28 July 2015

TEMPTATION BUNDLING TO HELP WITH OUR PROCRASTINATION

I  was lately reading an article where Katy Milkman, a Wharton professor, has come up with a technique that will help you stop procrastinating, while developing healthy and productive habits. This life-changing system is called Temptation Bundling.

In her article she discussed “I struggle a lot with will power. And I find it difficult at the end of the day to get to the gym. I find it difficult to stick to my diet, I find it difficult to stick to my goals, more generally. One of the things I’ve found curious is why and what I can do to solve those problems for myself and for others.”

Like most of us, every day after work, Milkman felt exhausted. She knew she should go to the gym  but all she really wanted to do was read a book or watch some TV.

Milkman says, “I actually realized that those two temptations, those two struggles I faced, could be combined to solve both problems.”

So, she came up with a rule for herself: she’d only let herself read a new favorite book, The Hunger Games, when she went to the gym. Not only did she go to the gym more; she actually looked forward to going as it meant she got to do one of her favorite things.

And Temptation Bundling was born.

The theory is that you can make it easier for yourself to do something that’s good for you in the long-run, by combining it with a behavior that’s good for you short term. In other words, you’re bundling behaviors you’re tempted to do with behaviors you should do, but often neglect or put off doing.

Milkman and her colleagues put Temptation Bundling to the test by studying the exercise habits of 226 students, faculty, and staff at the University of Pennsylvania. After teaching a group of participants how to use temptation bundling, Milkman found that people who used the theory were 29 to 51 percent more likely to exercise when compared to the control group.

Milkman put together a “how to” for making your own Temptation Bundle:

1. Create a two column list:

• In the first column, write down the things you enjoy, and the temptations that are easy and that you want to do.
• In the second column, write down all the habits/behaviors/things that you should be doing, but often procrastinate.
• Write down as many behaviors as possible.

2. Look over your list and see if you can link one of your instantly gratifying easy-to-do behaviors with something you should be doing.

Temptation bundling shows you a simple way to do important tasks, but never feel urgent. By using your things that you enjoy to pull you in, you make it easier to follow through on the less-fun habits that pay off in the long run.

Another way to stop procrastination is the 2 minute rule, which makes it easy to start taking action:

If it takes less than 2 minutes, do it now. It’s amazing how many things we put off that can be done in 2 minutes, such as starting a load of laundry, paying a bill, sending an email, and brushing your teeth.

When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes. After you’ve done it for 2 minutes, you’ll gradually do it for longer.

Want to start walking more? Walk to the end of the street. If you want to write, write for two minutes. Get into the practice of doing the positive habit, and before long you won’t even need to think about it; it will just be something that you do.

This is why I really like this technique and it has already proven that it works with my clients. Everyone can do something for two minutes!

Dr Sandra Darmanin Psy.D;MA;B.Psy (Hons.)