Understanding Procrastination

Study Notes

Procrastination occurs when we avoid a task we said we would do, for no good reason, despite expecting our behavior to bring negative consequences.

Procrastination is a result of our bodies trying to protect us by avoiding a task we see as threatening.
When we realize we need to complete a task, our brain responds like it would to any incoming threat, releasing hormones including adrenaline that kick off a fear response.

We're most likely to procrastinate tasks that evoke negative feelings, such as dread, incompetence, and insecurity.
People who have difficulty regulating their emotions and those who struggle with low self-esteem are more susceptible to procrastination.

Procrastination is not the same as laziness, which is marked by no energy and general apathy.
Many people procrastinate because they care too much and have a high fear of failure.

Frequent procrastinators are likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, ongoing feelings of shame, higher stress levels, and physical ailments associated with high stress.
Procrastination temporarily reduces our stress level, reinforcing it as a bodily response for coping with stressful tasks.

Traditionally, people thought procrastinators needed to cultivate discipline and practice strict time management, but this approach can layer additional bad emotions onto a task.
To short-circuit the stress response, we need to address and reduce negative emotions.
Simple strategies include breaking a task into smaller elements, journaling about why it's stressing you out, and removing nearby distractions.
Cultivating an attitude of self-compassion, forgiving yourself, and making a plan to do better next time can help break the cycle of procrastination.

Procrastination occurs when we avoid a task without a good reason, despite expecting negative consequences.

Our bodies try to protect us by avoiding tasks that seem threatening, triggering a fear response with hormones like adrenaline.
The brain responds to tasks like it would to any incoming threat.

We procrastinate tasks that evoke negative feelings like dread, incompetence, and insecurity.
People with emotional regulation difficulties and low self-esteem are more prone to procrastination.

Procrastination is not the same as laziness, which is marked by apathy and no energy.
Many people procrastinate because they care too much and have a high fear of failure.

Frequent procrastinators may experience anxiety, depression, shame, high stress, and physical ailments.
Procrastination temporarily reduces stress, reinforcing it as a coping response.

Traditional approaches like discipline and time management can add negative emotions.
Addressing and reducing negative emotions is key to breaking the cycle.
Strategies to overcome procrastination include:
- Breaking tasks into smaller elements
- Journaling about task-related stress
- Removing distractions
Cultivating self-compassion, forgiving oneself, and making a plan for improvement can help break the cycle.