Want to make procrastination a thing of the past? Learn the tips & tricks to help break the habit
If the phrases “I’ll do it later”, “I’ll do it when I have more time” or “I’ll just tidy my desk first” ring true, then you’re no stranger to procrastination.
One of the biggest battles against time, procrastination is something that can affect us all from time to time. One minute you’re feeling productive, the next you’re scrambling to get things done because you fell down a social media rabbit hole.
It can show up in many forms, but how do you stop the cycle? Read on as we take a closer look at procrastination so you can finally tick off that to-do list…
What is procrastination?
Everyone is different, especially when it comes to how we go about our day-to-day routine. But if you’re someone who intentionally delays or postpones things, leaves everything to the last minute – or even past their deadline despite knowing the negative consequences – that’s procrastination.
It’s often misinterpreted as laziness or poor time management, when really it comes down to managing our emotions, which we’ll get into next.
Why do we procrastinate?
There are a number of reasons why so many of us fall into poor productivity, and with one in five people experiencing chronic procrastination every single day, it’s becoming an increasingly challenging habit to break, but why is this?
We tend to associate certain tasks or activities with emotions – both good and bad – but where procrastination is concerned, these are often negative emotions. For example, if we’re working on a project and we find it boring or we’re worried about failing, we often seek out distractions to make ourselves feel better in the moment, like making a snack or putting the TV on. However, this can then lead to other negative emotions down the line, like guilt and stress for leaving it last minute.
Procrastination is also thought to be something that people do to avoid potential negative outcomes or self-perceptions, such as:
- Feelings of anxiousness
- Fear
- Failure
- Low self-esteem
- Perfectionism
- Lack of belief in your abilities
- Frustration
- Distraction
- Boredom
But whether it’s because you’re feeling overwhelmed, have a fear of failure, a lack of motivation, or you simply have a disinterest in what’s being asked of you, procrastination isn’t one-size-fits-all. In fact, procrastination can be classified into six different types which all have their own triggers, so let’s dive in…
The perfectionist
- Gets overwhelmed by expectations
- Pays too much attention to detail that they often struggle to finish a task
- Wants things to be perfect and always feels like there’s room for improvement
- Worries about being judged or embarrassed if they don’t complete the work to their impossible standards
The dreamer
- Craves variety in their day-to-day life or tasks
- Underestimates how long things will take
- Gets bored easily
- Has a lot of ideas but feels overwhelmed by all the attention to detail
The worrier
- Seeks safety by procrastinating
- Driven by fear of failure, judgement, change or the unknown
- Spends a lot of time thinking about the ‘what ifs’
- Often experiences imposter syndrome (when a person feels inadequate or underqualified despite their success)
The defier
- Has a rebellious, passive-aggressive mindset
- Doesn’t like to be told what to do and uses this to procrastinate
- Likes to do things on their own terms and maintain control
- Resists working on something if they don’t like or agree with it
The crisis maker
- Loves the adrenaline rush of doing things last minute
- Feels they work best under pressure
- Ends up panicking and rushing a task
- Uses stress as their motivation
The over-doer
- Finds it difficult to prioritise tasks
- Struggles to say no so it’s easy to take on too much
- Procrastinates due to being overwhelmed
- Has trouble making decisions
10 ways to stop procrastination
Tired of putting things off? Get ready to finally take things off the back burner with our 10 top tips for stopping procrastination.
1. Try the Pomodoro technique
This is a time management method that breaks tasks into 25-minute intervals, with short, five minute breaks in between. This is repeated until the task is completed and aims to help improve focus and productivity.
2. Break larger tasks into smaller ones
Having a long to-do list or big task can feel overwhelming, so dividing the tasks into smaller, more manageable ones can make it a little easier to process what needs doing, focus on the task and achieve your goal.
3. Minimise distractions
If you’re someone who’s easily distracted, whether it’s by your phone, other people or things in your environment, try to find ways to reduce them. For example, you could turn notifications off on your phone or create a dedicated workspace where you can really focus.
4. Reduce the number of decisions you need to make a day
It’s really easy to procrastinate when you have a lot of decisions to make, especially if this makes you feel overwhelmed, under pressure or worry about the potential outcomes. So try to reduce the number you need to make per day or try to make them ahead of time to help alleviate any added stress, for example, choosing an outfit the night before, or planning your weekly meals in advance.
5. Colour code your week
It’s important to try and get a good balance between your routine, your necessary tasks and activities you enjoy. A good technique to try is colour coding your week into these three categories, for example:
- Routine – things like cooking and cleaning
- Necessary tasks – things you have to do, like paying bills
- Enjoyable activities – any hobbies or things you do for fun in your spare time, like spending time with friends
6. Try the five minute method
All you need to do for this time management technique is spend five minutes on a task to help it feel more manageable. Once the five minutes are up, reassess how you feel about the task – you might even find you have the energy to keep going.
