Facing the Demons of Inaction

By Gregg Krech, Experience Life

Most of the reasons for procrastination have to do with “internal barriers” like fear, anxiety, indecision, perfectionism, etc. I call these barriers the “Demons of Inaction.”

If we feel anxious about going for a job interview, we can’t will ourselves to feel relaxed and confident. If we experience doing our income taxes as frustrating and tedious, we can’t just snap our fingers and suddenly find the task satisfying and exciting. But if we adjust our action, and act in the face of our feelings, generally those feelings will change or subside naturally — much faster than if we explored or mulled or worried for a long period, but failed to act.

Traditional therapies generally suggest that you must conquer these demons through various strategies, such as insight, self-talk, motivation or increased self-esteem. But Morita Therapy is less about “conquering” than about “coexisting with.”

Morita Therapy doesn’t ask you to examine how you feel. Morita assumes that whatever you’re feeling, by focusing on it and picking it apart, you’re actually more likely to intensify it. It also assumes there’s no real reason to change it.

One of the main tenets of Morita Therapy is that our internal experiences — our feelings and thoughts — are inherent, essential and acceptable parts of us. They make us uniquely who we are, and they are largely uncontrollable by our will. By attempting to find their source, to adjust or eliminate them, we only amplify them and extend their natural life.

Rather than attempting to vanquish your anxiety about the job interview or examining it ad nauseam, you simply note your anxiety, accept it as normal for you, and then take it along for the ride.

Western therapy suggests that we must “fix” our feelings before we can take action. Morita Therapy recommends that we accept the presence of our feelings, and if a particular action is important to us — to our success, our expression, our priorities — that we move forward anyway. When you learn to do this, the “demons” lose much of their power, and many of the causes of our inaction naturally dissolve into constructive effort.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Turid K.

11:06AM PDT on May 24, 2012

Morita Therapy is new to me.
Thank you,

send a green star

Karen F.

2:12AM PDT on Apr 24, 2012

A GREAT post thank you. As the empress of procrastination, with a tendency to over-analysis, I will give this a go! NOW!

Eternal G.

6:01PM PDT on Apr 17, 2012

Ta.

Ann M.

8:06PM PDT on Apr 8, 2012

Life events seem to have ushered me into procrastination and I admit I am stuck. Recently found a therapist I hope can help me see my way out of this maze. And it is a maze for me. I'm taking a few sentences, making a little poster and sticking them in the two places I always visit...the bathroom and the door of the fridge! Thanks.

tetyana p.

12:18AM PDT on Mar 29, 2012

thank you!

KS G.

5:48AM PDT on Mar 28, 2012

Thanks for the article.

Patty B.

6:56PM PDT on Mar 25, 2012

On breaking thrugh my fear...
A friend asked me if I wanted to take acting classes with her . And I did because I tend to be quiet , shy and fearful at times .Acting coach (she also produces) is wonderful .BUT it was and is scary for me .Makes me go through my barriers REAL FAST .
Last class she gave us all one minute to think of a product to sell as in a commercial . I was the 5th in line. The first four were voted no sell . I got up with a pink lipstick in a gold case and acted like hard selling HSN woman . And I nailed it ! Everyone (out of 12) voted yes...she sold it .So..even with all the fear I knew I had to do it anyway and I did it .Reading this article awhile back helped IMMENSELY .(no one knew the fear or that I got an instant stomach ache)

Joe R.

4:43PM PDT on Mar 20, 2012

Sometimes procrastinaion pays off! Hasty, ill-thought-out "critical" projects usually get canceled.

LMj S.

6:16PM PDT on Mar 18, 2012

thank you

Barbara P.

2:44PM PDT on Mar 18, 2012

darn there goes my safety blanket of excuses ...