You may be asking yourself ‘What is procrastination?’ or ‘Why do we procrastinate?’.
Isn’t it ironic that I’ve been putting off writing this blog for about a month now? It just goes to show that we all struggle with procrastination at times, whether it’s an assignment, admin, or housework! Procrastination is not limited to an academic context, and can show up in multiple aspects of our lives.
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Rethinking Procrastination
In Latin, the term ‘procrastination’ translates to ‘In the favour of doing things tomorrow”.
If you procrastinate, you’ve probably been given the (not-so-helpful) advice to “just do it!”. With an Acceptance and Commitment (ACT) approach we aren’t aiming to ‘get rid’ of procrastination. Instead, we aim to notice and name it when it shows up. We learn to make room for the uncomfortable experiences that occur when we move towards a task, rather than away from it, and make choices in the service of our values rather than driven by experiential avoidance.
Not a Personality Trait
You may find that, if you’re somebody that has struggled with procrastination for some time, you have developed a self-critical narrative. You might believe that you are “lazy” or “not good enough”. If we hold these narratives tightly, we can hinder our ability to move towards the task and what matters to us.
Types of Procrastination
Did you know that procrastination can show up in multiple ways? Do you recognise any of these in your own life?
Avoidance: This may present as distraction, or attempts to ‘not think about it’ (thought suppression). Psychologists know that the cycle of avoidance maintains problems in the longer term.
‘Thrill-seeking’: The lastminute.com procrastinators! Some people believe that they work better when they are close to a deadline, and that the pressure and time constraints help them to focus.
Indecision: Not knowing where to start, or how to prioritise a number of tasks.
Busy-ness: sometimes we believe that we are too busy to prioritise a task, and instead focus on less important things first. This may also be called ‘functional procrastination’.
Perfectionism: The belief that the task can’t be completed until it’s ‘good enough’. This unattainable and unrelenting standard can often make the task feel too difficult to begin. There may be risk to your sense of self-worth, and a fear of making mistakes.
‘Super-feeling’: Emotions about the task may be particularly heightened for some individuals, such as those with autism or ADHD. These can be challenging to sit with for prolonged periods of time.
Why Do We Procrastinate?
Rather than considering behavioural strategies (which you’ve probably tried), it can be helpful to consider the psychological drivers for procrastination:
Difficulty sitting with uncomfortable feelings that show up when approaching or completing a task.
Fusion with beliefs and rules about what needs to happen before we can get started.
Impulsive choices, and making decisions based on current feelings rather than longer-term values.
Ignoring the values that may be present in a task.
Doubting our ability to get the task done, often due to the self-critical narrative of I’m lazy, broken, or defective.
If you are struggling with procrastination, get support with your mental health. ACT can be a particularly helpful therapeutic approach. We’re Here to Help!
