Procrastination as a chronic experiential avoidance

[Guest guest]

I'd like here to examine procrastination - wich is widespread nowadays-

in the light of ACT.

Procrastination is the postponing of action ; the leitmotiv of all the

procrastinators is " I'll do it later, not now " .

While doing the exercise about values ,goals and actions in the last chapter of

GOYM, in the beginning (values) I felt a little embarrassed, but this growed

until it became difficult to bear my mind's chattering when I came to actions;

my mind was repeating : you have to do it but not now; you have a lot of time in

front of you...

when I thought about the barriers of action , they were essentially related to

avoiding discomfort, difficulties and anxieties(past and present)

SO I came to the conclusion that procrastination is a chronic avoidance of our

experiences: avoiding (in the present )difficult thoughts and feelings ; and

when we say we'll do it later, we only assume that later on,in a magical futur,

our difficulties will be evaporated and we'll do actions without having to

suffer : having to bear pain may be here the scariest thing for a

procrastinator.

This last mindset could be called : " Tomorrow I'll be OK " and as astonishing as

it is, it could last long years and a whole life could ...(the idea becomes

obvious!); this last mindset could be obvious especially in the life of drug

addicts: they spent years and years with that voice inside their heads: tomorrow

I'll be OK and will not use drugs!