Ever chided yourself for leaving a task that could have been completed weeks earlier until the very last minute, with all the blood-pressure-raising panic that ensues? You’re not alone.
Studies suggest that around 20% of the general population may be chronic procrastinators, who regularly put off important tasks despite the potential fallout. But research also suggests that practising self-compassion can help overcome avoidant behaviour.
By doing something other than the activity we should be working on, we temporarily reduce stress levels
Overcoming procrastination requires overriding what is innate; procrastination is our brain’s stress response. By doing something other than the activity we should be working on, we temporarily reduce stress levels. But by reinforcing procrastination as our response for coping with difficult or complex tasks, it can become chronic and in turn cause us stress.
Causes of procrastination
Psychotherapist Eloise Skinner says that while the reasons for procrastination are multiple, all are generally due to ‘cognitive distortion’. This could be a tendency to favour immediate rewards over uncertain long-term outcomes, or a desire to obtain perfection by completing other tasks before starting.
‘Highly motivated people might still procrastinate’
Alternatively, it could be a misperception of how much time is left to complete a task, or a misunderstanding of how long the work will actually take to complete. Skinner says under-confidence (‘I don’t think I can do it’) or overconfidence (‘I can do it at the last minute’) can also be factors.
Importantly, not all procrastinators are lazy. Some are fearful of failure, afraid that their work won’t live up to their standards.
‘Procrastinators are all types of people,’ says Skinner. ‘Highly motivated people might still procrastinate, possibly wanting to wait until other conditions are perfect before starting a project, or being distracted by other tasks.’
Business impact
Although procrastination is personal, there’s a ripple effect on organisations to consider. Keri Platt, business and wellbeing coach and founder of KPH Coaching, warns that it can kill productivity for teams and organisations.
Clear goal-setting and regular check-ins will help individuals stay on track
‘When employees delay individual tasks, it can create bottlenecks that impact entire workflows,’ she explains. ‘Chronic procrastination often leads to last-minute, rushed work, which can reduce quality and increase the risk of errors.’ And, when other employees have to pick up the slack, it can impact morale, too.
Platt says that a culture of accountability, clear goal-setting and regular check-ins will help individuals stay on track. She adds: ‘Organisations that encourage their people to focus on consistently completing small, manageable actions rather than on perfection are likely to see greater productivity, improved collaboration between team members and stronger overall performance.’
Jack Izzard, founder of Gallia Communications, recalls how he once crammed four years of study for university finals into ‘four hours of caffeine-addled revision’ the night before the exam.
‘I was lucky that for the first decade of my working life as a journalist, I had immovable deadlines imposed on me, which made it easy to focus,’ he says. ‘Things all went wrong when I moved to a job in which it was up to me to set and keep deadlines.’
‘Break up the intimidating tasks into easily achievable chunks’
Izzard broke his procrastination cycle by happy accident when he took up rowing and long-distance running. ‘Both of these are repetitive, just like work’, he says, ‘but the key is to focus on the next stroke or the next mile. I now apply this to work: break up the big and intimidating tasks into small and easily achievable chunks.’
Five-minute rule
‘Think small’ is a common trope in advice for procrastinators. Platt recommends the five-minute rule.
‘It’s as simple as it sounds: just commit to working on the task for five minutes. That’s it. No pressure to finish or do it perfectly. Just start,’ she says. ‘Once you begin, your initial resistance is likely to fade as momentum kicks in. You’re no longer battling excuses because you’ve already crossed that bridge.’
That five minutes will often turn into something longer but, even if it doesn’t, you’ve still made progress. And it is progress, not perfection, that leads to success, says Platt. Other experts advise just trying to do half of the task you need to complete, to the same effect.
To get started, Skinner recommends a simple countdown method. Count down from three, after which you must take your first step towards completing the task, which might be as simple as sitting down at your desk.
Find space
Environmental tweaks may also help. Success coach Alice Dartnell thinks mixing up where you work to remove distractions can stimulate creativity and enhance focus. It doesn’t need to be a fancy workspace; a coffee shop will do, says Dartnell. ‘You’re less likely to procrastinate by wandering to the fridge or getting distracted by other tasks,’ she says.
Make guilt-free space in your schedule to do nothing
Productivity and time efficiency expert Claudia Romero recommends designating time to procrastinate with intent, which she calls ‘controlled procrastination’. In short, make guilt-free space in your schedule to do nothing, watch TV or scroll on social media, but only during times when you won’t be as focused. Important tasks should be done when energy levels are likely to be highest.
‘Understanding your rhythms and energy patterns means you won’t be dragging the load or spending triple the time to complete one task,’ she says. ‘It’s all about knowing your natural flow and working with it, not against it. You can still get loads done, even with some built-in time to procrastinate.’
Armed with new techniques, greater awareness and a healthy dose of self-compassion, we can stop putting off necessary tasks and start getting things done.
