Do you find yourself frittering away hours on trivial pursuits when you should have been spending that time on productive endeavours?
Do you find yourself watching TV, updating your social media, shopping online or even cleaning your room as your deadline creeps closer?
If you do, you could label yourself a procrastinator.
But the label itself is not as important as the understanding of why so many of us are prone to this behaviour.
One in four adults use procrastination as a self-defining trait. No matter how well-organised and committed you are, delaying or putting off tasks until the last minute, or past its deadline, is a common occurrence around the globe. Some researchers define it as a "form of self-regulation failure”.
Our brain’s limbic system tells us to! This area of the brain is driven by emotion and dominant. It pushes us to flee from situations that make us uncomfortable. Procrastination stems from a variety of thoughts but fundamentally, we postpone tasks because
Psychologists have identified various drivers of procrastination, from low self-confidence to anxiety, a lack of structure, and, simply, an inability to motivate oneself to complete unpleasant tasks. Research has also shown that procrastination is closely linked to rumination, or becoming fixated on negative thoughts.
Predicting how we'll feel in the future is known as affective forecasting, and people tend to be fairly bad at it.
For example, procrastinators may feel bad about not exercising today but may raise their mood by predicting they will do it tomorrow. Thus, they avoid feeling negative emotions in the moment but make the cycle more likely to repeat in the future.
Whether you are putting off finishing a project for work, avoiding homework assignments, or ignoring household chores, procrastination can have a major impact on your job, grades, and life.
Procrastination may relieve pressure in the moment, but it can have steep emotional, physical, and practical costs. Students who routinely procrastinate tend to get lower grades, workers who procrastinate produce lower-quality work, and in general, habitual procrastinators can experience reduced well-being in the form of insomnia or immune system and gastrointestinal disturbance. Procrastination can also jeopardise both personal and professional relationships.
Procrastinating when it comes to one’s health—putting off exercise and check-ups, and failing to commit to healthy eating—can lead to a higher risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Procrastinators are also more likely to engage in self-blame and disengage from wellness advice, suggesting that cultivating greater self-compassion could help such individuals begin taking better care of themselves.
Procrastination, avoidance, and rumination are all common symptoms of depression. People with depression may struggle to plan, 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 alleviate some of these effects.
While it may seem like an impossible task, it is possible to overcome the challenges of procrastination—and get things done that you have been putting off. Here are a few tips to help you tame the procrastination beast:
Another great way to avoid procrastination is to rely on your support systems to keep you accountable. Tell your friends to check-in, use social media to hold you accountable or use the Carebyte concierge service to give you the push you need!
Consider seeing a mental health professional if procrastination is causing you undue stress in your life. Carebyte offers unlimited psychological support, psychiatric assistance and a partner in your health journey, whenever you need it. Download Carebyte and use code CBFMABH to start your free one month trial now!