The ONLY Way To Stop Procrastinating | Mel Robbins

Mel Robbins

5 Jul 201803:37

Summary

TLDRThis video challenges the idea that people are procrastinators by nature, emphasizing instead that procrastination is a habit linked to stress relief. The speaker explains how stress triggers avoidance behaviors, such as watching videos instead of working. To break this habit, they suggest recognizing the stress, counting from 5 to 1 to interrupt the pattern, and committing to just five minutes of work. The goal is to overcome the habit of avoidance by starting small, as research shows that 80% of people who start will keep going.

Takeaways

😄 You are not a procrastinator; you have a habit of procrastinating, which is a key distinction.
🤔 Procrastination is not about the work itself but a form of stress relief.
😥 Stress, from various aspects of life, triggers procrastination.
😅 The brain avoids stressful tasks by distracting itself with activities like watching videos.
😤 The habit of procrastination has three parts: the trigger (stress), the pattern (avoiding work), and the reward (stress relief).
🔄 Breaking the procrastination habit involves changing the pattern of avoidance, not eliminating stress.
🧠 Interrupting the procrastination pattern awakens the prefrontal cortex, enabling action.
🕔 Start working for just five minutes to break the habit of avoidance, as the problem is not work itself but starting.
📊 Research shows that starting to work leads 80% of people to continue beyond the initial five minutes.
🎯 Counting down from 5 to 1 can interrupt the procrastination pattern and activate action.

Q & A

What is the main difference between being a procrastinator and having a habit of procrastination?
-Being a procrastinator implies that procrastination defines who you are, while having a habit of procrastination means it's just a recurring behavior, and habits can be changed.
How is procrastination related to stress, according to the speaker?
-Procrastination is a form of stress relief. When someone is stressed, they avoid doing tasks that may add to their stress and instead engage in easier, more pleasurable activities to relieve stress temporarily.
What are the three parts of a habit as described in the script?
-The three parts of a habit are: the trigger (which, in the case of procrastination, is stress), the pattern (avoiding the task), and the reward (temporary stress relief).
Why does the brain choose to procrastinate instead of focusing on important tasks?
-The brain seeks to avoid additional stress when already overwhelmed. When faced with challenging or stressful tasks, the brain opts for easier distractions, like watching videos, to reduce the immediate stress.
How can someone break the habit of procrastination, according to the speaker?
-To break the habit of procrastination, one must change the pattern of avoiding work. This can be done by acknowledging the stress, counting down from 5 to 1 to interrupt the habit, and then starting the task for just five minutes.
What is the purpose of counting down from 5 to 1 when dealing with procrastination?
-Counting down from 5 to 1 interrupts the habit of procrastination, awakening the prefrontal cortex, which helps the person regain control and shift focus from avoidance to action.
Why does the speaker suggest working for only five minutes?
-The speaker suggests working for five minutes because the hardest part of overcoming procrastination is starting. Once someone begins, 80% of people tend to continue beyond the initial five minutes.
What should you do when you notice you're procrastinating?
-When you notice you're procrastinating, you should acknowledge that it's a reaction to stress, count down from 5 to 1 to break the avoidance pattern, and then start working for five minutes.
Why is it important to recognize the trigger of procrastination?
-Recognizing the trigger (stress) helps you understand that procrastination isn’t about the task itself but about managing stress. Once you acknowledge this, you can take steps to change the avoidance behavior.
What research finding does the speaker mention regarding starting work?
-The speaker mentions that research shows once someone starts working, 80% of people continue to work beyond the initial five minutes, highlighting the importance of simply beginning the task.

Outlines

00:00

💡 You're Not a Procrastinator—It's Just a Habit

The speaker challenges the belief that procrastination defines a person, emphasizing instead that it's simply a habit. This distinction is important because habits can be changed, and the speaker introduces the idea that science can help break this habit. They suggest that procrastination is a form of stress relief rather than an issue with the task itself.

😅 Procrastination Is About Stress, Not Work

Procrastination isn't related to the difficulty of work but rather to stress. The speaker explains that life's pressures—whether from relationships, health issues, or finances—carry over into the workplace. Stress triggers procrastination, leading people to avoid stressful tasks by distracting themselves with unrelated activities, like watching videos.

🎯 The Brain's Role in Avoidance

When faced with stress and difficult tasks, the brain seeks to avoid the perceived discomfort by encouraging procrastination. This avoidance is a habitual response where the brain opts for distractions, like browsing online, instead of tackling the task. This leads to a cycle where avoiding the task temporarily reduces stress, but also delays progress.

🔄 Understanding the Habit Loop of Procrastination

The speaker breaks down procrastination into a habit loop: stress is the trigger, avoiding the task is the pattern, and stress relief is the reward. They explain that to break the procrastination habit, you don't need to eliminate stress (which is impossible), but you can change the avoidance pattern. Recognizing this loop is the first step.

