routine. For example, a person struggling with procrastination may overuse their phone as an avoidance distraction. A solution could be to design an affirmation message on their lock screen. Before unlocking their phone and mindlessly scrolling, they first read their affirmation. This repeated exposure gradually encourages the mind to associate action with positive reinforcement, making the change effortless.

Lasting change happens when you apply what you have learned in therapy in everyday life. Whether using affirmations, self-hypnosis, or a cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy session, small shifts in your thinking can lead to lasting transformation. If procrastination is holding you back, now is the time to take action. Explore how cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy can help, whether through self-guided techniques or professional support; the first step is yours.

Inside our procrastination programme: emotion-driven avoidance

Our procrastination programme is designed with one core idea: 'emotion-driven avoidance' often fuels 'procrastination'. People tend to delay starting tasks to avoid the 'consequences', such as intense anxiety or fear of failure. The avoidance pattern could be part of a more in-depth habit or core belief outside our awareness. 

People with emotional dysregulation may struggle with impulsive decisions with low distress tolerance, leading them to procrastinate to escape uncomfortable emotions associated with challenging tasks.

We use hypnosis as part of a broader set of therapies known as cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy. We guide clients to confront and challenge tasks while remaining calm and in control. The session aims to reframe both our emotional and behavioural responses to a given target situation and, over time, reinforce and support a natural transition where tasks do not trigger old maladaptive reactions. 

Cost-benefit analysis: Project manage your procrastination

We also introduce other strategies and tools. For example, there is always a cost to avoiding something; there is no usual gain without pain, which is the old adage. If the way you deal with challenges is to avoid them, you must also agree you should be able to calculate the cost of that avoidance. If there is no cost, then the task is not worth doing in the first place.

One of the things we do in therapy is lift the lid and assess the hidden cost of avoidance. We do not use this as a stick to further add to the pressure and sense of failure, but we do this to develop a model borrowed from the business world of cost-benefit analysis. These tools aim to strengthen your ability to prioritise tasks, a necessary approach if you adopt our procrastination programme.

Long-term change happens when something resonates, where new insights from the therapy room become part of daily life. Homework is vital in this process, helping clients bridge the gap between sessions and real-world experiences. Cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy works to equip you with practical tools to reshape how you approach tasks and overcome procrastination, one small step at a time. Could you transform your relationship with tasks today?