When it comes to our productivity, procrastination will always be our greatest adversary.
Most of us live busy lives, with goals and dreams that we work tirelessly to achieve, but when the sneaky presence of procrastination starts to creep in, it can have a significant impact on our efficiency, which lead to delays, missed deadlines, and feeling of dread.
While it’s often not our intention to put off important tasks and focus our attention on trivial tasks, when we reach mental blockages like fear or imposter syndrome, we can’t help but to fall into the trap of low performance and lack of motivation brought on by procrastination.
But what’s the reason for this? Procrastination is a complex subject and comes in many different forms. It’s generally defined as an involuntary delay of an intended action, despite being aware of the negative consequences associated with said delay. Beyond the many ways that procrastination can present itself in our day-to-day lives, it’s important to note that there’s much more happening underneath the surface.
While some may reduce procrastination down to laziness or the lack of discipline, it can be viewed through several frameworks that apply to different people in different manners. For example, the temporal motivation theory suggests that individuals weigh the costs and benefits of different tasks and allocate their time accordingly. This mental dilemma known as “opportunity cost” is procrastination showing up in how individuals prioritize short-term rewards like socializing and entertainment over long-term goals like studying, exercising, or seemingly mundane tasks.
On the flip side, the self-regulation model highlights the role of emotion regulation in procrastination. According to this model, individuals may procrastinate as a means of avoiding negative emotions related to anxiety and boredom that are typically associated with an activity. However, this can ultimately have an increased negative effect, resulting in lackluster performance and outcomes.
With research identifying several factors that contribute to procrastination, including individual differences like impulsivity and perfectionism, environmental factors from distractions or lack of structure, and task characteristics like the complexity or unpleasantness of a task, we can all see ourselves each category depending on our mood or the capacity of tasks or project. However, when we find ourselves facing the consequences of our procrastination, it can lead to even greater impacts on our mental health and well-being.
The loop of procrastination can be a difficult web to get untangled from. When we procrastinate, we often feel guilt, shame, or even anxiety about the work neglected, which can bring about unwanted stress and negative self-talk. We can sometimes attach our productivity to our self-worth and associate our value with our output. When these loops occur in our minds, it further exacerbates a decrease in our productivity, as we may become distracted or demotivated.
Overall, it's important to identify the reasons behind our procrastination and find ways to overcome it to achieve our goals and lead a fulfilling life. If you find yourself in the loop of procrastination, it’s important to identify the cause so you can get to the solution. That’s why we’ve curated a list of procrastination triggers and how to correct them.
Trigger: You find yourself doing unimportant tasks like scrolling social media instead of the important ones you need to be working on.
Try This: Try creating distance from your distractions and the tasks at hand. If you find it hard to stay focused on top responsibilities, it may be time to install a social media blocker app on your phone and set it for the duration you’d like to complete your work in. You might even want to try putting your phone in a different area than where you work so that it’s less easy to grab in between assignments.
Trigger: You feel overwhelmed or stressed about the work you need to do, but you can't seem to make progress on it.
Try This: When it comes to the duties that stress us out the most, it’s essential that we understand that we can only do what’s in front of us first. We don’t get to the next tasks until we finish the first one, so put less on your plate by giving yourself smaller portions and working your way through. Before you know it, you would have tackled your biggest tasks, bit by bit.
Trigger: You feel guilty or ashamed about your lack of productivity or progress on important tasks.
Try This: It’s time to give yourself some grace. Self-compassion goes a long way when you know that procrastination is less about you as a person and more about the stimulus that’s causing you to put the tasks off. When you begin to feel that negative self-talk begin to creep in, pause, and allow yourself a moment to collect your thoughts, grab a snack, take a walk, or simply breathe before you reapproach what’s at hand. Beating yourself up about procrastinating will only create more procrastination, so forgive yourself and move forward.
Trigger: You are often working on tasks at the last minute, which can lead to low quality work or mistakes.
Try This: Before you start your next tasks, it’s important to remember that it’s okay to approach them in small chunks. Oftentimes, we work on things at the last minute because it feels too big and overwhelming to take on. But if we are reminded to pace ourselves and not try to take everything at once, we can give ourselves the time necessary to present our best work.
Trigger: You find yourself easily distracted and unable to focus for long periods of time.
Try This: Time blocks are going to be your best friend here. By breaking down a larger task into smaller, manageable blocks of time, you can make it less intimidating and easier to start. By setting a clear structure and working in short bursts, you can overcome procrastination and make steady progress toward completing the task.
Trigger: You have a lot of unfinished tasks or projects that you keep putting off.
Try This: Sometimes we put certain tasks off because we may not have the capacity to complete them, or they might simply not be in our realm of expertise. In this case, it’s perfectly okay to ask for help. Delegating tasks and projects over people who are more skilled and have more time to complete them, can take them off our plate and allow us to execute our to-do lists in a timely and stress-free manner.
