What is Procrastination and Why is it Bad?
Almost everyone puts off tasks they don’t enjoy. Usually, we just delay that phone call or work assignment, but eventually get it done.
​
Chronic procrastination can be a bigger problem, however. Some of the signs that you might be a chronic procrastinator are if you often have a hard time meeting deadlines, procrastinate on a weekly or daily basis, are often distracted, having a hard time admitting your procrastination, fill time with less important tasks, and can’t stop putting things off. Chronic procrastination can affect your personal relationships as well as your sleep and health. A study by Dianne M. Tice and Roy F. Baumeister of Case Western Reserve University links procrastination to stress, illness, and inferior performance.
​
In short, people who put off tasks experience more stress and less success than those who do tasks in a timely manner. Procrastinators may also put off doctor’s visits and other tasks related to their mental and physical health, resulting in decreased wellness. Procrastination correlates with many other negative outcomes as well including anxiety, depression, shame and guilt, diminished self-worth, insecurity, job burnout, and relationship conflicts.
Who Procrastinates?
The good news is that if you’re young and have a problem with procrastination, it might get better with age. As we become older, we are usually more able to face the tasks we dread and see the advantages of doing them quickly rather than putting them off.
Overall, studies show that younger people, students, and unemployed people are most likely to habitually procrastinate. Researchers speculate that a work environment might also encourage people to manage their time better, making the problem bigger among students and those without jobs.
Why Do We Procrastinate?
How Can We Stop Procrastinating?
Final Thoughts
The most common reason for procrastination is short term pleasure. We would rather do activities we enjoy than those we don’t. Therefore, we put off the tasks we dislike or which make us anxious.
​
It’s not always that simple, though. Many people procrastinate for fear of failure. If we do fail, we can always blame it on having too little time. Also, delaying a task might mean delaying what we see as inevitable failure.
​
Perfectionism can also play a role. Wanting to find the perfect time to do something can result in procrastination. We can also fear not being able to do a task perfectly, which can lead to simply not doing it.
Distraction is another reason we often procrastinate. The availability of digital content has increased in recent years while attention spans have diminished. It is very easy to find things to do besides the task we are supposed to be working on.
​
Some people procrastinate because they claim to enjoy the pressure of working on something at the last minute. They might even contend that doing so makes them better performers. But the overwhelming evidence that procrastinators tend to do worse overall on tasks makes it seem clear that it is not a very good strategy.
​
People with mental health struggles like ADHD, anxiety, and depression can have even more struggles with procrastination. Motivation, staying on task, and even getting started on tasks are common problems for people with these conditions.
Experts have different advice, but most of it comes down to these tips:
-
Admit there’s a problem. Recognizing the problem and figuring out why you are procrastinating is the first step, says Dominic Voge of Princeton University. In his article “Understanding and Overcoming Procrastination,” he points out that just knowing the reasons for procrastination makes it easier to stop. Healthline adds that forgiving yourself is also part of the process. Just bemoaning your habit is not productive. Instead, face the problem head on and make a resolution to stop.
-
Banish false beliefs. Often, we procrastinate because we think we can’t do a task. We see it as too large to handle or we think that we can’t emotionally deal with the consequences. We might expect a bad outcome, such as a rude customer service representative or an answer of no, when there is no reason to. Recognizing the false beliefs behind our procrastination can help us overcome them.
-
Picture your future self. Hal E. Hershfield of UCLA Anderson School of Management suggests imagining the person we will be tomorrow. How will we feel if the task is finished? “The idea is to try to connect with the person I’ll be in the future and the emotions that I will eventually feel,” he says.
-
Start small. Many experts emphasize the importance of breaking a task into smaller pieces. If you have to write a presentation, you might begin by telling yourself that all you have to do is find a few sources or write an outline for your first step. You might even set a timer for a short amount of time such as ten or fifteen minutes and just tell yourself that’s all you need to do right away. Long to-do lists can be overwhelming, so you could even just pick out one tiny step rather than breaking the entire task down all at once. Voge calls this technique “Swiss cheesing it.” If you keep punching small holes in the task, it gets smaller and smaller.
-
Reward yourself. After each small part of the task is completed, allow yourself a reward. Anything that motivates you is good, especially if it’s something positive like spending time with friends and family.
-
Reduce the other decisions you have to make. During his presidency, Barack Obama wore essentially the same outfit every day. The reason? Reducing the number of decisions you make can allow you to focus on what’s important. Dean Bokari of Boise State University suggests deciding what to wear and what to eat in advance so that you aren’t distracted from your work by little decisions throughout the day.
-
Plan your day. Bokari also emphasizes honing in on the one big thing that must be accomplished the day before you have to do it. Go to bed at night knowing what the next day will look like and what you must get done. Writing down and reviewing your plan in advance makes it easier to get to work when you have to.
Finally, know yourself. Different techniques work for different people. If you find yourself procrastinating, be open to trying new methods to motivate yourself to get started. Your future self will thank you.