You have set up your workstation, made your cup of coffee, and you're all geared up to start with your work. Just when you get to work you find yourself picking up your phone and scrolling through social media, replying to emails, or watching the highlights of your favorite football team. It is not long before you realize that it is the end of the day, and your work remains incomplete.
Have you ever found yourself in a frenzy while working on an important deadline, and regretting your decision to put off the work for the past week? How did you end up here? Well, do you remember telling yourself "this can be done later I have the whole week; I'd rather catch up on my Netflix show"? Safe to say, you are not alone. According to Dr. Piers Steel a professor of motivational psychology at the University of Calgary, and the author of "The Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Stuff Done", 95% of the population find themselves bogged down in this vicious cycle of procrastination. People have found themselves in this trap from centuries ago. Greek philosophers like Socrates derived this word from the Greek word “Akrasia” which translates ‘To the state of acting against your better judgment’. Today, we understand this term as the behavior of putting off tasks to a later time preventing yourself to do the required task on time. Behaviorism explains time inconsistency as the cause of procrastination. As human beings, we tend to value immediate gratification. Let's say your resolution for this year is to shed a few pounds and get fit. When thinking about this resolution you are aware of the benefits, and the positive effects in the long term. You are also aware that to see results you are required to take action in the present moment. However, researchers have found that the human brain seeks immediate rewards rather than long-term outcomes. Therefore, we usually find ourselves in a conflict. In the future, you desire to be fit, but in the present moment, we would rather sleep that extra hour than waking up for the gym, or enjoy a pizza. However, we are well aware of the effects of these desires.
Are we procrastinating or being lazy?
Procrastination does not mean being lazy. Laziness is when you are resistant to performing an act, and are mostly inactive. Procrastination on the other hand is choosing to do something else over a more important activity. It is the voluntary decision made to put off the more necessary task which is perceived by you as undesirable. Instead, you engage in different activities that are more gratifying. We resort to procrastination as a coping mechanism to avoid tasks that seem out of our comfort zone, boring, creates self-doubt, or due to reasons such as anxiety, or its difficulty level.
But doesn't procrastinating uplift our mood?
Procrastination is more an issue of emotion regulation rather than your productivity level, or inability to manage time. However, there is no way to running from your problems, and we will have to finish the delayed tasks at some point. When we come back to these tasks we are still aware of the negative associations with them. Your aversion to the tasks is now intensified with feelings of stress, anxiety, and frustration. Sometimes these intensified feelings can make you procrastinate further causing more trouble. Procrastination provides a short escape, and relaxation from the undesirable task, hence trapping you in its vicious cycle. Yes, procrastination makes us feel better by escaping our negative feelings, but this momentary relaxation only results in harmful effects. Effects such as hypertension, chronic stress, less satisfaction may impact our mental, physical and emotional health.
How to win over procrastination?
A procrastinator cannot simply get rid of their behavior overnight. Few essential steps can help deal with it:
Step 1: Recognition
It is essential to recognize that YOU are procrastinating. If you are delaying a task because of a change in your priorities due to a legitimate reason then you may not be procrastinating. It is when you willingly put off an important task because of your unwillingness to do the task. Procrastination is not your failure to manage time, but your inability to manage your emotions. Completing only less important tasks over important ones, keeping important tasks unattended for a long period, leaving an important task midway for a "break", or waiting for the "right time" or the "perfect mood" to begin a task may be signs of procrastination.
Step 2: Understanding why procrastination is winning?
The second step before you take on the battle against procrastination is to identify the reasons for procrastinating. There can be several reasons such as lack of self-confidence, lack of interest in the work given, poor management skills, or poor decision-making skills. Strong management skills result in effective prioritizing. Individuals can prioritize between less important and more important tasks. These individuals can devise efficient schedules which help in the organization of tasks according to their significance and urgency. However, such individuals may also fall into the trap of procrastination due to the fear of success or failure, low self-competence, etc. They are more likely to switch their focus to a relatively easier task which would give them a sense of accomplishment. Effective measures must be adopted to mend these issues within yourself which will allow you to complete tasks enjoyably. It is also important to keep in mind that procrastination may exist due to certain clinical disorders such as ADHD. In such cases, it is best to seek professional help.
The Final Step! Win the Battle!
Once you have identified yourself procrastinating, and its underlying reasons, it is time for you to create strategies to win. Few beneficial strategies are:
Acknowledge yourself!
Be kind to your past self! We are often swimming in guilt after having wasted time. Research has shown that forgiving yourself for procrastinating helps increase positive feelings towards yourself which prevents further procrastinating behavior. It facilitates your productivity by helping you overcome your past behaviors, and reducing the burden caused by its effects.
Planning & Commitment
A major difference can be made by consciously shifting your focus from avoidance to executing the task. You can use 'commitment devices' to complete your work. For example, you can make a list of your work according to priority and deadline. Then you can assign yourself a time for doing the work. In addition to this, you can make efforts at removing any distractions.
Treat yourself!
After assigning yourself a time, and completing an important task on time make sure to reward yourself. Take yourself out to a coffee shop, treat yourself to your favorite snack, or simply take a nap! Take note of how completing a task on time makes you feel.
Monitor yourself!
It may be difficult to do this by yourself if you are a procrastinator. Peer pressure is the way to go! Assign a friend, mentor, parent, or any partner to check up on you and your progress with work.
Act Immediately!
Make it a habit to immediately engage in the work given to you rather than keeping it for later.
Positive self-talk
Use phrases that make you feel empowered. Phrases such as "I have to" or "I need to" are counterproductive. Replace these with "I am capable", "I choose" or "I can". These phrases make you feel empowered and in control.
Finish off the task!
Finish your task first thing or during your peak time. Aim to finish off tasks that feel heavy, or less likable first. Getting done with the work at the beginning of the day will put you at ease. You can also aim to finish off such tasks when you feel most productive, this could be early morning, in the afternoon, or late at night.
Reference
Clear, James. "Procrastination: A Brief Guide on How to Stop Procrastinating." James Clear, 11 Nov. 2020, jamesclear.com/procrastination.
Lieberman, Charlotte. "Why You Procrastinate (It Has Nothing to Do With Self-Control)." The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Mar. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/03/25/smarter-living/why-you-procrastinate-it-has-nothing-to-do-with-self-control.html.
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