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Overall, April is a month of feeling things through, taking more intuitive risks, investing in yourself, and balancing your needs with the needs of your relationships.
Read for your sun and rising sign below to see what April has in store for you.
AriesKyra Jay for xoNecoleARIES
April is your month to shine, Aries. With the chaos of March now over, you are starting to see the progress of where life is and how everything has turned out even better than you were expecting. The month begins with the Sun in your 1st house of self, and you are feeling more confident, courageous, and in tune with yourself. With a Full Moon in your sister sign on April 12, relationships are also coming full circle for you now, and you are claiming your peace this month.
Mercury finally goes direct on April 7 and then enters your sign from April 16 to May 10, and this is going to clear up any miscommunications that you have been through. With Mercury now in your sign, your conversations are lively, your mind is inspiring, and you are thinking one step ahead. Before the month ends, Venus enters your sign from April 30 to June 6, and love is also moving forward for you now. Overall, this is a month where you are experiencing some happy outcomes and loyal support.
TaurusKyra Jay for xoNecoleTAURUS
April is a month of passion and purpose, Taurus. You are living in your abundance, and are focused on valuing yourself and the things you are bringing to fruition right now. Venus, your ruling planet, goes direct on March 12 after being retrograde in your financial house since March 1, and you are moving into the month experiencing more opportunities and also feeling more respected in what you are accumulating for yourself and standing your ground on.
Taurus Season officially begins on April 19, and it’s all about you right now. This Taurus Season is smoothing things out for you in love, with new relationship developments unfolding and life flourishing for you. The New Moon this month is in your sign on April 27, it’s time for a new beginning. You are truly embracing your strength in April, making things happen for yourself, and no longer doubting your future and what is possible for you.
GeminiKyra Jay for xoNecoleGEMINI
This month is all about the options becoming available to you now, Gemini. With your ruling planet Mercury going direct at the beginning of the month on April 7, you no longer feel as held back or out of place as you may have in the past weeks. With Mercury now direct, your thinking is clearer, and you are seeing the opportunities in your career and professional world that you may have missed before.
The more you can embrace your authenticity, the less time you will spend doubting how others perceive you, remember that this month.
On April 12, there is a Full Moon in Libra, highlighting the romance in your life and bringing forth understanding and compassion within your close relationships. You are letting go of old attachments or self-doubts that haven’t been serving your love life, and are growing closer to your own heart in the process. Before April comes to an end, Mars enters your 3rd house of communication, and you are overall leaving the month focused on your progress, your vision, and taking up space because you deserve to.
CancerKyra Jay for xoNecoleCANCER
This month is all about balancing your time and energy wisely, Cancer. You are being reminded not to overwork or overwhelm yourself in April, and to focus on doing the things that are within your control right now. The Sun is in your 10th house of career for most of the month so you are feeling really passionate about the things you are developing in your life right now, but it’s all about finding the right balance between your personal goals and your needs in your relationships as well.
The Full Moon in Libra on April 12 will be a time to devote your energy to self-care, close loved ones, and overall getting some time to decompress. You are ready to let go of the things that don’t make you feel safe or nurtured and are receiving an emotional renewal right now. The New Moon in Taurus at the end of the month is a time to focus on your intentions on your community, friendships, and aspirations in life, and to pay attention to where you can create more abundance here.
LeoKyra Jay for xoNecoleLEO
Things are turning around for you for the better, Leo. April is a dynamic month, and you are owning your inner alchemist. With a Full Moon in your 3rd house of communication on April 12, you are getting the messages you have been looking for and the mental clarity you have found is bringing closure to some of your close relationships. This month is about being flexible and trusting the changes that are happening for you right now.
On April 18, Mars enters your sign until June 17, and this is huge for you. You began the year with Mars retrograde in your sign, so you are getting the opportunity now, to rewrite some of the things that weren’t working for you at the beginning of the year. You are overcoming previous obstacles, and experiencing a breakthrough in your life this month. Before April ends, there is a New Moon in Taurus, highlighting your career, reputation, and professional life. This is a good New Moon to set your intentions for what goals you want to come to fruition for you now.
VirgoKyra Jay for xoNecoleVIRGO
This month is all about building new foundations in your life, Virgo. You are feeling more supported and in tune with your own inner needs and interests, and it’s bringing you closer to people and systems that resonate. Your ruling planet Mercury goes direct this month on April 7 after being retrograde for the past few weeks; bringing more clarity, understanding, and compassion to your partnerships in life. You are focused on love this month and are working together with others to make your dreams come true.
