Your procrastination pattern becomes clearer when you take a close look at a task you recently put off: What triggered your avoidance? What were you thinking and feeling? How did your body react? This self-assessment gathers observations, not diagnostic criteria. If information or time is lacking, that’s where the next step lies. If a specific, manageable emotional burden becomes apparent, you can EMDR self-coaching can address this very moment—not a supposed “procrastination type.”
You clear the table and come across the form you meant to fill out yesterday. “I just keep putting everything off,” you think. Yet you went grocery shopping and paid a bill this morning. It was only with this piece of paper that you lost track again. Looking back, it’s hard to say why.
Was a question unclear? Did you get distracted? Or did the mere thought that your answers might not be enough make you uncomfortable? As long as everything falls under the category of “put off yet again,” it remains unclear what actually happened with this assignment.
Choose a specific situation, not your entire week
Choose an event that’s as recent as possible and straightforward. A good example is a moment when you intended to do one thing but ended up doing something else. First, write down what you had planned to do and what actually happened instead. “Fill out the form; went to the kitchen after the second question” is more specific than “was undisciplined again.”
Consider the external circumstances: Did you have time? Was the necessary information available? Was there an actual interruption? This will prevent every unfinished task from turning into an emotional problem later on. Sometimes there was a good reason to put off the work.
Five observation questions for this particular process
Go through the excerpt once. You don’t need to spend a lot of time putting yourself in the situation. Brief notes are enough. Where your memory is unclear, leave a blank space.
- Trigger: What happened immediately before the deviation? In the case of the form, it could be a specific question. “When I was asked to describe my experiences so far” identifies a more specific trigger than “the form.”
- Thought: What phrase or idea came to mind? Perhaps, “I don’t have anything worth writing down.” Write down the exact words without accepting them as a true statement about yourself.
- Emotion: How did that make you feel? Insecurity, shame, anger, boredom? “Uncomfortable, but I can’t quite put my finger on it” is also a useful observation.
- Physical reaction: Did you notice anything, such as warmth in your face or a heavy feeling in your arms? If you didn’t notice anything, make a note of that. You don’t have to find a physical sensation.
- Behavior: What did you do next, and what was the immediate effect? Maybe you got up and felt briefly relieved. Or maybe you actually went looking for the missing information.
The order is just a writing guide. Your experience doesn’t have to unfold exactly this way. Some people first notice a movement or tension and can’t recall any preceding thought. Don’t add a sentence just to make the note look complete.
Compare this, too, to a moment when it worked out
A single instance provides a snapshot, but not yet a reliable pattern. Record the same observations on a few more occasions. Be sure to also include a similar task that you were able to complete without having to avoid it for long.
Perhaps filling out your personal information went smoothly. It wasn’t until you had to describe your own experiences that you began to feel uncomfortable. In that case, saying “I’m not good at filling out forms” would be too general. The expected evaluation of the information you provide might be a more accurate point of reference. This is a working hypothesis that you can test in other situations.
Or you might realize that you tend to give up, especially when you don’t have clear instructions. In that case, asking for clarification would be more helpful than looking for hidden reasons to feel ashamed. Differences from day to day also matter: fatigue, available time, and interruptions can affect what’s possible.
Don’t try to add up the points. These notes do not constitute a clinical diagnosis or indicate that you fit into a specific category. They are meant to help you ask your next question more precisely, not to make your judgment of yourself harsher.
When an Observation Becomes a Self-Coaching Topic
In his book, Thomas Buhl, an EMDR and trauma therapist, explains how he integrates the issue, emotion, and bodily sensation in his own six-step approach. For this self-assessment, it is important to note that a general problem becomes concrete through a recognizable point of reference.
In the context of the form, this would involve reflecting on the question about your experiences, linked to self-deprecation, shame, and the impulse to stand up. Such a limited everyday scene can become a topic for EMDR self-coaching. The method combines the experience of the learned sequence with bilateral stimulation; it does not provide a diagnostic evaluation of your notes.
If you want to use EMDR as a self-help tool, this refers exclusively to self-coaching for non-pathological, manageable stressors. Learn the complete process before you apply it. Overwhelming memories or severe limitations require professional support. You don’t need to start a self-coaching session just to observe your procrastination.
A useful result can be expressed in a single sentence
The conclusion might be: “As soon as I’m asked to describe my own experiences, I feel they aren’t enough, so I set the form aside.” Or: “I give up when I’m missing a piece of information.” Both of these observations are more useful than “That’s just the way I am.”
For now, just keep this one connection in mind. The next time a similar situation arises, you can see if it comes up again. You don’t need a complete personality profile for this—just an observation you can use to continue learning.
