Procrastination is another term for delaying things that need to get done within a set timeframe although we know it will have a negative impact. Do you tend to put things off and it causes problems ahead? This page explains why we procrastinate and how to deal with it.
What is procrastination?
When we procrastinate, we prioritise what is easier or feels more no enjoyable at the moment. To watch YouTube before doing things that will give us long-term advantages, such as studying for an exam, for instance. If we choose not to do things that are less important, it is not referred to as procrastination, but is instead regarded as a good ability to prioritise.
Procrastination is a behaviour that we take on to avoid dealing with uncomfortable thoughts and emotions, such as boredom or anxiety. Everyone procrastinates from time to time, but if the behaviour impedes our studies or affects our health negatively, for instance, we need to deal with the problem.
Why do we procrastinate?
Parts of our brain are designed to make rapid decisions based on emotions. Other parts are developed for self-control and long-term planning. If we have a tendency to procrastinate, the challenge is to not let the emotional parts of your brain take control when we need to do things that will give us advantages in the long run. We procrastinate because it feels good at the time, but also because consequences of doing so in the past have not been too big.
Our personal characteristics partly affect how prone to procrastinating we are. Impulsivity, self-esteem, self-confidence and a too low or high optimism are characteristics that play a part. Research on postponing things have shown that four factors are primarily of importance:
Value – what award we think we will receive when we complete a task.
Expectation – our confidence in succeeding with the task.
Time – how long we need to wait for the reward.
Impulse control – our ability to work on something that will have value to us only in the long run.
Level of impulsivity has turned out to be the single most important factor. Various people can have problems with varying factors even if all factors are important for us to get going with a task. To try figuring out your reason behind your procrastination could be a good start.
It is easy to think that procrastination is primarily due to laziness or bad time planning. In the short video The truth behind procrastination new scientific evidence is presented that busts these myths. The video is 11 minutes and 21 seconds long.
Tim Urban calls himself a master procrastinator. In his TED Talk, he attempts to explain what happens when you procrastinate. The Ted Talk is 13 minutes and 55 seconds long.
The connection between perfectionism and procrastination
Wanting to do well is natural and setting a goal to achieve things to develop is often healthy. But when our demands and expectations on ourselves become exaggerated, there is a risk that we become stressed and exert ourselves too much, or completely avoid even attempting to perform. We can get into an ‘all or nothing’ mentality that hinders us from adapting demands and behaviours based upon the conditions we are faced with. That is, to do what is reasonable in the current situation.
Perfectionism is a concept best described as an aspiration to reach what is experienced as the perfect result and to avoid mistakes to the greatest extent possible. This may sound as a positive characteristic, but to many people, this causes huge problems since ‘the perfect result’ is very hard to achieve in practice. People who are driven by perfectionism are often very self-critical and can struggle with being satisfied with their performance. It can also be a challenge to be a beginner and less good at something since you often compare yourself to others. This can have the effect that you try to hide your mistakes or avoid asking for help and trying new things.
Perfectionists value and assess themselves as individuals largely based on their performance and goals that are often set unreasonably high, which means the goals are practically impossible to reach. Perfectionists are rarely completely satisfied with their performance and the satisfaction rarely stays for long. Instead, focus often shifts towards doing better next time. For humans to experience satisfaction, we need to set reasonable and concrete goals and intermediate targets, that are achievable and that we can approach gradually. This means we can develop and be stimulated without the risk of putting an unhealthy pressure on ourselves.
The reasons for developing a performance-based self-esteem can vary. For instance, you may have grown up with people and role models who have performed very well. You may have received affirmation, been appreciated and noticed based upon your performance already as a child. So, you do not necessarily need to have had outspoken demands or expectations set on yourself by others, but been in an environment where efforts have been rewarded or led to advantages.
Setting too high expectations on ourself and your performance can lead to us postponing or avoiding things. Perfectionism in combination with procrastination means we become more stressed and less productive. Do you recognise that you spend a lot of time thinking about and planning what you want to do in your head to ensure it ends up as good as possible, but despite that are pressed for time in the end?
I believe procrastination is a problem for me – how do I move on from here?
An unfinished task takes energy. Every time you think about it, it becomes bigger and bigger. Instead of getting on with the task, you may in the end have spent more time thinking about it or planning it than it would have taken you to complete the task in the first place.
Here are some suggestions on what you can do to come to terms with procrastination:
Take note of the thoughts and feelings that emerge the moment you are about to procrastinate. For instance: “I’m not sufficiently motivated right now”, “I will never learn this”, “I should practise first”. Those feelings are okay, but do not let your feelings control your actions.
Practise putting up with the discomfort and your impulse control. Try calmly and methodically to study even if you do not feel motivated at the moment. Restlessness and anxiety will pass.
Reward yourself when you have worked for a while, maybe with what you had in mind when you were about to procrastinate.
Remind yourself of why you chose to study and what the goal of your studies is.
Review your study technique. The University library (UB) offers several good advice and tips on how to simplify and make your studies more effective.
Do you need more help?
Contact the Student Health Service if you need support or have questions regarding your health.
Contact the University library if you need help with your study technique, academic writing or how to do an oral presentation, for instance.
Contact the Study Guidance if you suspect that your procrastination is due to uncertainties with the choice of education.
If you have a long-term functional disability such as ADHD, which affects your ability to study, you can apply for support. Learn more on Study with disabilities.
