The method is to get in the habit of starting everything immediately and chunking it out so you finish early. Doing this repeatedly trains your brain that work is like taking a nice rewarding warm bath rather than briefly touching a painful punishing hot stove. Over time your brain learns to enjoy work and its rewards more than it fears the pain of doing it. I call this method “work ethic psychological conditioning” (WEPC) because I didn’t have a name for it and that’s just what I came up with on the spot for this article. I elaborate on WEPC below, and give an important optimization to the method.

Learn how body doubling can help you bust through procrastination by improving motivation, mood, and productivity!

If you aren’t familiar, body doubling simply refers to the practice of having someone work alongside you.

People tend to use this technique for things they’ve been avoiding or procrastinating on — everything from paperwork, to folding clothes, to big work projects that feel overwhelming.