Many of us have been there, we have a pressing task to do but we can’t bring ourselves to do it. We get distracted with other things…we end up procrastinating. How do we stop falling prey to procrastination? To help us overcome this beast it can be useful to first understand what procrastination looks like for you and what are some of the reasons why you may procrastinate.
Let's break it down!
What Does Procrastination Look Like for you?:
Procrastination is the act of delaying doing an important task. This may involve doing something else that’s less important such as scrolling through TikTok. When you notice yourself procrastinating it can be helpful to acknowledge what you are procrastinating from, and what you might be doing instead. You may pick up that you are more likely to procrastinate for certain tasks and tend to do similar avoidance activities. For me I tend to procrastinate when I am writing English essays, where I instead binge self improvement videos (gosh how ironic)! Noticing any patterns like this is great as it allows you to be more vigilant when you are doing those procrastination prone tasks.
Why Procrastination?
It can be also useful to find out why we are procrastinating in the first place. Knowing our reasons can help us decide what anti-procrastination strategies would work best for you. It's important to remember that procrastinating is a very normal behaviour and is certainly not a reflection of lack of effort or motivation. It can sometimes be a result of putting a lot of effort into the task! Here are some common reasons why we may fall into the procrastination trap. It's okay if you don’t identify with any of these reasons, they're here to give you some ideas of what your own reasons may be 🙂
Fear of Failure:
Oh boy! I am sure many of us can relate to this one! Sometimes the fear of not producing good enough work can make it all the more harder to get on with the task. Not only are you having to tackle the task at hand but you also have to push through all those negative thoughts and feelings. Very overwhelming! Therefore we may be drawn to having a “ little break from the task” and doing something less anxiety inducing. As you might predict this “little break” may lead to procrastination!
Being Trapped in the “Avoidance Spiral”:
As you have probably experienced yourself, the longer we put something off, the more anxiety and resistance we have towards doing the task! Frustratedly this means procrastinating in itself can cause further procrastination.
Protecting our Self Esteem:
Initially this one does not make much sense! As you often don’t feel good when you are not able to complete your assignments. However procrastination gives us a reason for why we may not do well in the task. It shifts the blame of not doing well away from our abilities to something less personal like not having enough time to do the assignment.
Time Management:
Many of us have commitments outside of studying, so it can be quite hard to juggle everything with the limited hours in a day. This can lead to having less than the ideal amount of time to complete assignments, creating anxiety around getting it done. As mentioned, anxiety is a real breeding ground for procrastination!
Getting Distracted:
We all have certain things we easily get distracted by. For me it's getting a text notification! Getting distracted can pull us away from the task, making it harder to get back into it.
The Task is Boring!:
Let’s be honest, writing an essay is not the funniest thing to do in the world! When we are doing a boring task, anything else sounds way more fun and attractive.
Note - Procrastinating may be a Sign of Something more Deeper:
Sometimes procrastinating can be a deeper sign that things are not going so well. Procrastinating could be a reflection of being extremely stressed and burnt out or feeling so low. It can also be a sign of having a neurological condition such as ADHD. If you feel this may be the case, you don’t have to do this alone. It may be helpful to reach out to a trusted loved one for support. If you feel like you might need some extra support, there’s a list of services where you can reach out too:
