How to Use Hypnosis for Procrastination And Stop Putting Things Off

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Causes of Procrastination
• How Hypnosis Can Help
• Hypnosis Techniques
• Self-Hypnosis Tips
• Conclusion
• How To Beat Procrastination
• FAQs
• References

Introduction

Procrastination is an extremely common problem faced by countless people who chronically struggle with delaying tasks and putting things off until the last minute. Several studies have estimated that 25% to 50% of college students procrastinate consistently depending on the type of academic tasks involved.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} Furthermore, researchers have found a moderate to strong negative correlation between academic procrastination and academic performance in samples of college students.^{[5] [6] [7]}

Overcoming engrained procrastination often requires changing thought patterns and habits that can be very difficult to transform through sheer willpower alone. This is where targeted techniques such as hypnosis for procrastination may provide tremendous help for reprogramming the mind.

Hypnosis is an effective tool that can help refocus negative perspectives around procrastination, boost motivation on a subconscious level, and implant new habits that eventually override and replace avoidance tendencies over time. By tapping into the subconscious roots of procrastination where habitual behavioral patterns originate, hypnotherapy can create deep transformation when it comes to overcoming chronic delaying and putting things off.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the most common psychological reasons and root causes behind procrastination, as well as how hypnosis can help reframe and resolve many of these issues that lead to procrastination. You will discover the most effective hypnotic and imagery-based techniques that can supercharge motivation while combating procrastination tendencies. Additionally, you will learn actionable tips to make self-hypnosis for procrastination highly effective for beating avoidance permanently. Let’s closely examine how this unique mindset shift can empower people to stop chronically putting things off and start taking consistent action towards their most important goals and priorities.

Causes of Procrastination

Procrastination as an ongoing behavioral pattern generally stems from various underlying psychological factors that create resistance and a tendency to avoid certain tasks or objectives. Here we will look at some of the most common reasons and root causes behind chronic procrastination that hypnotherapy can help uncover and effectively address:

Fear of Failure

One of the most common causes of procrastination, especially among perfectionistic individuals, is the fear of not being able to achieve desired results up to certain standards. When people worry excessively about failing or not living completely up to ideals, expectations or potential, they are more likely to delay getting started or making progress on tasks. Hypnosis can help reduce procrastination by reframing perfectionistic thoughts and introducing more flexibility around perceived results.

Seeking Immediate Gratification

Human beings are wired to prioritize pleasure and instant gratification. The instantaneous dopamine reward of entertainment, social media or other leisure activities can often override our motivation to achieve longer-term goals which may not provide that quick fix. Hypnosis can help reduce giving in to immediate gratification that contributes to procrastination by increasing motivation and making the rewards for completing tasks seem more achievable within a nearer time frame.

Poor Organization & Planning

When people lack proper time management skills or organizational structure around their responsibilities and objectives, it is easy to feel quickly overwhelmed and essentially paralyzed when deciding what to work on. Hypnotherapy can impart critical skills for visualizing a structured plan and establishing personal accountability around priorities which helps combat feelings of being overwhelmed that lead to procrastination and giving up.

Variable Motivation & Mood

Sometimes individuals simply lack consistent drive, discipline or passion to actively start and persist in certain tasks or goals. Momentary moods and energy levels can negatively impact motivation leading up to deadlines. Hypnotic techniques help combat this through conditioning stable motivation triggers and actively shifting mindset around effort and rewards to get into motion.

Negative Self-Talk & Limiting Beliefs

Inner critical voice and dialogues that reinforce messages such as “I don’t feel like doing this”, “I work better under pressure”, “I will just start tomorrow” etc. perpetuate procrastination. Hypnosis helps identify and reframe self-limiting beliefs and inner narrative.

Fear of Discomfort

Growth inevitably requires moving outside comfort zones which most people instinctively avoid. Feeling discomfort while working through complex tasks leads many people to quit prematurely. Hypnotic suggestion builds mental resilience for embracing the struggle.

Anxiety

A meta analysis of 17 trials showed the average participant receiving hypnosis reduced anxiety more than about 79%. ^[8] This shows hypnosis can reduce anxiety significantly, which is often a contributor to procrastination. Managing anxiety can help overcome avoidance behaviours.

Rather than relying on sheer willpower and discipline to combat the various psychological barriers above, hypnotherapy aims to directly address, unpack and reshape these subconscious patterns to align behavior and habits with conscious goals and values.

How Hypnosis Can Help Stop Procrastination

Hypnosis is able to create powerful change around overcoming chronic procrastination because it works by inducing a deeply relaxed yet highly focused and receptive state where the subconscious mind is more open to hypersuggestibility.

While in this uniquely relaxed and hyper-focused state, new perspectives and framings can be introduced to help repattern and transform unhelpful habits, automatic thoughts and beliefs. Here are some of the ways hypnosis is able to provide immense value when it comes to combating procrastination:

• Bypasses Inner Critic – The highly receptive state hypnosis produces allows individuals to go around or bypass their inner critical voice or ego that often tries to downplay priorities or rationalize reasons to procrastinate further. This allows more productive thought patterns and motivations to be implanted at the subconscious root.
• Powerful Visualization – Hypnotic visualization and guided imagery techniques allow people to vividly picture themselves successfully starting and completing tasks, hitting deadlines or achieving other milestones. This helps drive motivation on a subconscious level and accelerates new neural pathway formation empowering follow through.
• Reframing Limiting Beliefs – One of the most important elements of hypnosis for procrastination is that it helps identify, unpack and adjust self-sabotaging thought patterns that reinforce further avoidance. Hypnosis helps reframe stories we tell ourselves that hold us back.
• Strengthening Productivity Habits – Hypnotic suggestions can essentially help program the mind for productive habits and automatic motivation triggers that overcome stagnation. Using post-hypnotic suggestions helps cement new behaviors.
• Future Focus & Mental Contrasting – Hypnosis techniques such as time projection and mental contrasting allow individuals to visualize future goals and rewards more vividly while also observing the negative consequences of continual procrastination. This strengthens future orientation and priority.

