Putting off a task you know you need to do again?
Whether you’re postponing studying, assignments, or even personal tasks, you’re not alone in feeling this way. Deadlines, exams, and social pressures can lead you to feel overwhelmed and stuck in a cycle of putting things off.
It’s also not uncommon to find yourself feeling frustrated or guilty about procrastinating, but it is possible to break the habit and get back on track.
Why we procrastinate
It’s not about being lazy or incapable of doing the task. Usually, it’s worry, perfectionism or anxiety that make it hard to start. An example is outlined in the procrastination model below.
Procrastination model:
Situation: Worrying about exams
Thoughts: I’m so worried. I’m dreading this. Is this enough?
Emotion: Hostility, fear, guilt, sadness, boredom
Bodily response: Heart racing, sweating, tiredness
Behaviour: Procrastination, avoidance, perfectionism, generating the deadline ‘high’.
Unhelpful rules & assumptions underpinning the behaviour
Effort does not equal achievement
Managing procrastination
Small steps can help, try some of these:
• Break the task into smaller tasks.
• Set goals (not deadlines) and work towards them.
• Plan rewards to keep you motivated.
• Start with five minutes. Once you’ve started it’s usually easier to keep going.
• Be kind to yourself, it’s okay to struggle and it’s okay to find it hard. Set your expectations lower.
• Imagine how it might feel going into an exam prepared, rather than with crossed fingers.
• Worst first: do the worst goal or task you're dreading first.
• Using momentum: do a task you like and while in the zone start a task you have been putting off
• Set time limits; 30 minutes and stick to it, even when it’s going well. Try the pomodoro method.
Check out some of these online resources: