Procrastination 

Have you ever sat down to complete an assignment with just hours or minutes remaining before it was due even though you were given days, weeks or even months to complete? Do you tell yourself there are more important things to do, it’s really not the right time or I will start it after…(insert whatever task you want to do versus the task at hand)?  If you answered yes to these, you may struggle with procrastination. 

Simply put, procrastination is putting off what needs to be done in order to do things that are possibly more pleasurable.    Some people believe chronic procrastinators are lazy but did you know, procrastination can be a result of anxiety, perfectionism and ADHD?   Many people procrastinate out of fear they will not meet the high expectations set by themselves. Other people believe they lack the skills which can discourage them from starting a project. 

Some degree of procrastination is normal and can be our mind’s way of prioritizing the value we place on certain tasks.  Studies are now showing a high correlation betweenprocrastination and being conscientious which is the act of being thorough, careful and efficient. Sounds swell, right?  Well, like with anything, we want to strive for balance. When procrastination becomes chronic, it can greatly impede one’s ability to function further enhancing feelings of anxiety and stress causing, you guessed it, MORE procrastination. 

The good news is that there are ways to manage and even overcome procrastination, here are some helpful tips to get you started. 

• Write down your task
• Break it into smaller more manageable tasks so that it does not feel so overwhelming 
• Hold yourself accountable to completing a small task every day or week until the project is complete or partner up with a trusted individual to keep motivated
• Reward yourself along the way. It may seem silly to reward yourself for completing one step, but it may encourage you to continue completing things timely
• Identify fears and anxieties that are interfering and work to re frame them so that they are empowering vs discouraging.  Many people work with trained mental health professionals to overcome fears, stress or issues with attention that are standing in their way of completing their goals 

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step” –Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Written by Marie Thompson, MA