Procrastination: Definition, causes, and ways to overcome it

“I’ll do it later. I still have time.”

“The deadline is tomorrow but I don’t feel like working”

“This is a boring task. Maybe I should do it later.”

Do you tell this to yourself often? Have you been delaying tasks till the last minute or do you even miss the deadline sometimes because of setting back??

If yes, then you are dealing with procrastination. While some people may be able to overcome it naturally, some are not. In such cases, it is important to identify the problem and work towards eliminating it.?

Here, I have compiled all the facts about procrastination, along with ways to avoid and overcome it.

Common facts about procrastination

• According to a recent study, procrastination affects approximately 20% of adults worldwide.
• Procrastination became more prevalent in modern times because of an increase in distractions.
• Technology – television, online gaming, social media, etc., are among the major reasons for increased procrastination today.
• Even famous people like J.K. Rowling, Leonardo da Vinci, and Steve Jobs have dealt with procrastination.?
• You may or may not feel guilty about procrastinating a task.
• It is rarely considered a serious problem, unless it prominently affects your professional life.?
• Procrastination can be linked to poor mental health in individuals – issues such as anxiety or stress.
• Every individual faces a procrastinating situation at least once in life.
• Procrastination is also common in the field of academia, especially in students and teachers.?
• Procrastination has nothing to do with time management. In fact, even people who are good at time management tend to procrastinate.
• Procrastination is not a mental illness but may be a symptom of mental health conditions such as stress, ADHD, OCD, etc.
• Many employment and financial issues such as low salary, short employment duration, and likelihood of unemployment brings about procrastination in working professionals.
• In some cases, procrastination is actually beneficial as it helps in generating out-of-the-box ideas and taking unexpected leaps. It even enables you to break patterns and repetitive loops.

Evidently, procrastination is not a serious issue. It is merely a temporary situation that can be avoided or overcome easily. But for that, it is important to understand the root causes. Why are you procrastinating? What may be an underlying reason that is pushing you to delay your tasks? Let’s find out.

Reasons for procrastination

Below are some common reasons why you may be procrastinating.?

Boredom

If you find a task boring or uninteresting, you are likely to delay it until later. This procrastination may sometimes cause you to violate deadlines or do a haphazard job. Thus, it is important to love what you do or vice versa.

Lack of self-confidence

Not believing in your abilities causes you to put off work for later. Beginning a task becomes difficult in such situations, leading to procrastination.?

Fear of failure

Being afraid of failing at a task affects your confidence. This, in turn, keeps you from picking it up and delaying it as much as you can.?

Fear of criticism

“What if I go wrong and they judge me?”. This is a negative thought that may bother you to an extent that you avert yourself from a task. When the fear of being criticized by your peers, managers, and others takes charge, you start putting your tasks on the back burner.

Anxiety

There are a lot of underlying reasons for feeling anxiety. You may be fearful or stressed about the results, which leads you to put off a task until a later hour.?

Distraction

Like mentioned earlier, the number of distractions have increased in the present time as compared to many years ago. For example, social media platforms are a major distraction and consume a lot of time, creating an unconscious delay in your tasks.

Present bias

Present bias is a human behavior that believes in immediate rewards more than long-term benefits. That is why it feels more rewarding to scroll through social media and have a moment of entertainment than completing a task whose deadline may be a week later.

Depression

Hopelessness, helplessness, and fatigue are signs of depression, which may be a major cause of procrastination in individuals. Depression makes it difficult to stay motivated and focused on almost anything, causing you to delay your tasks.?

ADHD

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is a condition that keeps you from focusing due to internal thoughts or external distractions. Especially if a task is boring or uninteresting to you, it is likely to affect your ability to focus and stay motivated.?

Perfectionism and OCD

If you do not believe that you will give your best to a task, you will delay it until later. This urge to achieve perfectionism causes procrastination. A more serious and deeper desire of achieving perfectionism is referred to as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD. It causes a fear of failing to do something correctly, which leads to delaying a task to a later time.

