Procrastination
- Philip Brophy
- Mar 26
- 4 min read
The thief of time • 3 min read
From a 2006 study of 254 adults, it was assessed that procrastinators had higher stress levels and more acute health problems than individuals who completed jobs in a timely manner. The procrastinators also received less frequent medical and dental check-ups and had more household accidents, a result of putting off dull jobs such as changing smoke detector batteries.
Introduction
Procrastination is the habit of delaying important tasks, usually by focusing on less urgent and easier tasks instead. It is an internalized, unconscious response to tasks or situations that can show decline across all areas of your life, including work, health, and relationships. This is why it’s important that we look into ways of how to challenge and revise these responses.
This week, we’ll look at the mindset behind procrastination and learn how to recognise these persisting thoughts when they emerge so that we can look at ways to counter them. This will increase productivity and decrease stress levels.
Putting tasks on the long finger
This is the moment. You’re definitely going to start writing up your presentation. You gave yourself last night off with a promise to get started at 8am this morning. You’re up and sitting down, laptop open, cup of coffee beside you.
This is it.
But then…your mind begins to take a wander. Hmm…did I book my box fit classes for next week? Better do that now. Classes booked. Ok, let’s go…geez, the floor’s manky. Maybe I’ll just give it a quick hoover. I’ll get stuck into the presentation straight after. Once I go down and get a quick refill of my coffee…And maybe put my laundry on…then I’ll get going…
Any of this sound vaguely familiar? We’ve all experienced it, that little ol’ enemy of productivity referred to as procrastination. And the main indicator of procrastination is that you constantly feel guilty.
There is a reason that time management and productivity are highly valued in today’s workplace - because at the core of it all, most of us suffer from procrastination – roughly 95% of us confess to putting things off in the workplace.
So…why do we procrastinate?
The roots of procrastination
A common assumption is that procrastination is down to simple laziness and time management issues. However, as discovered in the field of psychology, procrastination is a far more complex problem. It’s a mixed bag of coping mechanisms and self-management issues.
By procrastinating, we avoid a labour-intensive task, or something that we’ve built up in our heads to be far greater than it actually is. The bottom line is that procrastination is deeply embedded in how we manage our feelings, thoughts, and actions, with research repeatedly showing us that it is rooted in issues around:
Fear of failure
Anxiety
Perfectionism
Let’s look at these aspects in a bit more detail:
Fear of Failure
Every assignment carries with it the risk of failure. And every now and again, we drop the ball...leading to failure, disapproval, and feelings of shame. From our childhoods, our performance is placed under the microscope; scrutinized and graded. Even when it isn’t, our inner voice is always present to give us a fully blown critique.
The risk of failure or rejection is ever present, looming in the shadows as a constant threat – in day-to-day activities, such as giving a presentation, putting our name to an assignment, or starting a business. Procrastination is a cosy little safety net that gives a false sense of security…for the time being.
Anxiety
Procrastination offers a powerful reward – relief from anxiety, avoiding having to deal with potential rejection and criticism. Research also suggests that procrastination relates to managing feelings of distress resulting in ‘task aversion’. When we see a task as boring or deeply unpleasant, we’re more likely to keep putting it off.
Perfectionism
Perfectionism is an issue for many who experience procrastination – the whole idea of something never being of a high enough level, so why even bother starting? This irrational mindset of nothing ever being good enough allows the work to stack up, and up and up…potentially reaching meltdown point with crucial deadlines missed.
Key takeaways
Procrastination is not simply due to laziness. It’s a mixed bag of coping mechanisms and self-management issues.
Procrastination stems from issues of self-esteem around the idea of fear of failure.
Roughly 95% of us confess to putting things off in the workplace. This is why time management and productivity are so valued in today’s workplace.
Think big. act small
Procrastination affects many of us. It is a habitual, unconscious, response to tasks or situations – this means something we do without really thinking about it. Because it’s not an intrinsic part of who we are, we can use science to break the cycle.
This week, we’ll look at why it’s essential to break this cycle to create a wider framework to reframe our ways of thinking, helping us create more productive and less stressful working patterns.
Content sources
Forbes, 2021, Amy Blaschka, ‘You're Not Lazy; You're Scared: How to Finally Stop Procrastinating’
Forbes, 2021, Caroline Castrillon ‘How to Stop Procrastinating and Start Accomplishing’
Forbes, 2020, Stephanie Burns, ‘4 Ways to Stop Procrastinating And Start Doing’
Harvard Business Review, 2018, Meng Zhu ‘Why We Procrastinate When We Have Long Deadlines’
Harvard Business Review, 2016, Caroline Webb, ‘How to Beat Procrastination’
Psychology Today, 2021, Matt Huston, ‘10 Tips for Turning Procrastination into Procrastination - How to get started with getting started’
Psychology Today, 2017, ‘11 Ways to Overcome Procrastination Easy tips to stop putting things off’
Psychology Today, 2021 ‘Why We Procrastinate’
Scientific American Mind, 2009, Trisha Gura, ‘I’ll Do it Tomorrow’
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