The expert gave Russians tips on combating procrastination at work

One of the most common problems among employees is procrastination in the workplace. Lusine Abgaryan, Chief Operating Officer of Ventra HR Holding, spoke about why it occurs and how to deal with it on May 25.

The specialist noted that sometimes many employees intentionally postpone difficult tasks so that they do not look incompetent in front of their colleagues, but most often procrastination is caused by incorrect motivation and organization of the workflow itself. To prevent this, it is important to clearly separate the tasks and specific stages, Abgaryan added.

"We often put things off because we don't understand how to do them. To avoid this, write down all the tasks and divide them into three to five simple steps that can be performed one after the other," the expert advises in an interview with Gazeta.Ru».

According to her, following this advice will allow you to control your work and maintain motivation, as each completed stage will be regarded as a tangible result. During the execution of small items, a person will feel a surge of strength, as well as record an improvement in their own mood, which is caused by the action of rapid dopamine, Abgaryan said.

The expert also advises starting every working day with an important task and managing your time wisely. In her opinion, the "1-2-3" methods (doing one difficult, two medium-difficult and three easy tasks per day) and "pomodoro" (according to this method, after every 25 minutes of work, it is important to take a five-minute break) will help. She also highlighted the two-minute rule: if a task takes less than two minutes, it's better to do it right away, so as not to create a list of small tasks that cause a feeling of workload.

As Abgaryan noted, it is important to compare your tasks with your career goals in order to stop considering them routine, but to regard them as steps up the career ladder. In addition, it is necessary to create a space around yourself, devoid of "irritants".

"Remove unnecessary items from the table that can distract and create visual noise — accessories, office supplies, stacks of documents or books, garlands. Turn off [gadget] notifications or put them on silent mode. If it's noisy around, try working in a meeting room or wear noise—canceling headphones," the expert advises.

The specialist clarified that a contract with yourself also helps in the fight against procrastination: you can motivate yourself to complete tasks on your own, promising yourself a reward if they are solved. However, as the expert stated, it is important to treat yourself with understanding so as not to experience additional stress.

"The most important thing is that even if it can be difficult to get ready before completing an important task, don't blame yourself. Negative emotions can only distance you from the realization of your goal," Abgaryan summed up.

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On April 26, Sergey Martynov, a psychotherapist and founder of the International Institute of Psychosomatic Health, listed the causes of procrastination and gave some tips on how to solve this problem. The specialist noted that it can occur due to perfectionism. He advised me to focus on small tasks and avoid overwork.