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“I can’t think about that right now. I’ll think about that tomorrow”, — Scarlett O’Hara’s famous line from ‘Gone with the Wind’. We’re going to tell those who aren’t best friends with deadlines and keep promising themselves to start working in 5-10 minutes, what procrastination is, how to distinguish it from laziness and what to do.
Procrastination is the act of putting off tasks until the last minute, despite knowing that there will be negative consequences. This issue is familiar to many people, but if it becomes a common thing, it’s time to think about it.
Signs that you’re procrastinating:
Awareness
You understand that things aren’t going anywhere, and you still have to deal with them, but you continue to delay deadlines.
Irrationality.
You realize that the longer you put off a task, the more serious the consequences will be. Still, you can’t get to work, although common sense tells you that it’s time to start.
Psychological discomfort.
You consciously choose optional tasks, however there is an internal conflict. You experience anxiety and guilt. It’s an important difference between procrastination and laziness. The latter doesn’t cause discomfort.
Intention to perform a task (or a lack of it in case of laziness).
Scarlett said, “I’ll think about it tomorrow”. So a procrastinator says: “I’ll do it”. And then you can’t get down to work and feel pangs of conscience.
In short, laziness is about “I’m not going to do it and I’m not doing it”, and procrastination is about “I’m going to do it, but I’m not doing it”.
What causes procrastination?
- Negative emotions associated with work;
- Lack of motivation and/or desire to complete tasks;
- Lack of planning skills;
- Underestimation of negative consequences;
- Perfectionism;
- Abstract goals;
- Anxiety (a person doesn’t believe in his or her knowledge and skills and has a fear of failure);
- Emotional burnout;
- Difficulties in decision-making (there are too many alternatives);
- Successful cases of doing things at the last minute in the past (becomes a habit).
When procrastinating, a person spends a lot of energy on unnecessary actions (smoke breaks, snacks, scrolling through social networks, etc.). It can also be something useful at first glance (for example, cleaning), but it won’t be your top priority at the moment. That’s how procrastinators can become exhausted. At the same, time stress and anxiety levels increase, so instead of procrastinating, it’s better to do nothing at all.
How to deal with the “Tomorrow Syndrome”?
Set achievable and specific goals
Instead of “tonight I’ll sit down to write my term paper”, give yourself a simple task, for example, “tonight I’ll write 2 pages”. When you indicate the amount of work you have to do, tasks become less intimidating.
Minimize distractions
The less there are temptations around you like pop-up notifications, unread books lying on the table and many tabs open on your computer, the less is the risk of succumbing to these temptations.
Learn how to plan
Today, time management offers an immense number of systems and approaches on how to make an effective plan for a day/week/month/year. You can find the most suitable method for you.
Eat an elephant beetle last
There is an opinion that you should conquer the hardest and least desirable task first thing in the morning. However, sometimes it’s better to start with something easy. Completing even minor tasks will increase levels of dopamine and serotonin (feel-good hormones), and there will be more resources for serious things.
Replace “I must” with “I choose”
It’ll be easier for your brain to overcome challenges if you show that it’s your choice to take on this responsibility. At this point, it’s effective to define the result that awaits you in case of successful completion of the task.
Procrastination isn’t an official disease, but it can be the result of many mental disorders. Be attentive to yourself.
Find more useful tips in our article “What should you do if you have work fatigue”. If you want to become more emotionally resilient, read our article about Adaptive thinking.
