Procrastination. How to spot it and how to stop it
Procrastination is a hot topic amongst many clients I support. Concerns often relate to work productivity. But procrastination can derail activities in your personal life too. This issue can hit even the most rational decision-maker. We take a closer look at this time-robbing phenomenon. I also provide tips to conquer the clock.
Here is what we cover in this article:
What Does Procrastinate Mean?
The definition is straightforward:
'To put off or defer an action until a later time' (1).
Procrastination is a conscious act. At a moment of decision, you make a deliberate decision to delay task completion. Stalling this way differs from laziness, where there is an unwillingness or disinterest in working. There is little or no intention to ever complete the task at hand. This issue is more than just laziness.
On one level, procrastination doesn't make sense. Why would someone put off a necessary job? Why would you keep wasting work hours? However, there are many reasons for inaction. We cannot boil down this behaviour to a simple explanation (e.g., a bad habit of putting things off). Several psychological factors work in combination.
It might be normal
Before getting too detailed, we need to acknowledge that some procrastination is totally normal. We all do it. But, critical and perfectionist self-talk may lead people to think a bit of procrastination is disastrous. This conclusion can be bad for your mental health.
Putting something off is evidence of some character flaw. So don't be self-critical if you find yourself playing that addictive puzzle game for a few minutes each day. Instead, focus on the consequences of procrastination. Concerns should arise when this behaviour brings significant problems (e.g., negative feedback from your manager, feeling like a failure, relationship problems, social anxiety).
Inside the mind of a master procrastinator
The Centre for Clinical Interventions (2) provides an excellent explanation for procrastination. I use this approach with most of my clients. The process looks like this:
Task/Goal - Unhelpful Thinking - Discomfort - Procrastination excuses & activities -Positive/Negative Consequences - More Procrastination
Here's a breakdown of these stages:
Task/goal- Thinking about, planning and/or starting an important task.
Unhelpful thinking- Thoughts associated with procrastination enter the mind (e.g., fear of failure).
Discomfort- Thinking about a task/goal feels uncomfortable and you are driven to procrastinate when faced with this discomfort.
Procrastination excuses & activities- Justify and avoid task/goal.
Positive/negative consequences- outcomes that increase the likelihood of future procrastination (e.g., relief by putting off a task, jobs piling up).
More procrastination- The above results in further avoidance.
Procrastinate in a sentence
This 'model' of procrastination suggests a series of events underpin this behaviour. A combination of unhelpful thinking patterns, bodily responses, and actions form a repeated pattern. Understanding this cycle is key to stopping it.
SpongeBob procrastination
SpongeBob SquarePants has taught us many important life lessons. However, even he has been hit with the procrastination blues in the episode 'Procrastination/I'm with stupid'. This unexpected source brings to life aspects of the above model.
SpongeBob must write an essay (Task/goal) for boating school but:
Gets frustrated through writer's block (Discomfort).
The urge to do other tasks arises, along with excuses to procrastinate (e.g., must clean the kitchen; Procrastination excuses & activities).
He goes all out doing everything but the essay. He becomes increasingly stressed (Negative consequences) and the panic monster sets in. This chain of events leads to further avoidance and a psychotic incident.
Thankfully, procrastination rarely results in a psychiatric crisis! But this example shows the unfolding nature of this behaviour. SpongeBob could have employed helpful strategies at various points.
We will get to these techniques later in the article.
Opposite of procrastination
Collecting information is the first stage in reducing this problem.
Task/goal
Keep a diary and record any urges to put off an important task:
Note situations in which this desire occurs.
Get to know conditions most likely to trigger procrastination (e.g., preparing a monthly report, checking emails, working on a Monday morning).
Unhelpful thinking
Identifying relevant thoughts can be tricky. However, you can start by recording what your brain said during the urge to avoid a task. Take your time. The brain works fast in procrastination mode. Go back to the moment in your mind and don't rush the recall process.
Discomfort
Record your response to any inner discomfort (triggered by a task). For example, look for thoughts like 'I can't stand this', 'This doesn't feel right' or 'How do I stop feeling like this?'.
Procrastination excuses & activities
We justify task avoidance through statements like 'You can always do it later' and 'You will mess it up'.