Task aversiveness

You feel aversiveness towards a task when you find it boring, repetitive, uninteresting, useless, non-beneficial, unwanted, etc. The feeling of frustration and resentment towards a task that you do not wish to do makes you procrastinate.?

Lack of focus

There are many reasons why you may be unable to focus on the task at hand. Sleep deprivation, disinterest, unclear goals, etc., are some reasons why you may lack focus, thus finding comfort in procrastination.

Decision fatigue

Decision fatigue is the inability to make decisions caused by a state of mental overload. Although decision fatigue and procrastination stem from different things, the latter can still be an effect of the former. The fear of making wrong decisions makes you want to delay your tasks.

Avoiding challenges

If you do not like challenges or fear that you will fail at them, chances are you will procrastinate tasks that you find challenging.

Tips to avoid procrastination

After knowing the causes of procrastination, rest assured that there is a way out. So before you get started with your task, here are some steps you can take to avoid procrastinating.?

Set small goals

To avoid overwhelming yourself and fearing failure, you can take smaller and impactful steps towards the completion of your end goal. Create smaller goals and achieve them one by one to complete your overall task. You can even maintain a to-do list to review your progress.

Organize the small goals

Create a detailed timeline to achieve the smaller goals you created. Follow the timeline punctually and review it regularly. This organization of tasks helps you stay motivated and confident that you will achieve your overall goal.?

Get rid of distractions

Especially television and mobile phones are the main distractions for the corporate workers of today. Try to stay away from them by setting up your work desk in a separate room or keeping your phone on silent mode till you finish your task.?

Work in a group

Join with your colleagues to set individual goals and work towards them at the same time. Knowing that they are progressing on their task motivates you to finish yours. Also, you can inspire and drive one another by working together.

Do an initial review

Before you start a task, do an initial contemplation on how to get through it. Spend some time taking notes, jotting down ideas, and strategizing, which can later help you wrap up your task faster.?

How to overcome procrastination

It is better to take steps to avoid procrastination beforehand but what if you are already procrastinating? How you can come out of it is explained below.

Acknowledge?

The first step to solving a problem is to acknowledge that it exists. Similarly, instead of suppressing your thoughts of laziness and guilt, accept them and realize that they are stemming from the act of procrastination. Once you do this, you are ready to find a real solution.

Identify the reason

Is it fear of failure, fear of criticism, lack of focus, etc.? Identify the actual reason behind your procrastination to be able to find a solution to it.

Eliminate second thoughts

Do not think twice before starting a task. Whatever it may be, just start and go with the flow. If you allow yourself to think twice, chances are you will end up being demotivated.?

Remember the end goal or reward

No matter what the task is, remember that one day it will end and you will never have to pick it up again. Reminding yourself that it is a temporary thing may help. Moreover, if your task is associated with a raise, promotion, or bonus, remind yourself about it to stop procrastinating and get going.?

Think about the reverse outcome

Ask yourself what would happen if you did not do your work on time. Acknowledging the reverse outcomes helps you realize the seriousness of the situation, thus overcoming procrastination.

Commit to a deadline

This is an unpopular technique to avoid procrastination. Instead of telling your manager it will take a few days, tell them an exact date you want to submit the task at hand. Knowing that the deadline is nearing will automatically push you to complete it.?

Read the warning signs

If you feel distracted during work, recognize the signs of distraction. Force yourself to stay focussed on the task and resist the urge to procrastinate.

Go easy on yourself

Even though you feel lazy and unproductive, forgive yourself for feeling that way. Try to gain your focus back every time you lose it without feeling guilty. Do this until your mind gets used to focusing on the task at hand.

Reward yourself

After completing each smaller chunk of task, reward yourself with a short break. You can even reward yourself after completing an entire task with whatever motivates you for the future.?

When to seek professional help

While procrastination is a normal behavior for the most part, you may need professional help if it starts to interfere with your personal life, work, or even your mere being. In such cases, mental health providers and experts can diagnose the underlying cause and help you with a solution that works.?

The right therapy can help you identify the root cause to your procrastinating behavior, following a treatment that focuses on eliminating it. If you feel the need for professional help, don’t delay. Start today! It’s not a big deal and it is normal.?