Procrastination and Morita Therapy

Everyone encounters feelings of fear and anxiety, particularly when taking on new challenges. Morita Therapy explains that when these feelings arise, people have a tendency to direct all of their attention toward the feeling, in order to try and find ways to avoid, understand, manage, work-through, or overcome the feeling. That is, their focus becomes centered on trying to alleviate the discomfort that's being caused by what they're feeling.

When you put all of your attention on what you're feeling, you take your focus off of the actions that need to be taken in order to lead an effective and purposeful life. So, for example, feeling anxious is normal. But putting all of your attention on the fact that you're anxious is not normal; in addition, it interferes with your ability to do what needs to be done.

Here are two examples:

1. Bob has to take a test that will count a great deal toward his final grade in chemistry. He needs a high grade in chemistry in order to get into Harvard Medical School, which is a dream he's had since he was a little kid. Both his father and his grandfather went to Harvard, and they expect him to carry on the family tradition.

2. Jane is very ambitious and is a rising star in her company. A top-management position has opened up, and it's between her and a colleague. She's been asked to give a presentation to the Board of Directors, and she realizes that this is her opportunity to impress them so that they will offer her the position.

Is it any wonder that Bob and Jane feel anxious? Of course not; you'd expect them to feel anxious. Anxiety is a natural response to the situations that they're facing; there's no need for them to try and "fix" or "change" what they're feeling.

The fact that they feel anxious is not the problem. However, there will be a problem if either of them fixates on the fact that they're anxious, to the point where they use their time to try to deal with the anxiety that they're feeling, instead of preparing for the test, in Bob's case, or preparing for the presentation, in Jane's case.

• If Bob goes partying every night in an attempt to alleviate the anxiety that he's feeling over the chemistry test that's coming up, he won't study adequately for the test, and he'll probably fail.
• If Jane starts taking care of unimportant tasks around the office because she feels fearful and anxious every time that she starts working on her presentation, she won't be adequately prepared on the day of the presentation and she'll do a poor job in front of the Board.

That is, the problem starts when Bob and Jane get trapped in an unhealthy self-focus and turn most of their attention to the uncomfortable emotions that they're feeling, instead of focusing on what they need to do in order to achieve their goal or purpose.

Morita Therapy teaches that you have to set goals and take the steps that are necessary in order to accomplish them, as you co-exist with any unpleasant feelings that may arise.

Steps to Take

These are the basic steps to take with Morita Therapy:

1. Accept your feelings: let your feelings know that they are welcome.

2. Set goals for yourself, so that you can lead a fulfilling and meaningful life.

3. Let your feelings know that you will not allow them to interfere with your ability to perform the actions necessary so that you can achieve your goals.

4. Look in front of you and ask yourself what needs to be done right now to move you closer toward the achievement of your goal. Do it, regardless of what you may be feeling.

5. Each day write in your journal the actions that you took to achieve your goals.

Gregg Krech is director of the ToDo Institute in Vermont. The To Do Institute offers alternative methods of mental health such as Morita Therapy. Here is a quote by Krech on Morita Therapy:

" Nearly everyone I know (including me) believes they should be more self-disciplined. And one very simple definition of self-discipline is "doing what you know you need to do." This is where Morita therapy can be very helpful, because it eliminates the complexity of trying to get your feelings/thoughts in sync with your actions. How do you feel when you get out of bed in the morning? I almost always feel tired, lethargic, heavy, sluggish. When I get out of bed (usually around 5:30am) I virtually never feel energetic and raring to go! But I take my feelings of tiredness and sluggishness with me as I leave my bed and walk to the bathroom. This is what Morita therapy is trying to teach us - to take our unpleasant feelings with us as we do what is important to do. Rather than allow our lives to be directed by our feelings, we are guided by the important purposes that present themselves as we move forward. Feelings don't get discarded, but neither do they run the show."

I am not a psychologist. This lens is merely intended to gather the research I conducted on Morita Therapy simply because I came across the subject and found it interesting.