The Surprising Truth About Procrastination

Is your New Year's Resolution to stop procrastinating? Here's a hint: procrastination isn’t about poor time management!

Spending more time at home should offer us the perfect opportunity to catch up on all those little things that we have been putting off, right?

We should have time to mail that overdue bill, pay that $8 library fine from last year, re-pot that wilting plant on the windowsill, or even just replace the lightbulb in that lamp that burned out 3 months ago.

Let's be real—how often have you delayed a task for days, weeks, or even months, when it could have been done in just a few minutes? You might start to label yourself as lazy or disorganized, but perhaps it's not the task itself you're dodging! In reality, procrastination is less about managing your time and more about managing your mood!

Dr. Joseph Ferrari, author of Still Procrastinating?: The No Regrets Guide to Getting It Done and professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago states that procrastination is a complicated concept, and more than anything else, it is a strategy we use to avoid experiencing negative emotions.

Here are just a few reasons why we trick ourselves into putting things off, and in return feel much worse about it in the long run…

There’s No Reason Not To

While some tasks carry significant professional, financial, or personal consequences, there are times when completing a task promptly seems unnecessary. Our society revolves around deadlines—we face penalties for tardiness but seldom receive praise for early completion. This mindset can lead us to believe there's little reason to act before it's absolutely required. Instead of waiting for external motivation, we should focus on the satisfaction of completing tasks, rather than the dread of doing them. A practical approach is to maintain a "to-do list." Even if a task is already done, jot it down and cross it off! Recognizing every task as an achievement, no matter how minor, can foster positive feelings about getting things done and encourage a more productive lifestyle.

The Task Itself Makes You Feel Some Kind of Way

Since procrastination is essentially avoiding a negative emotional experience, it is possible that the task itself makes you feel bad. This is especially common when the task is unfamiliar or feels super important- like tweaking your resume because you found a listing for your dream job, applying for a credit card, or writing a paper that is worth 50% of your final grade. The less confident you feel about your ability to complete the task successfully, the more avoidant you may become. Even the fear that others will judge you, or that you will be seen as a screw-up if you don’t do the task perfectly can create a lot of negative feelings about completing a task. Instead of focusing on all of the things that could go wrong, try to remember a time you completed a similar task and things went right and focus on how accomplished you felt. It may ease the anxiety surrounding failure.

You’re Stuck In A Shame Spiral

If you already feel negative about completing a task, you may start to feel guilty about that, which can feed into your procrastination and make the task harder to complete. Your inner critic can become increasingly mean, and what started out as “Why didn’t you already do this?” can turn into “Why are you a complete and utter screw-up?!”. Self-criticism only generates more negative emotions towards the task, which results in you wanting to avoid it even more! Instead of asking things like “what is wrong with me”, try asking yourself “what is it about this task that is making it so difficult to complete?”

You Might Need Help, But You’re Afraid to Ask For It

You are definitely not alone in your struggle to overcome procrastination- so you shouldn’t feel ashamed to ask for help when you need it. Talking about a task can even help you push through and just do it! Having emotional social support can be a lifeline when you feel like you’re drowning. Procrastination is normal, but unfortunately in a society where time is money and certain stigmas exist around asking for help, it can be difficult to reach out for that lifeline.

If procrastinating behavior has become a regular occurrence—one that is causing distress in your personal and professional life or is preventing you from reaching your goals—it might be time to talk to a professional. Chronic procrastination can be a symptom of anxiety disorders, depression, and ADHD; a therapist at Lifeologie Counseling can tell you more and assist you in creating ways to manage it.