What is Procrastination?

Why do I procrastinate so much? How do I stop procrastinating?

We’ve all been there we have an important deadline to meet and we wait until the last minute to complete it. Whether it be a school assignment, job application, or credit card bills, you are left wondering, why do I procrastinate?

 Definition of Procrastination

This week’s blog topic is procrastination. We wanted to bring awareness to why people procrastinate and how to overcome it. Before we’re able to do either, it’s important to define procrastination. Put simply, it’s the intentional delay or avoidance of working on a task.

Why People Procrastinate

Procrastination is a tendency most people would like to overcome, however, the first crucial component to doing so is sometimes overlooked and is simply discovering why we procrastinate.

Think of the why as a disease, and the observable behaviour of procrastinating as a symptom. If a doctor were to treat some symptoms a person has without discovering what’s causing the symptoms first, it would certainly take longer before the correct treatment is found. There is the uncommon occurrence that the treatment helps without knowing the underlying disease, but it probably would not be a long-term solution, as the disease could start to manifest in other ways. Therefore, we’re going to cover a few of the main reasons for procrastination. It is important to be mindful that the reason differs from person to person, and it is often a combination of a few!

1.Procrastination is an Emotion Regulation Problem

Some people procrastinate because they’re unable to manage negative feelings around completing the task. They may experience overwhelming, anxious, or self-doubting feelings and stress as a result. This reason may indicate a person who has trouble with emotion regulation.

2.Difficulty Focusing and Easily Distracted

Self-regulation may be another factor that impedes your productivity. This can manifest an increased tendency to get distracted. Some people may find themselves wanting to complete the task but they sit down and get distracted. This behaviour could be explained by the fact that you give in to distractions as they provide instant gratification. Your brain wants that fast, immediate gratification rather than holding off for the long-term rewards that come with completing the task at hand.

3.Perfectionism

Some people may procrastinate because they believe they won’t perform to the high standard they set for themselves, or worse, they’ll fail. Or perhaps they’re waiting for a better idea to hit them before they begin.

How To Stop Procrastinating

Whatever the reason is, it’s important to become aware and identify it, so you can choose the most effective strategy to combat procrastination. You’re probably thinking... Great! You’ve discovered why you’re procrastinating... but how do you stop procrastination?

We’ve got three techniques to help with procrastination, though there are plenty more at your disposal.

1.Goal setting

The first method is setting SMART Goals. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely goals. Breaking down goals using this method helps to make them more manageable, and thus easier to complete! We’ll use the example of writing a work report to explain each component more thoroughly.

In terms of setting specific goals, aim to write your goal by stating precisely what you plan to do- avoid vague, general wording. For example, rather than saying I'm going to do work today, I'm going to write 500 words towards the report I have due Friday today.

The previous example highlights the measurable component of SMART goals, that is,

quantifying the goal to be measurable to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Another way to make a goal measurable is to say I’m going to spend 1.5 hours working on the report I have today.
Then comes the attainable portion, ensuring your goal is attainable is crucial to having the capacity to complete it. Your task may depend on colleagues providing you with the necessary info at some point during the week, in which case the goal you’ve set out for yourself may not be attainable. Thus, it’s important to make sure you have all the resources needed to complete your goal, and that it mainly relies on yourself to achieve-rather than someone or something that’s out of your control.

Setting realistic goals is important. 500 words vs. 5000 words is a large difference, and the former is certainly more realistic. It may help you to think of what you'd ask of a friend or colleague to complete that is in a similar position to yourself.

Lastly, make sure the goal is time-oriented. This entails stating when you plan on working towards your goal. Schedule! Schedule! Schedule!

Putting this all together, you’ve gone from the goal of I’m going to do work ́ to On Monday at 11 a.m. I’m going to write 500 words for the work report I have ́. The latter certainly evokes a different feeling than the former, one leaving the reader to be more empowered to take action. This strategy can help those that procrastinate due to poor emotion regulation, as setting manageable goals helps decrease the anxiety and overwhelming feelings that tasks sometimes evoke. This strategy may also help those with self-regulation issues, as smaller, attainable, goals will provide gratification earlier than unrealistic, long-term goals.

2.Five Minute Rule

The second strategy to overcome procrastination is the five minute rule. If you find yourself procrastinating a task, it is time to make a deal with yourself to implement the five minute rule. This entails working on the task for at least 5 minutes. Odds are you’ll likely end up completing a significant portion of the task, as starting the work is often the biggest hurdle to jump. Research shows that once one starts a project, it’s rarely as bad as one thought going in.

3. Learning How to Manage Emotions

The third strategy is more of an umbrella term, and revolves around learning how to manage emotions. We say it’s an umbrella term as learning to manage your emotions requires different sub-techniques depending on the emotion. Therapy can be a great place where you can learn how to better understand and regulate your emotions to effectively function.

For more information on counseling services for emotion management please contact us. We offer free consultations and are eager to help. We encourage you to pick up the phone and call, or email our clinic – whether to set up a consultation, schedule an appointment, or simply learn about our services. Let us help you gain the skills to effectively manage your emotions and live a better, more healthy life. 

Reach us at info@betterdaystherapy.com or (289) 818-5195.

Co-Author: Angelica Saragosa

Sources:

https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/procrastination#:~:text=Studies%20show%20young%2

0people%20are,the%20youngest%20age%20group%20studied.

https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/procrastination

https://www.forbes.com/sites/meganbruneau/2016/09/11/5-simple-steps-to-overcome-procrastination-focus-and-be-productive/?sh=5a232c23b2f6

https://cogbtherapy.com/cbt-blog/end-procrastination-5-minute-rule

https://www.behavioralhealthmn.com/psychology-services/therapy/individual-therapy/emotional-management#:~:text=The%20therapist%20serves%20as%20an,lead%20a%20meaningful%2C%20healthy%20life.