Harnessing Your Zombies to Help You

Engilish Version

the part you should pay attention

In this video, we’re going to get into the specifics of harnessing your zombie powers of habit to help you avoid procrastination while minimizing your use of willpower. You don’t want to do a full scale change of old habits. You just want to override parts of them and develop a few new ones. The trick to overriding a habit is to look to change your reaction to a cue. The only place you need to apply willpower is to change your reaction to the cue. To understand that, it helps to go back through the four components of habit and re-analyze them from the perspective of procrastination.

first part

The first one is the cue. Recognize what launches you into your zombie procrastination mode. Cues usually fall into one of the four following categories:

1. Location
2. Time
3. How you feel
4. Reactions either to other people or to something that just happened

Do you look something up on the web and then find yourself web surfing? Does a text message disturb your studying taking you 10 minutes to get back into the flow of things even when you try to keep yourself on task? The issue with procrastination is that because it’s an automatic habit, you’re often unaware that you’ve begun to procrastinate. You can prevent the most damaging cues by shutting off your cell phone or keeping yourself away from the internet and other distractions for brief periods of time, as when you’re doing a pomodoro.

second part

Number two, the routine. Let’s say then instead of doing your studies you often divert your attention to something less painful. Your brain wants to automatically go into this routine when you’ve gotten your cue. So this, is the reaction clue where you must actively focus on re-wiring your old habit. The key to re-wiring is to have a plan. Developing a new ritual can be helpful. Some students make it a habit to leave their phone in their car when they head in for class which removes a potent distraction. Many students discovered the value of settling into a quiet spot in the library or closer to home, the productive effects of simply sitting in a favorite chair at the proper time with all Internet access disconnected. Your plan may not work perfectly at first, but just keep at it. Adjust the plan if necessary, and savor those victories when your plan works. Don’t try to change everything at once. The Pomodoro technique can be especially helpful in shifting your reaction to the cues.

third part

Number three is the reward. This can sometimes require a little bit of investigation. Why are you procrastinating? Can you substitute an emotional payoff, maybe a feeling of pride for accomplishing something, even if it’s small, a sense of satisfaction? Can you win a small internal bet or a contest about something you’ve turned into a personal game or allow yourself to indulge in a latte or read a favorite web site, provide yourself, maybe, with an evening of mindless television or web surfing without guilt, and will you give yourself a bigger reward for a bigger achievement? Maybe movie tickets or a sweater or an utterly frivolous purchase. Remember that habits are powerful because they create neurological cravings. It helps to add a new reward if you want to overcome your previous cravings. Only once your brain starts expecting that reward will the important rewiring take place that will allow you to create new habits. Many people find that setting a reward at a specific time, for example, breaking for lunch with a friend at the deli at noon or stopping the main task at 5 p.m., gives a solid, mini deadline that can help spur work. Don’t feel bad if you find you have trouble getting into a flow state at first. I sometimes
find it takes a few days of drudgery, through a few cycles of the Pomodoro technique before flow begins to unfold. And I find myself starting to enjoy work on a new topic. Also remember that the better you get at something, the more enjoyable it can become.

fourth part

Number four is the belief. The most important part of changing your procrastination habit is the belief that you can do it. You may find that when the going gets stressful. You long to fall back into old, more comfortable habits. Belief that your new system works is what can get you through. Part of what can underpin is to develop a new community. Hang out with classmates, or virtually hang out with MOOC-mates, who may have that can-do philosophy that you too want to develop. Developing and encouraging culture with like-minded friends can help us remember the values that in moments of weakness we tend to forget.

中文版

你需要注意的部分

在这段视频中，我们将详细介绍如何利用你的“僵尸”习惯来帮助你避免拖延，同时尽量减少意志力的使用。你不会想要彻底改变旧习惯，您只需要覆盖其中的部分并开发一些新的部分。克服一种习惯的诀窍是改变你对暗示的反应，你唯一需要运用意志力的地方就是改变你对暗示的反应。为了理解这一点，我们可以回顾一下习惯的四个组成部分，并从拖延症的角度重新分析它们。

第一部分

第一个是线索。认识到是什么让你陷入僵尸拖延模式，线索通常可以分为以下四类：

1. 时间
2. 位置
3. 你的感觉
4. 你对其他人或者事情的反应

你在网上查了一些东西，然后发现自己在网上冲浪吗?你知道一条短信会干扰你花10分钟重新投入学习吗?拖延症的问题在于，因为它是一种自动形成的习惯，你常常意识不到自己已经开始拖延了。你可以通过关掉手机或让自己暂时远离网络和其他干扰来避免最具破坏性的暗示，比如当你在做番茄工作法的时候。

第二部分

第二，你的惯例。假设你经常把注意力转移到不那么痛苦的事情上，而不是做你的研究。当你得到提示时，你的大脑会自动进入这个程序。所以，这就是反应线索，你必须积极地专注于重新连接你的旧习惯。重新布线的关键是要有一个计划。培养一种新的习惯是有帮助的。一些学生养成了在上课时把手机放在车里的习惯，这样可以有效地分散注意力。许多学生发现，在图书馆或离家较近的地方找个安静的地方安顿下来是有价值的，只要在适当的时间坐在自己喜欢的椅子上，切断所有的互联网连接，就能产生富有成效的效果。你的计划可能一开始并不完美，但要坚持下去。如果有必要，调整计划，当你的计划奏效时，享受这些胜利。不要试图立刻改变一切。番茄工作法尤其有助于将你的反应转移到线索上。

第三部分

第三个是奖励，这有时需要一点调查。你为什么拖延?你能否用一种情感上的回报，比如成就感，来代替完成某件事的自豪感，即使是很小的成就，一种满足感?你能赢得一个小内部打赌或比赛的事，你已经变成了一个个人游戏。让自己沉溺于拿铁或读喜欢的网站,奖励自己,也许,有一个晚上的电视或上网没有内疚,你会给自己一个更大的奖励更大的成就?也许是电影票，一件毛衣，或者是一件很无聊的东西。记住，习惯是强大的，因为它们会产生神经上的渴望。如果你想克服之前的欲望，添加一个新的奖励会有所帮助。只有当你的大脑开始期待奖励时，重要的重新连接才会发生，这将使你养成新的习惯。很多人发现在特定的时间设置奖励，比如中午和朋友在熟食店吃午饭，或者下午5点停止主要任务。，给出一个切实可行的小截止日期，这有助于刺激工作。如果你发现一开始很难进入心流状态，不要感到难过。我有时会发现，要经过几天的苦差事，经过几个番茄工作法的循环，才能开始发挥作用。我发现自己开始喜欢上一个新主题的工作。还要记住，你做得越好，你就会变得越快乐。

第四部分

第四点是信念。改变拖延习惯最重要的部分是相信你能做到。你可能会发现当事情变得有压力的时候。你渴望回到旧的，更舒适的习惯。相信你的新系统是有效的，这是你能够克服的。可以巩固的一部分是发展一个新的社区。和同学们一起出去玩，或者实际上和mooc的伙伴们一起出去玩，他们可能拥有你也想要培养的那种“做得到”的哲学。与志同道合的朋友一起发展和鼓励文化，可以帮助我们记住那些在我们软弱的时候往往会忘记的价值观。