Eliminate Mental Drag: Stop Procrastination and Do Your Best Work

Eliminate Mental Drag: Stop Procrastination and Do Your Best Work

Dana Vollmer didn’t just battle grueling swim practices on her way to the Olympics—she faced a much bigger obstacle. At 15, she was diagnosed with a heart disorder called long QT syndrome. Even after surgery, the risk of heart failure remained, forcing her to push forward despite the uncertainty. Her determination paid off when she qualified for the Women’s 100m butterfly at the 2012 London Olympics. But on race day, she faced an unexpected challenge—not with her heart, but with her head.

Avoiding Drag in the Pool—and in Life

As soon as Vollmer dived into the pool during the 100m Final, her swim cap came off.

Professional swimmers wear latex swim caps to reduce drag in the water, especially female swimmers whose hair can create extra resistance. In a race where milliseconds determine the winner, any added drag can be the difference between victory and defeat.

To prevent this, elite swimmers wear two caps. Vollmer did too. Although her top cap slipped off, her second cap stayed on—helping her maintain her speed, win gold, and set a world record.

This story isn’t just about swimming. It’s about how eliminating drag can make the difference between struggling and thriving—whether in sports, work, or life.

Physical Drag vs. Mental Drag

Think of your brain as a computer. When you wake up, you have 100% of your mental capacity available. But every unfinished task, unanswered email, or lingering thought is like an open browser tab, using up memory and slowing you down.

Check your email in the morning? That’s a few tabs running in the background. Remind yourself to buy groceries or schedule a meeting? More tabs open. Before long, your system is overloaded, making deep, focused work nearly impossible.

Just as swimmers minimize drag to move faster, you need to eliminate mental drag to do your best work.

How to Reduce Mental Drag and Stop Procrastination

I’m no expert in peak performance, but I’ve found a few strategies that help me stay focused and productive. Here’s what works:

1. Manage Your Energy, Not Just Your Time

Your best work happens when you have the most energy. For me, that’s the morning, so I dedicate my mornings to creative tasks. Administrative work—emails, meetings, and calls—comes later. Productivity isn’t just about scheduling time; it’s about matching tasks to your energy levels.

2. Never Check Email Before Noon

When you start your day checking email, you instantly shift from working on your priorities to reacting to others’ needs. Instead, spend your mornings on deep, focused work. If waiting until noon isn’t possible, try pushing it to 10 AM, 9 AM, or even 8:30 AM. The goal is to claim a distraction-free block of time for yourself.

3. Leave Your Phone in Another Room

Your phone is a distraction machine. I keep mine out of sight for the first few hours of the day. No notifications, no interruptions—just focused work.

4. Work in Full-Screen Mode

Every app I use is in full-screen mode. If I’m reading, writing, or designing, that’s the only thing visible on my screen. No taskbar, no notifications, no visual clutter. When distractions are out of sight, they’re out of mind.

5. Do the Most Important Thing First

Tackling your highest-priority task first thing in the morning ensures it gets done before the day’s distractions creep in. I even delay my first meal until noon, using intermittent fasting to extend my uninterrupted work time.

Take Control of Your Focus

Mental drag is the silent killer of productivity. If you want to beat procrastination and do your best work, you have to actively eliminate distractions. Whether it’s reducing email exposure, blocking off deep work time, or working in full-screen mode, every small adjustment helps free up mental space for what truly matters.

Just like an Olympic swimmer streamlining their body to move faster, you can streamline your mind to work better. Reduce the drag, take control, and start producing your best work today.