PROCRASTINATION – delaying your life

We all fall prey to procrastination and within the last couple of months, I found myself in this rut where I didn’t want to write or do anything significant. Somehow I have built up my “resilience muscle” over the years because of the many difficulties I have encountered and have had to plough my way through. As I slowly turned the corner, my mind focused on those qualities that are unique to me. The word procrastination came to mind, and I felt impressed to do a bit of research into it. I realized that I have been putting off doing things because I am experiencing some difficulties in my life that had escalated and, although it has dampened my fire, I still maintained a faint glow. The situation is still present and persists. However, I have refocused my attention on doing those things that light up my soul. Enjoy the article!

 Procrastination is common to most people and is viewed as laziness or the inability to manage oneself. It is natural for people to avoid doing some things. However, procrastinators habitually put off tasks and often deliberately look for distractions. This shows the individual’s struggles with self-regulation. Approximately 20% of the population is habitual procrastinators. Often, their feelings will take precedence over pursuing their goals or responsibilities.  Procrastination creates the perfect condition for individuals to encourage negative emotions that can further undermine their future goals.

Procrastination also has an element of self-deception. There is a moment in which the procrastinator will recognize their actions and their consequences.  However, changing their habits is often more difficult than finishing the assignment in front of them. 

Understanding Procrastination

Procrastinators are often perfectionists. For them, it may be psychologically more acceptable to never take on a job than the possibility of not doing it well. It is common for them to become overly concerned with what others think about them hence; they endanger their future to avoid criticism. Although some procrastinators convince themselves that they do way better under pressure, there is no scientific evidence to substantiate this claim. However, they habitually wait until the last minute to complete a task because it gives them this rush of euphoria to overcome the odds.

Why do I procrastinate?

People are driven by varied thoughts and habits, but we shun work or delay them because we do not feel they are worth the time and effort and care more about being happy or being fearful of not doing a job well.  They might procrastinate when they are overwhelmed by all the complexities of a task, such as learning a new skill or when overly distracted or fatigued.

What are the psychological roots of procrastination?

Some of the influencers of procrastination recognized by psychologists are; low self-esteem, anxiety, lack of structure and the inability to motivate self to complete tasks deemed unpleasant. Studies have also shown procrastination’s close link to rumination or the fixation on negative thoughts. 

Consequence of Procrastination

Although procrastination may distract you from a task for a moment, it can have deep emotional, physical and practical costs later. Students who habitually procrastinate tend to score lower grades because they feel pressured at the last minute, hence underperform. Workers who procrastinate produce lower-quality work, and habitual procrastinators can expect a decline in their well-being as insomnia or immune system and gastrointestinal disturbance. Procrastination also threatens both personal and professional relationships.

Is procrastination bad for my health?

With one’s health – delaying exercise and physical checkups, and failure to commit to a healthy lifestyle can lead to a higher risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Procrastinators are more prone to blame themselves and withdraw from wellness advice, suggesting that more self-compassion would be more beneficial in helping them care more for themselves.

Is there a link between procrastination and depression?

Procrastination, avoidance and rumination are all common symptoms of depression.  Depressed people struggle with future planning, lose confidence in their ability to follow through, and adopt “what’s the point “ thinking. The treatment approach is known as behavioral activation, in which one schedules enjoyable activities that provide a sense of mastery or accomplishment, which may help ease some of these effects.

Is it easy to overcome procrastination?

It’s possible to overcome procrastination, but it takes considerable effort. Changing a habitual behavior consumes a lot of psychic energy, but engaging in a highly structured regimen of cognitive behavioral therapy is one approach that has worked for many. In the short term, some cognitive tricks can help people complete discrete tasks.

How can I stop procrastinating?

Studies based on The Procrastination at Work Scale, which identifies 12 common forms of workplace procrastination, have highlighted some potential solutions, such as adopting timelines that build in time for delay, but not too much; making a personal challenge out of mundane tasks; breaking large jobs into achievable chunks you can celebrate completing, and limiting your access to online news and social media.

How can a procrastinator change their mindset?

When people procrastinate, their present self benefits by avoiding unpleasant work, but their future self pays the price in stress or punishment. Developing empathy for one’s future self as one would for a close friend can be an important first step to ending the habit because we’re less willing to put a good friend in such a disadvantaged position.

How can I stop putting off important decisions?

Many procrastinators struggle to make important decisions, in part because not making a choice absolves them of responsibility for the outcome. But sometimes people simply become so exhausted from making decisions that it seems impossible to make even relatively unimportant ones. Research suggests that sticking to a personal set of decision-making rules, or outsourcing some decisions to a partner, friend, or co-worker may help overcome decision fatigue.

Are you a procrastinator? Please leave your comments below.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/procrastination