Why do we procrastinate?

By: Claudya Annabelle Hendarmin

January 19, 2022

 

Have you ever completed a task you dread, over a task you dreaded most? If you have, that’s procrastination. It isn’t laziness as you are still crossing a task off your to-do. Some of us are able to finish our tasks as they are given, but the majority of us puts off important tasks despite being aware of the struggle that our future selves will have to bear completing them. So why exactly do we procrastinate?

 

Many of us have this certain perspective that procrastination is due to our lack of self-control and time management, which is not the answer. Dr. Fuschia Sirois, a professor of psychology at the University of Sheffield, said, “People engage in this irrational cycle of chronic procrastination because of an inability to manage negative moods around a task.” Simply, we procrastinate due to how we perceive a task to be, how we think we’ll feel when we’re doing it, and how we predict our teachers, bosses or parents would react to the result of our completed task. This all includes boredom, anxiety, self-doubt, frustration and many more. For example, you have to create presentation slides by Friday night but you know, even before starting on it, you’ll be bored and frustrated while doing it. Then you may also worry about your teacher’s opinion on your presentation. Not being able to find the right words to deliver an idea or the desire to be watching your favourite show on the television right next to your study table. Many of us would choose to watch that show than complete the presentation due Friday night. Why is that? Another reason for procrastination is the amygdala — the part of our brain processing emotions and decision making. When these negative emotions surround the task, the amygdala will see the task as a threat to our well-being. Wait, doesn’t the brain know that putting off the task would create more negative emotions such as stress in the future? Yes, but our brains prioritize eliminating current threats.

 

How do we overcome procrastination?

 

You may be putting off a big task and doing other easier and quicker tasks to complete. Cutting up a big task into smaller tasks may make less of a burden on you when doing them. For example, a 2000-word essay can be divided into research, write introduction and half of body, write second half of body and closing, and spell-check. 

 

Another way is self-compassion. Surrounding ourselves with positive thoughts and emotions is a great way to overcome procrastination. When we are able to forgive and treat ourselves with kindness, we are able to grow from our mistakes without the need for increasing negative emotions and distress. Dr. Sirois mentions that research has shown that self-compassion increases motivation to improve ourselves rather than making us lazy. 

 

For those of us who procrastinate due to fear of judgement, Joseph Ferrari, professor of psychology at DePaul University, suggests that we should focus on doing our best instead of filling our minds with what others might think.