By activating new neural pathways and crowding out subconscious mental patterns that lead to delaying, hypnosis allows aligning daily habits and behaviors with conscious goals and values around productivity and achievement. In this way it is an invaluable tool for addressing the deep roots of procrastination.

Hypnosis Techniques to Overcome Procrastination

There are a variety of hypnotic techniques and interventions that can be used to help reprogram the subconscious mind to overcome chronic procrastination patterns:

• Visualization for Motivation – Vividly imagining completing tasks successfully and on time; Picture receiving external rewards like recognition or financial gains; Imagining intrinsic rewards like satisfaction, confidence and well-being
• Reframing Negative Self-Talk – Identifying and changing critical inner thoughts that trigger avoidance; “I don’t feel like it” becomes “I will feel great when complete”; Instilling supportive cues and reminder phrases
• Anchoring Motivation & Focus Triggers – Pairing motivational or focused states with cues (keywords, objects, actions); Triggers then activate the associated states later on; Look at vision board or touch stone to feel motivated
• Future Pacing & Time Projection – Imagining the future vividly when goals are accomplished; Contrasting negative future if procrastination persists; Making the rewards for goals seem nearer
• Post-Hypnotic Suggestions – Implanting reminders and cues that prompt action later on; Feeling focused when sitting at a desk where you need to work; Feeling energized and motivated when calendar reminder pops up
• Mental Contrasting – Contrasting benefits of action vs. costs of inaction; Highlighting the gaps between current and goal state; Creating cognitive dissonance to prompt implementation

The hypnotherapist identifies the most relevant techniques to address the specific thought patterns and behaviors leading to procrastination for a particular individual. Combining several techniques and repetition in multiple sessions produces the strongest effects for reconditioning the mind.

Tips to Make Self-Hypnosis Effective Against Procrastination

While working with a qualified hypnotherapist provides important guidance, structure and accountability, an often overlooked part of creating lasting change is continuing to perform self-hypnosis on a regular basis to reinforce the new thought patterns, habits and motivations.

Here are some essential tips to get the most out of developing a self-hypnosis practice to overcome procrastination in the long-run:

• Listen Daily In Early Stages – It is important to listen to self-hypnosis recordings daily in the beginning phase to strengthen the new neural pathways and thought patterns. Consistency and repetition are key.
• Persist as Changes Take Hold – As the behaviors and thought habits around productivity start improving, don’t stop self-hypnosis. Persisting will make the changes fully stick.
• Use Sensory Visualization – Engage senses fully during visualization – see rewards clearly, feel emotions, hear sounds of success for optimal effects.
• Create Reminders & Cues – Post reminders to practice self-hypnosis and activate hypnotic suggestions. Link cues to motivation.
• Track Progress – Note goals accomplished and changes in mindset over time as positive reinforcement.
• Combine With Other Tactics – Planning, accountability partners, counseling etc can complement self-directed hypnosis.
• Develop a Routine – Create a habitual routine around self-hypnosis practice for maximum effectiveness and persistence.

Consistent self-hypnosis helps sustain the transformation catalyzed during 1-on-1 hypnotherapy sessions. Staying disciplined with hypnosis practice retrains the subconscious mind for achieving goals over the long-term.

Take Action

Feeling inspired to overcome procrastination but want an easy way to follow through right now? Start your transformation by accessing the Hypnosis Lounge app – think of it like having your own pocket hypnotherapist with hundreds of sessions for changing habits!

Hypnosis Lounge provides streaming access to a massive library of customized hypnosis sessions designed for exactly what you need – kill procrastination, increase motivation, build confidence, reduce anxiety and much more.

The best part is you can start for free today and get instant access to 17 highly-rated hypnosis tracks, including many focused specifically on boosting productivity, overcoming procrastination mindsets and anchoring the motivation you need to achieve your goals.

Stop letting procrastination limit your potential. Commit to positive change now by accessing Hypnosis Lounge and unlocking the power of your subconscious mind! The motivation and focused mindset you need is waiting a few taps away.

References

[1] Ellis, A., & Knaus, W.J. (1977). Overcoming procrastination. New York: Institute for Rational Living.

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1975-07669-001

[2] Ferrari, J.R., Johnson, J.L., & McCown, W.G. (1995). Procrastination and task avoidance: Theory, research, and treatment. NY: Plenum Press.

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1995-97309-000

[3] Hill, M.B., Hill, D.A., Chabot, A.E., & Barrall, J.F. (1978). A survey of college faculty and student procrastination. College Student Journal, 12, 256-262.

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1980-12945-001

[4] Solomon, L.J., & Rothblum, E.D. (1984). Academic procrastination: Frequency and cognitive-behavioral correlates. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31(4), 503-509.

https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-0167.31.4.503

[5] Steel, P. (2001). The measurement and nature of procrastination. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Minnesota, Minnesota.

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2002-95018-049

[6] Tice, D. M., & Baumeister, R. F. (1997). Longitudinal study of procrastination, performance, stress, and health: The costs and benefits of dawdling. Psychological Science, 8(6), 454-458.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40063233

[7] Van Eerde, W. (2003). A meta-analytically derived nomological network of procrastination. Personality and Individual Differences, 35(6), 1401-1418.

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2003-09115-015

[8] Keara E Valentine, Leonard S Milling, Lauren J Clark, Caitlin L Moriarty (2019) THE EFFICACY OF HYPNOSIS AS A TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY: A META-ANALYSIS 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31251710/