Make a note of these thoughts.
Record all procrastination behaviours. Some may be less obvious than others (e.g., putting off a task until conditions are 'perfect').
Banishing the procrastinar
Procrastinar is not a real word. My spellchecker is having a meltdown. But this remains a popular search term. So it goes in the article to catch people who tap this word into a search engine.
Gathering the information described above informs the selection of strategies to conquer procrastination. Several tools exist. Some of these involve actions, while some target unhelpful self-talk.
Let's look at a few examples:
Task/goal
Plan ahead for activities that trigger procrastination. For example:
Agree to a completion date with a colleague for that monthly report you hate writing.
Ask someone to be your training partner at the gym.
Bring tasks forward in time to reduce procrastination talk and/or planning.
Discomfort
See discomfort as a valuable signal from your body. Stop and take notice, perhaps with the help of a breathing or mindfulness exercise. Address the causes of discomfort where possible. For instance, seek some training for a task in which you lack confidence.
Procrastination excuses & activities
Keep a diary of thoughts that occur alongside the urge to procrastinate. Ask questions such as:
What is the long-term consequence of following this thought?
Does this thought help me reduce procrastination? If not, what would be a more helpful thought?
What am I assuming with this thought? Are there any problems with this assumption?
Let's look at these questions in action. Take this thought as an example:
'I am no good at writing presentations'
What is the long-term consequence of following this thought?
I will always feel uncomfortable with this task and probably avoid it where possible.
Does this thought help me reduce procrastination?
Probably not
If not, what would be a more helpful thought?
I can improve this skill if I practice and look at people who are skilled in this area.
What am I assuming with this thought?
That I don't come across well to an audience
Are there any problems with this assumption?
I base this assumption on opinion, not facts. So I don't actually know how I come across.
These are just a few examples of anti-procrastination strategies. There are lots more options. Here is an article on another approach to problem thoughts.
Revenge bedtime procrastination (RBP)
This phenomenon is an interesting take on procrastination. RBP occurs when people postpone sleep for leisure time. This behaviour often occurs in people who have busy schedules. People 'seek revenge' on their busy schedules by doing fun things in the evening. Surprise, surprise- this can lead to sleep deprivation. See this article if you are experiencing insomnia.
Summary
Procrastination is not a simple behaviour. A lot is going on from a psychological perspective. Although this behaviour is normal to a point, mounting problems indicate a need for direct action. Thankfully there are lots of tools available. There are lots of other resources available. For example:
This book by Windy Dryden
This article on procrastination triggers
Be wary of coverage on social media. Some of this content is not reliable. Some people benefit from some help from a professional. Contact me now (or some other time) to discuss your procrastination issues.
Procrastination quotes
My advice is, never do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time. Collar him! Charles Dickens, David Copperfield
A day can really slip by when you're deliberately avoiding what you're supposed to do. Bill Watterson
Someday is not a day of the week. Janet Dailey
Success is not obtained overnight. It comes in installments; you get a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow until the whole package is given out. The day you procrastinate, you lose that day's success. Israelmore Ayivor
Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday. Napoleon Hill
Procrastination memes
....and last but not least, a few procrastination memes.
We are Coaching & Clinical Psychologists with extensive experience helping people conquer a range of wellbeing and performance issues at home and in the workplace. We can also help with procrastination Read more about our work, watch practical skills videos or browse other articles. Get in touch anytime.
Article References
(1) https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/procrastinate
(2) https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/
Infographic References
Lavoie, J. A. A., & Pychyl, T. A. (2001). Cyberslacking and the procrastination superhighway: A web-based survey of online procrastination, attitudes, and emotions. Social Science Computer Review, 19(4), 431-444
Nguyen, B., Steel, P., & Ferrari, J. R. (2013). Procrastination’s impact in the workplace and the workplace’s impact on procrastination. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 21(4), 388-399.
Sirois, F. M., Molnar, D. S., & Hirsch, J. K. (2017). A Meta–Analytic and Conceptual Update on the Associations between Procrastination and Multidimensional Perfectionism. European Journal of Personality, 31(2), 137–159.
Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65–94.