Mid-month, Mars moves into your 12th house of closure and endings, and there is a journey of healing that you experience until June 17. You are motivated to understand yourself better and are looking at the past more right now in order to do so. This is a month of recovering and healing from what has been, for new foundations to be built upon. The New Moon on April 27 is a beautiful way to end the month, as you are getting glimpses of a new, abundant, adventure that is ahead of you.
LibraKyra Jay for xoNecoleLIBRA
This is a big month of closure for you, Libra. The Sun is in your 7th house of love for most of April, and your heart is in the right place. With Venus, your ruling planet, going direct on April 12 after being retrograde since March 1, you are finally able to take a breath. You are not experiencing as many obstacles when it comes to communication matters and you are feeling like you have the tools you need to move forward right now.
The Full Moon of the month is in your sign on April 12, and you are ready to let go of what isn’t working for you. You have been through a lot recently and have gained the clarity you need to let go of old attachments. Venus moves into your house of love before the month ends, and you are leaving the month feeling more in tune with where things are moving forward for you, rather than what you are leaving behind. Your heart moves through a journey in April, and your emotions are showing you a lot.
ScorpioKyra Jay for xoNecoleSCORPIO
April is a month of success, progress, and dreams coming to fruition, Scorpio. You are focused on your health, your priorities, and creating space for the new beginnings that you are creating in your life right now. The Full Moon mid-month is a big closure moment for you, and you are owning the fact that you have healed and you are no longer the same person you were in the past. This is a month of stepping into your power and feeling supported in doing so.
Mid-month, Mars enters your 10th house of career and public life and you are shining within your purpose. Over the next month and a half, you are going to be gaining some new opportunities that will be serving your professional life and goals. This is the month to show up and to let your skills, talents, and authenticity shine. On April 17, there is a New Moon in your opposite sign, Taurus, and you are leaving the month with some pleasant surprises in store for you in love as well.
SagittariusKyra Jay for xoNecoleSAGITTARIUS
April is a new beginning for you, Sagittarius. You are focused on putting the action and effort behind your goals, and you are being proactive within the opportunities that you are looking for right now. With a Full Moon in your 11th house of aspirations mid-month, you are letting go of the way you thought things would play out for you and are owning a more abundant version of things.
On April 27, there is a New Moon in Taurus, which will be highlighting your health and what your body needs more of right now. This is a New Moon to set your intentions for your everyday life and to create a new, beneficial routine that will make things easier for you at the end of the day. Before the month ends, Venus enters your 9th house of adventure, and you are leaving the month with your sights set high. Travel plans are likely, and this is a good time to create some new plans for yourself.
CapricornKyra Jay for xoNecoleCAPRICORN
April is about putting one step in front of the other with patience and dedication and trusting the decisions you are making for yourself right now, Capricorn. The Sun is in your 4th house for most of the month, and you are yearning for your safe spaces, comfort foods, and loyal people. Giving yourself more time to decompress, take care of yourself, and ground your energy is essential this month.
Mars enters your 8th house of transformation mid-month and will be fueling your need for some change, excitement, and emotional rejuvenation over the next month and a half. You are entering an impactful moment of the year for you, and you are motivated toward change right now. The New Moon at the end of the month is in a fellow earth sign, highlighting the romantic new beginnings you are entering now. Overall, this month is a process, and you are opening new doors while finding gratitude in what is here for you now.
AquariusKyra Jay for xoNecoleAQUARIUS
April is about giving yourself time to process, accept, and gain a new perspective, Aquarius. You are being guided towards friendship, connection, and community, and are understanding what may be creating the discord in your life that has been distancing you from that. The Full Moon this month is happening in Libra on April 12, and you are ready to let go of feeling like you have to do it all at once or all alone. This month is a reminder to take your time with all the experiences you want to have, trusting that they will come to fruition for you.
Mars enters your house of love and partnership on April 18, and you enter a passionate and steamy time. Romance is in the air for you as you move through the month, and you are spending more of your time with those who you want to move forward with. Venus also moves into a relationship area of your chart before April ends, and you are surrounded by love and community. Overall, this month is showing you that you are not alone and you don’t have to go through the heavy stuff alone either.
PiscesKyra Jay for xoNecolePISCES
This is a month where your heart is shining, and you are feeling in tune with the progress you have made in your life and within your relationships, Pisces. You are owning your value, your worth, and the beauty of who you are, and are ready to leave the past behind. With Mercury and Venus both going direct in Pisces this month after being retrograde in your sign for the past few weeks, you are in a better space than you have been, and there are fewer obstacles and miscommunications in your life.
You have been through a journey of understanding yourself better through your goals, perspectives, and interests, and have been committing yourself to your authenticity. On April 27, there is a New Moon in Taurus happening, and this New Moon is a good time for communication matters, getting your message across, and for your creative pursuits. With the clarity you feel within your mind and heart right now, you are making a lot of progress in April and feeling pleased with where life is headed.
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