Procrastination

Delaying, postponing or even completely avoiding tasks, work, or school work.

We’ve all been there before, found ourselves stuck watching Tiktoks for hours or suddenly deciding to give the bathroom a spring clean in order to avoid something.

Procrastination is defined as the action of delaying or postponing something. Procrastination is more common than we assume with studies showing that 88% of the workforce procrastinates for at least an hour a day. I too have fallen victim to procrastination, and often like to hide it behind completing easier and less important tasks such as cleaning, clearing out emails or grabbing myself another coffee. When I was studying at university I could procrastinate from assignments for weeks. If you follow a few of these tips and tricks procrastination may be a thing of the past for you too! 

So why do we procrastinate? 

When we procrastinate from a task it is often to avoid the negative feelings that may accompany this task. Whether that’s a fear of failure, not being/ doing good enough or fear of embarrassment that may follow the completion of a task. The act of avoiding or delaying the tasks allows us to take our mind off the task causing the negative feelings and thoughts.  Often things we use to procrastinate with can give us instant gratification. Endless scrolling on our phones, watching videos and chatting to friends tends to bring us pleasure aka instant gratification. Completing a smaller task that appears less daunting also brings us instant gratification and makes us feel better in the short term. However, prolonging the task can cause us further stress, feelings of guilt and symptoms related to anxiety. 

How do I stop procrastinating? 

Firstly, try talking to yourself with a more positive spin. Instead of feeling down about potentially failing the assignment (before its even begun) or being worried about embarrassing yourself in a meeting at work. Don’t be so hard on yourself! Be grateful that you care so much that you don’t want to perform poorly. Talk and hype yourself up the way you would for a friend. Tell yourself you’re going to smash the assignment or the meeting at work, and likely you will.  

Secondly, Break down your goal/ daunting task into smaller tasks or chunks. I love writing lists, so I break down my tasks into small lists. Cross or tick off the tasks once you’ve completed them, not only is it satisfying you can look back at the day and see how many things you’ve completed. Sometimes the scariest part can be just starting the task, once its broken down it may not appear that difficult, and can seem much more manageable. 

Set yourself achievable and measurable goals. In 30 minutes, I’m going to get X amount done and then I’ll have a break for 5-10 minutes. You need to make sure you reward yourself for the effort you’re putting in, get up and stretch, go sit outside for a few minutes, make yourself a tea, whatever it is make sure you acknowledge your hard work.  

Lastly put away the distractions! Leave your phone in another room while you’re completing tasks, put it on silent mode or do not disturb mode! Tell yourself you’ll allow 5 minutes of mindless scrolling once you’ve completed part of the task. 

If you feel like you need more help or support in regard to procrastination, or if you’re concerned about your mental health, feel free to contact us on 8838-8687 or book an appointment online and come in to see one of our friendly Psychologists.