🧠 Interrupt the Habit with a Simple Trick

To break the procrastination habit, the speaker advises using the '5-4-3-2-1' countdown technique. Counting interrupts the habitual avoidance response and activates the prefrontal cortex, allowing you to break free of the stress-triggered procrastination cycle. The key is to take immediate action, even if it’s just working for five minutes.

🚀 Start Small to Overcome Procrastination

The speaker emphasizes that starting is the hardest part of overcoming procrastination. Once you begin, research shows that 80% of people will continue working. The focus should be on initiating action, not on completing the entire task immediately. By committing to just five minutes of work, the habit of avoidance is disrupted.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Procrastination

Procrastination is the act of delaying or avoiding tasks, which in this video is presented not as a personality trait, but as a habit triggered by stress. The speaker emphasizes that procrastination is a form of stress relief rather than an avoidance of work itself, explaining that people tend to procrastinate to avoid dealing with the stress that certain tasks may bring.

💡Habit

A habit is a regular pattern of behavior that occurs almost automatically. The video highlights that procrastination is a habit rather than a fixed trait, and that habits consist of three parts: a trigger, a pattern, and a reward. By framing procrastination as a habit, the speaker suggests that it is something that can be changed using specific techniques.

💡Trigger

A trigger is an event or condition that initiates a habitual response. In the context of procrastination, the trigger is stress. The speaker notes that stress from personal or work-related issues leads people to avoid tasks, such as making difficult phone calls, and instead engage in activities that offer temporary relief, like watching cat videos.

💡Stress

Stress refers to emotional or mental strain that affects a person's ability to focus or perform tasks. The video suggests that procrastination is a direct response to stress, such as financial troubles or personal conflicts, which makes a person want to avoid challenging tasks and seek distractions. Recognizing stress is key to understanding why people procrastinate.

💡Pattern

A pattern in this context refers to the repeated behavior that occurs after a trigger. The pattern in procrastination is avoiding the task at hand. The speaker explains that this pattern usually involves engaging in less stressful activities as a way to cope with the emotional strain caused by the task, which reinforces the procrastination habit.

💡Reward

The reward is the positive feeling or relief that reinforces a habit. In the case of procrastination, the reward is the temporary stress relief one feels from avoiding a task. The speaker explains that this reward strengthens the habit of procrastination, making it more likely to occur again when similar stress triggers arise.

💡5-4-3-2-1 technique

This is a counting technique introduced by the speaker as a way to break the procrastination habit. By counting backward from 5 to 1, individuals can interrupt their automatic patterns and activate their prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for decision-making. This technique is used to shift from avoidance to action, making it easier to start tasks.

💡Prefrontal cortex

The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain involved in decision-making, planning, and controlling impulses. In the video, the speaker explains that using the 5-4-3-2-1 technique helps engage the prefrontal cortex, which can disrupt the automatic habit of procrastination and prompt individuals to take action, even when they are feeling stressed.

💡Start for five minutes

This concept refers to a strategy to overcome procrastination by committing to work on a task for just five minutes. The speaker explains that the hardest part of overcoming procrastination is starting, and once you begin working, there's a high chance that you’ll continue. Starting small, with just five minutes, lowers the mental barrier to getting started.

💡Avoidance

Avoidance is the act of evading something that causes discomfort or stress. In the context of procrastination, avoidance is the repeated behavior of steering away from difficult or stressful tasks. The speaker identifies avoidance as the core pattern in procrastination, and overcoming this requires recognizing the underlying stress and changing the behavior through techniques like the 5-4-3-2-1 method.

Highlights

You're not a procrastinator, you have a habit of procrastinating. Big difference.

Procrastination has nothing to do with your work; it is a form of stress relief.

You can break the habit of procrastination by using science.

All habits have three parts: a trigger (in procrastination, the trigger is stress), a pattern (you avoid doing something), and a reward (stress relief).

The way to break a habit is not to deal with the trigger, but to change the pattern.

You will never get rid of stress in your life, but you can change the pattern of avoiding work.

Next time you hesitate or avoid work, acknowledge the stress and interrupt the habit with the 5-4-3-2-1 technique.

Counting from 5-4-3-2-1 interrupts the habit loop and awakens the prefrontal cortex.

The key is to start working for just five minutes, as the issue is not the work itself, but the habit of avoiding it.

Research shows that if you start, 80% of the time you will keep going.

Procrastination often stems from the stress in other parts of your life, not just from the task at hand.

Your brain tries to avoid discomfort, such as calling higher-level professionals, by opting for distractions like watching cat videos.

Recognizing and acknowledging the stress helps in breaking the avoidance pattern.

You can’t remove all sources of stress, but you can control how you respond to them.

Breaking the habit of procrastination involves recognizing the stress, interrupting the pattern, and starting small.