7. Find a productivity partner
Need someone to hold you accountable? Reach out to others to help support you. Whether it’s a friend, family member or colleague, getting this encouragement from others might help you stop procrastinating. It can also be beneficial to bounce ideas off each other, and you may even find they give you some coping tips too.
8. Reframe your mindset
Overcoming procrastination doesn’t happen overnight, it’s something that takes time and patience. But one thing you can try is to reframe the way you think of certain tasks. For example, instead of going into a task saying, “I can’t bring myself to do it because I’ve got no motivation”, change this to “I’m capable of doing this task, and the sooner it’s done, the sooner I can reward myself.”
9. Write everything down in categories & time block tasks
While it’s great to write everything down on a to-do list, as a procrastinator, these lists can also be overwhelming if there’s a lot on them. Try to categorise the things on your list so it helps break it up, for example, splitting them into routine tasks like doing the washing or making a meal, or write everything down in order of priority so you focus on the most important things first.
Then, divide these into chunks of time, so you could focus on making your meal from 5pm-6pm, or tackling emails from 9am-9:30am. This gives you a clearer idea of how to spend your time and helps make your list seem a little less overwhelming.
10. Reward yourself for the small wins
Last but not least, reward yourself after completing a task. This can be anything from enjoying a break with a book, taking yourself out for a walk or treating yourself to something you enjoy. This can help motivate you to do your tasks and help you to stop procrastinating.
Getting started
Step one of overcoming procrastination is to identify what you avoid. You can do this by making a note of anything you delay starting, or avoid entirely, over the course of a few weeks and then see if you can spot any common themes. Then, you’ll know how best to use the above tips to help you tackle procrastination.
How to build long-term habits for productivity
We hate to break it to you, but there’s no quick fix for stopping procrastination. But what we do know is that it takes 66 days, on average, to form a habit – though this can vary. So with that in mind, here are a few things you can try to help you stay productive in the long-term – but remember, consistency is key!
- Pay attention to when you’re most focused throughout the day, for example, do you work better in the morning or evening? It’s important to manage your energy equally with your time
- Organise your thoughts and make a to-do list the night before to save time and stress
- Turn your phone off when you need to focus on important tasks
- Get into a healthy, consistent daily routine
- Prioritise the above techniques, like the Pomodoro and five minute methods and time blocking
- Take care of your mind and body
- Set clear goals for both the short-term and long-term
- Consider using productivity apps to help you focus
- Learn what tasks to prioritise
- Create a comfortable, distraction-free environment to work in
Frequently asked questions
What is the root of procrastination?
Procrastination often stems from a combination of things like avoiding difficult tasks, a fear of failure, low self-esteem, feelings of anxiousness and a lack of motivation or focus.
You can find out more information in the ‘Why do we procrastinate’ section of the article.
How can you stop procrastination?
While there’s no quick fix for procrastination, there are a few things you can try to help break the habit over time, such as:
- Trying the Pomodoro technique
- Breaking bigger tasks into smaller ones
- Minimising distractions
- Reduce the number of decisions you need to make a day
- Colour coding your week
- Trying the five minute method
- Finding a productivity partner
- Writing everything down in categories & time block tasks
- Reframing your mindset
- Rewarding yourself for the small wins
You can read more about these in the ’10 ways to stop procrastinating’ section of the article.
Is procrastination a coping mechanism?
While procrastination affects everyone differently, in some cases it may be seen as a coping mechanism to avoid tasks that trigger negative emotions like fear, failure or feelings of anxiousness.
Is procrastination a mental health disorder?
No, procrastination isn’t a mental health disorder, it’s something that many people do from time to time. There’s also no specific diagnosis based solely on procrastination, however, it can sometimes be linked to some mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, as well as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder).
It’s important to note that procrastination doesn’t necessarily mean you have any of the above conditions. But if you feel like procrastination is negatively impacting your wellbeing and daily life, or you think it could be connected to a mental health condition, it’s a good idea to speak to your GP for advice.
What emotion is commonly linked to procrastination?
Procrastination presents itself in a number of ways, but more commonly, it can be linked to a number of emotions that enable people to avoid potential negative outcomes or self-perceptions. These include:
- Feelings of anxiousness
- Fear
- Failure
- Low self-esteem
- Perfectionism
- Lack of belief in your abilities
- Frustration
- Distraction
- Boredom
You can find out more about this in the ‘Why do we procrastinate’ section of the article.
What personality types are procrastinators?
Procrastination isn’t something that affects certain personalities. It can affect everyone when we’re faced with certain tasks, challenges or decisions. However, procrastinators can be classified into six different types, including:
- The perfectionist
- The dreamer
- The worrier
- The defier
- The crisis maker
- The over-doer
You can find out more about these in the ‘Why do we procrastinate’ section of the article.
