Procrastination
Why do we do it? How to overcome it?
A text by Dr Sofia Caetano, Psychologist at UC Health Services
Have you ever caught yourself tidying your sock drawer, cleaning your whole bedroom or alphabetizing your books? Why did you feel like doing those tasks? And why in that particular moment? Did you have a sudden need to be the tidiest person in your dorm room? The answer is… most likely you were procrastinating.
Procrastination is the act of avoiding or not completing a task or goal you’ve committed to and, instead, do other tasks (such as looking at the walls, scroll on Instagram or clean) or do a more pleasurable activity (going out with friends). This is not done in a strategic way that somehow benefits us and it has a negative impact on life. So when we procrastinate, we’re not only aware that we’re avoiding the task in question (that feeling of unsettlement will tip you off) but also that doing so is probably a bad idea. And yet, we do it anyway.
Procrastination is a problem for the majority of students, particularly in higher education where students are asked to be more autonomous and self-regulated. Due to COVID-19 pandemic teaching in general became remote, fueling levels of procrastination all over the world. This happens due to less access to campus facilities, structured support and the so called “pressure” from teachers and colleagues.
Whether we are delaying studying or putting off a research paper, procrastination can have a major impact on learning, working and even other areas of our lives. So, the common idea that we procrastinate because we don’t care about the assignment, are lazy or unmotivated, is usually wrong.
If we know that avoiding a certain task will have negative consequences, why do we do it? This pattern of behavior happens not because of inefficient time management skills but because of difficulties managing emotions such as: anxiety, boredom, feelings of insecurity, self-doubt or fear of failure.
This phenomenon can be explained as the choice of short-term relief over the long-term consequences.
This type of avoidance depends on the task or situation. It may be caused by something inherently unpleasant about the task itself — having to clean a bathroom or writing a master’s thesis. But it might also result from deeper feelings related to the task, such as self-doubt, low self-esteem, anxiety or insecurity. Staring at a blank sheet, you might be thinking: “This is too hard. I am not capable of doing this. Why do I have to write this? I’m dumb.”. Such thoughts can easily arise feelings of sadness, anxiety or frustration and lead us to the big question: to procrastinate or not to procrastinate? So, we avoid it.
The problem comes when besides having to deal with the avoided task, we also have to manage the anxiety, low self-esteem and feelings of guilt arise as we fall in the short-term reward cycle of procrastination and this behavior becomes a chronic habit.
This pattern can be viewed as a present bias, a product of our evolution. When survival was our goal, the ability to think ahead into the future was way less necessary than the capacity of protecting and providing for ourselves right now, in the present. More so, when we are in the midst of a difficult or intense emotion, we are even less future-oriented.
So, what can we do to manage procrastination?
First, we have to recognize that we’re procrastinating. If we’re briefly delaying an important task for a genuinely good reason (e.g., waiting for feedback from our supervisor), then we aren’t necessarily procrastinating. However, if we realize that there is always that thing in our to do list that stays there for a long time; realize that we fill our time with unimportant tasks that other people asks us to do, instead of getting on with the important tasks already on our list; wait to be in “right mood,” or wait for the “right time” to tackle a task; start a high-priority task and then go off to make a coffee…then we are procrastinating.
Second, we need to work out why we’re procrastinating. Are we avoiding a task because we find it boring or unpleasant? If so, take steps to get it out of the way quickly, so that we can focus on the aspects of our studies that we find more enjoyable.
Even if we’re organized, we can still feel overwhelmed by a task. We can have doubts about our ability and be worried about failing, so we put it off and seek comfort in doing work that we know we’re capable of concluding. Some people fear success as much as failure. They think that success will lead to them being flooded with requests to take on more tasks. Surprisingly, perfectionists are often procrastinators. Often, they’d rather avoid doing a task that they don’t feel they have the skill to complete and it’s safer not to do, rather than doing it imperfectly.
Third, we need a plan. Procrastination is a habit, which means that we can’t break it overnight. Habits only stop being habits when we practice and practice. We can start by doing a “To Do List” and order our priorities. This list should have concrete and realistic goals. There’s no point in setting the goal of “writing the discussion of a scientific paper” in one afternoon. Unrealistic tasks will lead to more avoidance.
Write down what you need to complete, and specify a time for doing it. Don’t forget the routine activities, such as taking a shower, cooking, walking the dog. These should be included in the planning so you have a more realistic view of the time you actually have to work or study.
Rewards. When you commit to a certain task, you devote time and effort to it, therefore, you deserve that positive reinforcement. Even if you don’t totally complete your to-do list, you earned the reward. This can be a simple slice of cake, having coffee with friends or something like going to the movies.
Help from others. Some people find studying in a group helpful or by being in a place where there’s more people studying. You can also ask a friend to check up on you. Peer pressure works!
Tackle tasks as soon as they arise, rather than letting them build up from day to day. It’s easier to face a list with less things to cross off from it.
Minimize distractions. Turn off notifications and social-media/TV. Our procrastinating minds don’t need any more stimulation.
Check your internal dialogues. Are you falling in the trap of thinking: “If it’s not perfect it’s rubbish.”, “If I were as good as people think, I would not be struggling.”; “This essay is not one of my best, the teacher is going to think I’m dumb.”; “If I feel like I am not capable, then I am not capable.”? These thoughts can make us feel like it’s not worth the effort and might increase anxiety, sadness and increase avoidance behaviors. We can ask ourselves: “What would I say to a friend in the same situation? Would I speak to them as I am speaking to myself?”. This helps us better manage our emotions and seek compassion and motivation instead of self-criticism.
Start. Most studies state that we should start from the least pleasant task, that way the rest of the day will be more enjoyable. But, some people say that starting from the easiest tasks, helps them start tackling the list and warm-up to the hardest task. We should do what works best for us.
Even though there are many reasons why and how we procrastinate, there are also ways we can better manage this appealing, but unhelpful strategy.
The next time you feel tempted to procrastinate you can ask yourself why you are avoiding it and what you can do to start tackling it one step at a time. Remember, it takes practice to break a habit.
Start now.
