How To Easily Stop Procrastinating While Packing
No human loves to engage in stressful and tedious activities. We will, therefore, marshal every armory, whether it be finances, emotions, thoughts, or time to ensure we escape the stress. But when it is unavoidable, we do it at the last minute without any motivation. No wonder we always pack at the eleventh hour.
Whether you are moving or flying abroad, packing procrastination always creeps in. When you are just about to begin packing, your favorite TV show comes on air, and you push the activity to the following morning. Before you realize, it’s already the day of travel or moving, and the procrastination disorients you completely. You end up packing the non-essential items while leaving out what you need. And you cannot enjoy the process because of anxiety. Here, we will be looking at how you can easily stop procrastinating as you pack, but knowing why you always procrastinate things is essential.
Why do we procrastinate packing?
The thought of moving to a new neighborhood or traveling thrills most people. But the excitement may be temporarily cut short by the packing aspect, and the most viable thing seems to be packing procrastination. Some of the reasons we avoid packing include:
- Lack of motivation
Successful completion of any task requires some level of motivation. Packing itself offers no motivation, but the situation can be worse if you also are not excited about the place you are moving to or traveling. You are likely to use that as an excuse to procrastinate packing
- Nature of packing
The packing activities, including collecting your items, arranging them, and labeling your bags are not only time-consuming but also stressful. It may take you hours to get everything in order depending on your destination and duration of stay there. At some point, you may feel taking a break to catch your breath, after which resumption of packing may be delayed till the following day or even the last day.
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How do you master packing procrastination?
Throwing your items into the bags anyhow is the result of a last-minute rush stemming from packing procrastination. You may end up with a few breakages if fragile objects are involved, and you also risk leaving the essentials. To help you enjoy your trip or moving hassle-free, you can take the following friendly approach of conquering procrastination while packing:
- Make moving or travel reservations early
When the date of travel or moving seems far away, you will keep on procrastinating packing. The illusion that you still have time can be done away with when you make early reservations. Most times, this will be the only motivator to start preparing for the day, and packing is the first consideration. It is an advantage if the company you made your booking with sends you reminders for your day of moving. When traveling, the check-in emails from the airline company helps you save your precious time, so don’t throw them into the spam folder.
- Schedule packing before time
As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day, so is packing. The outcome is excellent when you pack in bits. For example, when you are planning to move, you can start packing a few items a day, maybe one month before the actual day of relocating. This will give you ample time to undo anything in case of a mistake without feeling the pressure of a last-minute rush. Starting the process early dramatically reduces the stress associated with packing, which is the main reason people procrastinate. You are more likely to remain organized and place everything in its rightful place when you plan ahead of time.
Always remember that travel or moving issues may arise on the last day, which would need your attention. Finishing your packing early enables you to handle such problems appropriately without anxiety.
- Make a checklist
Packing becomes more stressful when you don’t have an order to do things. Preparing a list not only helps you to get all essentials onboard, but it also gives you a plan of doing things. For example, you will have the exact details on which pairs of shoes and outfits to pack when going for a three-day trip at the beach.
Imagine placing your credit card and other documents at the bottom of the suitcase, and then you have to unpack everything because you need to use the card during that morning of travel. A checklist helps you eliminate such confusion as you can recheck whatever you have packed and determine if it is at the right place.
When moving, you can include the specific time and day, you should pack particular items on your checklist, and this will help you work faster. Giving yourself a target of clearing one room per week can you see through your packing ordeal much earlier.
- Get all the packing supplies in place
Getting all the necessary tools could be the booster you need to jump into the packing mode. Therefore, ensure that you have the right tools and other accessories you may need during the process. Running short of any packing supply during the process discourages you from continuing, and you may decide to finish ‘later’ after you have acquired the item. That’s what packing procrastination is, and you must master it. Again with the right tools, it is much easier to get help from family members or friends.
- Do away with possible distractions
During the tiresome process of packing, a notification from an interesting Twitter chat pops up on your screen. You begin following, and 30 minutes later, you are still reading the twits and retweeting. Other potent distractors include TV shows, Playstation, movies, and the likes. For you to avoid packing procrastination, switching off your TV, laptop, tablet, and other gadgets during packing is ideal. Finishing early gives you even more time to entertain yourself, so that would be worthwhile.
6.Reward yourself for every success
When you complete the packing goals for the day, ice cream can be a great reward for yourself. Listening to a new album as you pack also helps push away procrastination.
Conclusion
Packing is a nightmare for almost everyone making procrastination the choice of many in this area. However, you can easily stop the habit by planning ahead of time, making early reservations avoiding distractions, and awarding yourself for every little success. Mastering packing procrastination ensures you have sufficient time to handle any other issue that may arise before travel or moving.