Overcoming Procrastination
Many of us often mistake procrastination as a behaviour of laziness or poor time management skills however most of the time it can be traced back to underlying and more complex psychological reasons.
By definition, procrastination is the decision to delay or not complete a task you have committed to for no valid reason, and instead engage in another activity of lesser importance regardless of negative consequences associated with not following through with the original task.
There are many areas which can be a source of procrastination, for some it may be study or work projects and for others, it may be health check-ups or committing to an exercise routine. Many people will be able to keep on top of certain areas in their life whilst others may be more vulnerable to procrastination.
Can we overcome procrastination?
In order to overcome procrastination, it is important to understand some reasons why we may procrastinate:
Perfectionism
Continually striving for perfection often leads to unrealistic expectations. Unfortunately, this means we are likely to delay a task until we feel as though we are able to complete it at these standards. As perfection is impossible to achieve, we continue to wait until the ‘right moment’ which never arrives.
Fear of failure or success
Fear is a powerful emotion and can make us averse to certain tasks. We are likely to delay whatever we may be afraid of which for many is often failure or criticism. On the flip side, some people fear that being successful may cause more problems due to higher expectations upon ourselves and from other people.
Prioritising short-term consequences
Spending time on low-priority tasks rather than focusing on the more stressful or unpleasant tasks is a form of unconscious avoidance. Often when faced with a task that seems challenging, we will try to eliminate this feeling by engaging in another activity that makes us temporarily feel better.
Lack of motivation
We can often procrastinate if our motivation is low. Sometimes this might occur when the task we need to complete is boring, difficult or we simply do not care enough about the consequences of not getting it done.
Depression
For some people, the act of procrastination can cause reactive depression whilst in others, it is a symptom of their condition. When people are depressed, they often lose interest in activities they normally enjoy which means procrastination can occur even with fun activities.
Trouble focusing?
Those of us who have difficulties concentrating are much more likely to procrastinate. For example, many people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggle to start a project and once they do, have difficulty knowing how to prioritise, plan and stay on track.
Seeking help for procrastination
While procrastination often feels impossible to avoid, particularly when we are contending with underlying psychological influences such as perfectionism, fear, motivation, depression or other mental health problems, it is completely manageable. The strategies for dealing with procrastination are not as complicated as you may think. First and foremost, understanding the root of your procrastination can help you set out on a more proactive path.
If you are interested in learning more about how to overcome procrastination and learn some strategies to help you smash out tasks better, why not meet with one of our psychologists?
We have a number of psychologists at Positive Mind Works who are able to help in this area and would be happy to see you for one or more appointments to help provide strategies in order to get you feeling motivated and ready to handle any tasks of life that you may have. To book online click here or give us a call on 1800 327 477 (AU) or 0800 327 477 (NZ)
Associated information:
8 Tips for Healthy Productivity
