Prompting Routines

Prompting Routines

Prompting routines are a means by which you can start a task that just seems to be too much.  The feeling of too much comes when your relaxation system is not functioning well enough and your planing brain is having a hard time working.

To help the planning brain, we can use prompts.

How to Prompt

To prompt, you simply put in place the things you will need to do the first step in the project you are preparing and then you leave for a time to do something else.  

Example – you are to put up decorations so you start by taking out one box an placing it in the room that you will use it in.  Then you leave and have breakfast or simply have a warm cup of coffee or tea.

After a set amount of time (usually 45 minutes works well) you return to the project and stand in front of the work place and wait until the next step is clear.  

Example – After sitting with your coffee for 45 minutes (you may even put a timer on and only get up when the timer goes off) you go to the box, open it and stand there until something happens.  You will find yourself reaching in and hanging something.  This will get your planning brain working again and soon you may be putting up decorations without too much stress.

Every activity can be prompted.  Simply arrange the project work space so that the things you will need are there, leave the space for 45 minutes and then come back and wait until your planning brain switches on.

The 45 minutes is to allow your unconscious to actually start to plan.