Beatha Coaching

Procrastination is something that we all struggle with, but in the creative life it can feel and become profoundly disabling. For academics, the discourse around procrastination is typically quite unhealthy – you are ‘lazy’, or ‘not doing well enough’, or just ‘not cut out for academia’. These kinds of comments have the unfortunate effect of further exacerbating the triggers of procrastination, which include shame and self-criticism. As procrastination continues to effect our ability to meet targets and produce creative work we are happy with, we can easily become caught in a downward spiral in which our neural pathways reinforce the association between risky work and soothing procrastination – it feels safer to avoid and displace anxiety with other activities than try to push through.

In a recent workshop I discussed procrastination, as well as cognitive pathways, graduated exposure, and setting healthy goals, with a group of academics. We explored the essential role of compassion, as well as understanding procrastination as a way of keeping ourselves safe. I wanted to share a short clip from this workshop here. And if you find it helpful you can also buy access to the full workshop (which lasts one hour and includes reflective exercises) through my Buy Me a Coffee page.