Procrastinating involves making a decision, without a valid reason, to delay or not complete a task or goal you’ve committed to, opting instead for something of lesser importance, despite the negative consequences of not following through on the original task or goal.

The Vicious Cycle of Procrastinating

Our unhelpful rules and assumptions about ourselves and the world trigger procrastination by causing discomfort when faced with tasks or goals. 

If we cannot tolerate this discomfort, we are likely to resort to procrastinating as a way of avoiding it. 

Furthermore, if we can justify our procrastination with convincing excuses, we are even more likely to engage in it. 

Consequently, we substitute procrastination activities, such as indulging in pleasurable or distracting tasks, for the tasks and goals we should be focusing on. 

The consequences of procrastinating, whether positive or negative, reinforce this behavior and make it more likely to recur in similar situations. 

This cycle persists because procrastination provides a payoff while simultaneously intensifying the aversiveness of the task through delay.

Ways To Avoid Procrastinating

Procrastination Behavior Analysis

To stop procrastinating, you first need to understand your procrastination behavior.

Tasks/Goals

Make a list of types of Tasks/Goals you tend to procrastinate about:

Examples of Tasks/Goals

• Work-related tasks like meeting deadlines, and making phone calls.
• Household tasks like daily chores (dishes, tidying, cooking, etc) or bigger chores (vacuuming, washing, ironing, etc).
• Social, Family & Relationships Goals like Making phone calls, Replying to invitations, etc.
• Decision-making tasks like Making plans or Committing to something new.
• Health goals like Making medical appointments, Attending medical appointments, etc.
• Financial goals like Paying the bills or Tax return.
• Self-development goals like Starting a course you always wanted to do, Starting a hobby, etc.

Procrastination Activities

Make a list of typical sorts of things you do instead of the task or goal at hand. These are your procrastination activities These can be activities such as: 

• Pleasurable tasks (e.g., movies, reading, surfing the net, etc), 
• Lower priority tasks (e.g., sorting, tidying, checking emails, etc), 
• Socializing with friends/family/your partner, 
• Distractions (e.g., sleeping, eating, smoking, etc)
• Daydreaming.

Becoming aware of the typical distractions from tasks or goals is crucial. These activities are not inherently negative and shouldn’t necessarily be stopped. We all require pleasurable experiences, breaks from challenging tasks, social interactions, and moments of daydreaming. 

The problem arises when engaging in these activities detracts from completing important tasks or goals.

Therefore, the next time you find yourself engaging in such activities, ask yourself, “Am I doing this as a form of procrastination?” If the answer is “No – there isn’t a more pressing task I should be focusing on right now,” then continue. However, if the answer is “Yes – I’m using this to avoid something very important,” it may be necessary to reconsider your approach.

Excuses For Procrastinating

Analyze the self-talk that you use to excuse your procrastination

Examples of common procrastination excuses include:

• “I won’t get much done, so I’ll just leave it for now.”
• “It is better to do it when I am in the mood or feeling inspired.”
• “I will miss out on the fun happening now, I can do it another time.”
• “It is too nice a day to spend on this.”
• “I will do it once this other thing is finished.”
• “I’ve got to organize my desk/kitchen/laundry, etc., first.”

Unhelpful Rules And Assumptions 

People procrastinate because they hold unhelpful rules and assumptions about themselves or how the world works. These unhelpful rules and assumptions, often associated with procrastination, include:

• Needing To Be In Charge: Believing that things should be done their way and resisting tasks they don’t want to do or those assigned by others.
• Pleasure Seeking: Prioritizing fun over tasks perceived as boring or difficult.
• Fear Of Failure Or Disapproval: Feeling the need to do things perfectly to avoid failure or negative judgment from others.
• Fear Of Uncertainty Or Catastrophe: Preferring certainty over uncertainty and avoiding action to prevent potential negative outcomes.
• Low Self-Confidence: Doubting their own abilities and feeling incapable and inadequate.
• Depleted Energy: Believing they cannot accomplish tasks when stressed, fatigued, unmotivated, or depressed.

Consequences Of Procrastinating

What are the Consequences Of Procrastinating for you?

The positive consequences of procrastination serve as incentives that perpetuate procrastination. Conversely, the negative consequences, such as increased discomfort (e.g., guilt and shame) also contribute to the continuation of procrastination. 

These negative consequences intensify the aversiveness of the task or goal, making procrastination appear as an appealing option in future situations.

Read more about the Consequences Of Procrastinating.

Dismissing Procrastination Excuses

Procrastination excuses often stem from identifying a truth about the situation and then drawing an unhelpful conclusion that justifies delaying the task or goal. For example:

Truth: I am really tired.

Unhelpful Conclusion: I am better off doing it after I have rested.

Truth: I don’t want to do it now.

Unhelpful Conclusion: I may feel more like doing it tomorrow.

To address these unhelpful conclusions that perpetuate procrastination, we can take two approaches.

• Firstly, we can challenge these conclusions by questioning their validity and replacing them with more helpful alternatives that motivate us to take action. For example, instead of thinking “I am better off doing it after I have rested,” we can reframe it as “Even though I’m tired, starting now will help me feel accomplished and energized.”

• Secondly, we can test these unhelpful conclusions by putting them to the test and examining whether they hold true in practice. By experimenting with different approaches and observing the outcomes, we can gain insight into the validity of these conclusions and adjust our mindset accordingly.

Example of Challenging Your Conclusions

Procrastination Excuse:

“I am really tired.”

The Truth:

It is true that I am tired right now and things will be more of an effort.

Old Unhelpful Conclusion:

“I am better off doing it after I have rested.”

