When asked to carve out part of your day to talk to your therapist, it can make therapy appear like a time-consuming endeavor. However, the benefits of therapy do not occur immediately. So, when considering if treatment is a waste of time, it is important to think about its long-term effects.
One of the symptoms of depression is a lack of energy and no desire to carry out tasks that one wants or needs to complete. Similarly, those who suffer from anxiety can expend so much energy worrying about the task at hand that they end up putting off their work. As a result, often depression and anxiety go hand in hand with procrastination. The issue with procrastination is that it initially disguises itself as a helpful coping mechanism. However, it can lead to wasted time and a more massive pile of work to tackle.
A big part of therapy is tackling what causes someone to shut down in the first place. Whether it’s a lack of energy or anxiety about your performance, therapy can offer you the tools to take control of your time once more. While your child may currently be feeling overwhelmed (and to the point of procrastinating) by their schoolwork, social life, and extracurricular activities, taking an hour out of their week to learn the skills to improve how they feel can have long-lasting effects. For example, once they pinpoint things that can cause them to procrastinate, after working on how to change that, they won’t just procrastinate less, but they’ll feel more efficient, sleep better, and can even have better relationships with you and others!
Meanwhile, here are some other tips to share with your child to help them in their journey to combat procrastination:
It is not possible to be perfect. Also, there is never the ideal time for anything, so start now.
Making an effort is a good thing!
Failure is a part of life. It is NOT dangerous or shameful. It’s worth giving things a shot.
Have you dismissed therapy for your child because of how much time it will take up in both of your schedules? Has your child told you that they are “too busy” for therapy? Does your child procrastinate?