How To Overcome Procrastination: A Workplace Psychotherapist's Perspective

Procrastination is a universal behavioural pattern that affects all of us. At its extreme end, procrastination can lead to missed opportunities and feelings of inadequacy.

As a workplace psychotherapist , I help my clients understand the psychological drivers of procrastination, and then adopt new strategies to help them overcome this behavioural pattern.

You can watch me share my insights on the psychological drivers of procrastination, and how to overcome this behavioural pattern, in this video . You can also keep reading below.

Debunking the Myths About Procrastination

Procrastination is usually misunderstood. It is commonly attributed to laziness, poor time management, or a lack of willpower. Others believe that procrastinators are addicted to the adrenaline rush of delivering to last-minute deadlines.

These perceptions are superficial judgements that fail to address the underlying psychological roots of procrastination.

The Psychological Roots of Procrastination

To understand procrastination, it’s essential to recognise that it's a behavioural pattern. Like all behavioural patterns, it stems from our emotions and thoughts. Here is a formula to explain this interplay:

Emotions x Cognitions = Behaviour

(In this formula, Emotions represent primary and secondary emotions, and Cognitions represent our thoughts and beliefs)

Primary emotions are the first body signals that arise in us. The primary emotions I work with are Fear, Sadness, Shame, and Joy. These emotions are deeply rooted in our biology, evolved to ensure our survival and social belonging. However, because primary emotions are usually intense or overwhelming, they can drive us to avoid them.

This avoidance leads to behavioural patterns such as procrastination.

For instance, someone might feel shame when faced with a challenging task. This shame - a sense that they are flawed compared to others - usually develops in childhood. It can be so overwhelming that the person avoids the task entirely (Fee & Tangney, 2000).

Similarly, fear of failure, or sadness at one's perceived lack of skills, can trigger procrastination as a way to escape these uncomfortable emotions.

How do people procrastinate without causing harm to their self-concept? By calling up thoughts that rationalise their behaviour; e.g. "This task is beneath me," or "I will get to it tomorrow."

These thoughts serve as "cognitive vehicles" that drive us away from the discomfort of our primary emotions, justify our avoidance, and move us to secondary emotions such as anger or contempt (i.e. dismissal). This avoidance provides temporary relief only. Even worse, it reinforces the cycle of procrastination.

A Strategic Approach to Overcoming Procrastination

The strategic approach involves deep, existential work that addresses the core of who we are.

• The Paradoxical Theory of Change (Beisser, 1970). This theory states that true change occurs not by forcing ourselves to be different but by fully accepting and embracing who we are in the present moment. This means acknowledging and vocalising our fear, shame, or sadness about a task. By openly admitting, "I procrastinate because I fear failure", we begin to transform our relationship with procrastination.
• Our System. Another key component of the strategic approach is reviewing the relationships and environment around us. I encourage my clients to draw a map of the most impactful people in their lives, especially those who distress them, and consider how those relationships could be influencing their procrastination. This review can reveal hidden influences; for example, a critical boss or demanding family member might be unconsciously fuelling our procrastination by producing primary emotions in us that we want to avoid.
• Self-Compassion. When we procrastinate, we often fall into a cycle of self-blame and criticism, reinforcing the behavioural pattern. Instead, I encourage my clients to forgive themselves out loud for procrastinating. Self-compassion has been shown to regulate emotions and reduce the likelihood of future procrastination (Sirois, 2013).
• Sit with Joy. Joy is a primary emotion that is often downplayed or dismissed. When we accomplish a task, however small, we should allow ourselves to fully experience the joy of achieving that milestone. The experiencing of joy builds positive emotions and hope which help us overcome procrastination (Gadosey et al., 2023).

Tactical Approaches to Managing Procrastination

While strategic work is essential for long-term change, tactical approaches can help us overcome procrastination in the short term. These tactics include:

1. Breaking tasks into small, concrete steps. This approach makes tasks less daunting and easier to begin. By focusing on one small, manageable step at a time, you can start building proof of your mastery over yourself and your environment - a key component of motivation.
2. Scheduling time. Use your calendar to block out specific times for these small tasks. This method not only helps with time management but also creates a sense of accountability. By scheduling your time, you make a commitment to yourself that can help override the urge to procrastinate.
3. Temptation bundling. Pair the task with something enjoyable, such as listening to your favourite music while working. This technique makes the task more appealing and can help you stay focused.
4. Start with just one thing (lower your standards). Start with just one task, even if it seems trivial. This tactic leverages the psychological principle known as the Zeigarnik Effect (Tohid et al., 2023), which states that people are more likely to complete a task once they have started it, to avoid the cognitive tension that is created by incomplete tasks.

When Is Procrastination Good?

While we usually view procrastination negatively, there are many cases where it serves as a useful indicator. Sometimes, procrastination occurs when you unconsciously recognise that a task or request is not aligned to your core values or personal boundaries.

This is particularly relevant in situations where people-pleasing might have been at the core of your acceptance of a task. Usually developed in childhood, people-pleasing can drive us to take on tasks that we genuinely don't want to do, simply to avoid conflict or gain approval of others. Procrastination in this context might be your way of resisting tasks that you instinctively know aren't aligned with who you are or what you truly want.

In these cases, procrastination can be protective, helping you avoid actions that would compromise your wellbeing or violate your personal values.

Video: How to Overcome Procrastination

I recently presented to members of ICON APAC on the topic: Overcome Procrastination: How to Master Your Time and Be More Productive.

You can watch my presentation below, or by visiting the ICON APAC YouTube channel .

I hope you find this helpful.

References

Beisser, A. (1970). The paradoxical theory of change. Gestalt therapy now, 1(1), 77-80. https://www.gestalt.org/arnie.htm

Fee, R. L., & Tangney, J. P. (2000). Procrastination: A means of avoiding shame or guilt?. Journal of Social Behavior & Personality, 15(5).

Gadosey, C. K., Schnettler, T., Scheunemann, A., B?ulke, L., Thies, D. O., Dresel, M., ... & Grunschel, C. (2023). Vicious and virtuous relationships between procrastination and emotions: an investigation of the reciprocal relationship between academic procrastination and learning-related anxiety and hope. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 1-27.

Sirois, F. M. (2013). Procrastination and Stress: Exploring the Role of Self-compassion. Self and Identity, 13(2), 128–145. https://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/Procrastination.pdf

Tohid, H., Shukla, S., & Dhamija, D. (2023). The Physician's Hourglass: Maximizing Time for Better Healthcare. Journal for International Medical Graduates, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.56570/jimgs.v2i2.121

I am a Psychotherapist and the director of Intermind . I help individuals, couples, and families overcome their mental health and relationship challenges. I am also a specialist in Workplace Psychotherapy and a passionate Mental Health Educator .