Understanding Procrastination

The Cycle of Procrastination

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

Why We Procrastinate

• 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.

The Role of Emotions

• 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.

The Misconception of Laziness

• 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.

Consequences of Procrastination

• 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.

Breaking the Cycle of Procrastination

• 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.

The Cycle of Procrastination

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

Why We Procrastinate

• 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.

The Role of Emotions

• 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.

The Misconception of Laziness

• 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.

Consequences of Procrastination

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

Breaking the Cycle of Procrastination

• 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.