Being free from Procrastination

Finding freedom from Procrastination

So often we have projects that we love that are difficult to act on to manifest. This may be a creative project or anything else that you really want to act on but are finding stumbling blocks. What we call procrastination may look like feeling lethargic with no energy to act. When we listen closely we may discover that a task may feel too overwhelming, or we may feel unclear on how to begin, or vulnerable and scared that this important to us task may not go the way we want or be received in a loving way.

One way to work with procrastination is with a practice of sensory awareness. Sensory awareness is a form of mindfulness practice that I’ve been practising and using to support clients in therapy sessions and classes. It allows us to slow down and find a resting place amidst the stuckness. One way to slow down and connect with the present moment is to simply take a few moments to feel the physical contact with what is supporting you, perhaps the floor underneath the feet, or the surface underneath your hands. Returning to just being here in this moment. Pausing here. Yes acknowledging the experience of the energy that we call procrastination, noticing the heaviness or lack of flow or what we feel in the moment and seeing if we can simply let it go as we just return our awareness to the simplicity of this moment. Awareness of just this moment offers a key to freedom. In this moment there is no future about this project, there is no expectation, no past. Once we are back in contact with this moment, we can come to remind ourselves of what we want, see the simple action we can take now, and pause and wait, with no demands, no pressure, and something can happen in that pause. An action can spontaneously arise, we may find our body moving towards the action, just doing that which felt inaccessible.

I share this as an inspiration for how change may be easier than we think if we allow contact with this present moment with the practice of sensory awareness. Each situation is unique and sometimes support of a therapist or a skilled friend may be needed*. Of coarse, there also are other ways to work with the experience of procrastination, including facing our beliefs, breaking tasks into smaller manageable pieces, having a community of support, and more. I hope that we all find support and inspiration that we need and take action to share what we most want to share in the world.

*The above is an example of one practice experience. Each person has unique needs and there are many different ways to practice to choose from. Same as with any awareness practice, be kind to yourself: if you notice emotions, sensations, memories or urges that feel overwhelming, do not practice, making modifications or finding different practices may be needed. A teacher or a therapist can be of support in finding what works for you.