Disputation Questions:

• What is the factual evidence or reasons that it is better for me to put off this task or goal?
• What is the factual evidence or reasons that it is better for me to start this task or goal now?
• Is it really true that I will be better off in the long run delaying this task or goal?
• Is it really true that I can’t make even a small start on the task or goal right now? Can I still get some parts of the task or goal done now, even though conditions aren’t ideal?
• Is it really true that later is a better time to do it?
• If I do make some start on the task or goal right now – What might happen? How might I feel?
• If I don’t make a start on the task or goal right now – What might happen? How might I feel?

Answers to Disputation Questions:

• But, times before when I have done things even though I am tired, I have felt better for having gotten started and accomplished something, and usually I end up having more energy rather than less.
• If I delay this, it will just play on my mind, I will just feel worse in the long run, and things will be harder to get done.
• I guess I could make a small start, maybe just 30 minutes on it.
• I don’t know that I will feel any better after resting, it may be the same story tomorrow.
• If I make a small start I know I will feel better, and may feel like doing more.

End Result:

The Truth:

I am really tired.

New Helpful Conclusion:

But I can still make a small start right now and then rest.

Testing Your Conclusions:

Another method to challenge your unhelpful conclusions is through experimentation. This involves conducting tests to determine if your assumptions about your ability to complete tasks under specific circumstances hold true in reality. 

For instance, if your excuses revolve around feeling too fatigued to start a task, you can rate your level of fatigue on a scale of 0 to 10, then spend a short period, such as 5 or 10 minutes, working on the task.

Afterward, reassess your fatigue level and evaluate what you were able to accomplish in that time. 

You may find that you can make progress and actually feel more energized. Continuing this experiment for additional short intervals allows you to gauge your capabilities more accurately and challenge your assumptions effectively.

Encouragement Rather Than Criticism

The more you criticize yourself for procrastinating, the more demotivated you feel, and the more likely you will continue to procrastinate. Therefore, transforming self-criticism into more motivational self-talk can also aid in overcoming procrastination. The most effective approach to encourage and motivate yourself is to speak to yourself as you would to a friend in the same situation, as we tend to offer encouragement rather than criticism to others.

Tolerating Discomfort

Discomfort Intolerance

At the core of procrastination lies the experience or anticipation of discomfort associated with a task or goal. This discomfort may manifest as anger, frustration, anxiety, or other negative emotions. 

Individuals who strongly dislike or cannot tolerate discomfort are more prone to procrastination as they seek to avoid these feelings. This pattern of behavior, driven by discomfort, often dictates their actions.

The inability to endure discomfort is known as discomfort intolerance. To combat procrastination effectively, it is beneficial to work on increasing one’s tolerance for discomfort. 

Increasing Discomfort Tolerance

Here are some suggestions derived from mindfulness meditation principles that can help you enhance your ability to tolerate discomfort. 

Often, practicing mindfulness in this way paradoxically reduces feelings of discomfort, enabling individuals to feel more capable of tolerating it. 

Steps to Mindfulness

Be Aware

First, gently bring your awareness to your present experience. This could involve noticing your breath, sensations in your body, the environment around you, sounds, sights, tastes, emotions, or thoughts arising in your mind. If you experience distress during this practice, acknowledge and bring awareness to the discomfort.

Watch, Observe, Don’t Judge

Once you’re aware of your experience, take on the role of an observer or watcher. 

Observers don’t attempt to alter what’s happening but also don’t become entangled in or influenced by it. They maintain a distance from the action, simply observing. 

Strive to be a non-judgmental observer, refraining from labeling your experience as good or bad; it simply is what it is. To foster non-judgmental observation, consider labeling your experience, such as “here is a thought,” “here is a body sensation,” or “here is a feeling.” 

If you experience distress during practice, continue to watch and observe your discomfort in a non-judgmental manner. You might use labels like “here is the feeling of anger,” “here is the feeling of boredom,” or “here is the feeling of despair.” 

Try to view them as mere feelings, neither more nor less. Remind yourself that “you are not your feelings and that you are more than just your feelings.”

Let Go

By allowing your experience to simply exist as it is, without resistance, it’s likely that it will eventually dissipate on its own accord. Because you’ve permitted it to enter your space without fighting against it, it will be able to depart in its own time. 

To facilitate this process, you can use your breath as a tool for letting go. Direct your breath towards the source of discomfort within you. Inhale into the discomfort, creating space for it and allowing it to exist. As you exhale, envision the discomfort leaving with your breath. If the discomfort does dissipate, it doesn’t guarantee that it won’t return. 

When it resurfaces, acknowledge that it’s okay, and once again, observe it without judgment, allowing it to depart when it’s ready.

Action Plan

Drafting a clear plan of action can assist us in addressing procrastination whenever it arises. Here are six steps to help you regain control when you feel procrastination taking hold:

• Step 1. Be aware and avoid blaming.
• Step 2. Adjust unhelpful rules and assumptions.
• Step 3. Practice tolerating discomfort.
• Step 4. Dismiss procrastination excuses and encourage.
• Step 5. Implement practical strategies.
• Step 6. Reflect and revise the plan.

Summary

To stop procrastinating, it’s essential to acquire strategies for dismissing procrastination excuses, adopt practical techniques to cease procrastination activities, and implement tips for challenging unhelpful rules and assumptions while building tolerance for discomfort.

Anticipate that breaking the procrastination cycle will require ongoing effort, repetition, and resilience. Understand that progress will not always be linear, and setbacks are a natural part of the process. Some days you’ll feel motivated and productive, while other days you may find yourself slipping back into old habits. 

Remember the adage “two steps forward, one step back” – setbacks are normal. By acknowledging this reality from the outset, you’ll be better prepared to navigate challenges without becoming discouraged or giving up.

Reference: Self-Help Resources – Information Sheets & Workbooks. (n.d.). https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself