Live data from Hacker News

Study finds that mindfulness is associated with reduced procrastination

solvingprocrastination.com

31–40 of 41 posts

Re: Study finds that mindfulness is associated with reduced procrastination

#31
post #5

I have tried to get started on meditation/mindfulness several times but I have never been able to stick with it. Any suggestions on a good way of getting started with it?

I have done sessions on Focusmate [0] every day for about 3 weeks so far. I personally do other work, but a lot of people I match with use the sessions to meditate. I've found it to be a surprisingly effective anti-procrastination tool.

[0] - https://www.focusmate.com

Re: Study finds that mindfulness is associated with reduced procrastination

#32
post #5

I have tried to get started on meditation/mindfulness several times but I have never been able to stick with it. Any suggestions on a good way of getting started with it?

I absolutely love Sam Harris’ “waking up” app. I haven’t been perfect with it, but I have stuck with it more than anything else I’ve tried to date.

This is the only meditation all I've been able to reasonably stick to using.

Re: Study finds that mindfulness is associated with reduced procrastination

#33

Several comments here have stated that they have trouble starting meditation/mindfulness due to procrastination. Rather than answering directly, I figured I'd share my own experience with procrastination. I've been a severe procrastinator, among other things, my whole life, as far as I can remember. Over time, I've tried to use various strategies to cope: breaking the work into smaller chunks, convincing myself to wo…

Thanks for this comment. (Mostly commenting so I can find this again, but also genuinely grateful for what you shared)

Re: Study finds that mindfulness is associated with reduced procrastination

#34
post #5

I have tried to get started on meditation/mindfulness several times but I have never been able to stick with it. Any suggestions on a good way of getting started with it?

For me the headspace app worked wonders. It’s really only ten minutes a day to get started. Ten minutes, a comfortable rest and no interruptions. You don’t need more. You can always go to other programs later.

At the start of this year, I got a subscription. I got through it for a few months and then stopped using it again.

Now I procrastinate picking it up again.

Re: Study finds that mindfulness is associated with reduced procrastination

#36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

10 minutes a day is all you really need to get started. There is basically no way one can reasonably convince themselves that they don’t have 10 minutes to spare per day.

Well, procrastination can be pretty irrational, especially when combined with strong emotions.

That’s included in what I said. Knowing that the “I don’t have the time” narrative is nonsense can help with motivation.

Re: Study finds that mindfulness is associated with reduced procrastination

#37
I don't know about needing to be non-judgemental to be mindful. I tend to curse myself out (repeatedly) at self-infractions and it seems to help.

Though i recently noticed that explaining my problems to others seems to help the most. Somehow just the act of of it makes me more capable of avoiding these procrastination activities.

Re: Study finds that mindfulness is associated with reduced procrastination

#38
I believe I am fairly "mindful" - but I am also a huge procrastinator, especially on tasks I don't really want to do. Maybe I'm not as mindful as I think?

What's also interesting is that - for certain of these tasks - once I get involved in them I tend to find some pleasure in doing them. Usually things involving maintenance or repair of my home environment, or my automobile. But both are tasks that I will usually procrastinate on, or just pay for someone else to do it (especially if it's during the summertime; depending on the task, heatstroke here in Phoenix is a definite possibility for me).

It would be interesting to take both of these tests, just to see where I would place on them. Hopefully this thread may have some tips on how to stop or reduce my procrastination tendency, something I've had all my life and has probably limited my potential at times.

Re: Study finds that mindfulness is associated with reduced procrastination

#39
I mean, what a vague word. Mindfulness.

Come on. You can bend that word to mean anything you want.

It's pretty hand wavey to say that people goof off less when they invest effort and try to take things seriously. Why is this even a discussion?

It's like saying people seem to fall out of their car less when they wear their seatbelts... Gee, I wonder why?

Re: Study finds that mindfulness is associated with reduced procrastination

#40
post #38

I believe I am fairly "mindful" - but I am also a huge procrastinator, especially on tasks I don't really want to do. Maybe I'm not as mindful as I think? What's also interesting is that - for certain of these tasks - once I get involved in them I tend to find some pleasure in doing them. Usually things involving maintenance or repair of my home environment, or my automobile. But both are tasks that I will usually pr…

I wonder if the aversion is not to the task itself, but to the disruption of cognitive frame. Now that I think about it, I never have a problem with simple chores like laundry--I just hate tearing myself away from whatever I'd otherwise choose to be doing.
Post reply on HN