Why People Procrastinate & How It Is Harmful to You

byTheCatherine

13.9K followers

3 years ago

This year I promised myself I would be at my desk and writing at 9 a.m., and it rarely happens. Often it is 11.00 before I begin to write and this happens often,

Why did I procrastinate?

I know its usual to procrastinate. We all regularly do it. In fact, many of us know we have crowned ourselves the King and Queen of procrastination at some time or another. Sadly we say this in a self-defeating way.

I find myself often putting things off until the last second! When most people put off work they do menial chores like was washing up or tacking the trash out. I haven't even got that excuse because I never do any household chores, so why do I procrastinate?

One thing for sure it is a common human failing, Hesiod who was a contemporary of Homer and lived about 700 BC said

"Works and Days

Do not postpone for tomorrow

or the day after tomorrow;

barns are not filled by those who postpone

and waste time in aimlessness.

Work prospers with care;

He who postpones wrestles with ruin".

It's difficult to be sure but I guess my procrastination is aimless, or do I just put things off to the last minute. In 2007 a study of college students revealed 80-95 per cent of students put off completing coursework. I have studied for two degrees and can categorically say I never once put in an assignment on time.

Dr Joseph Ferrari, a psychology professor concluded that one in five adults in the USA is chronic procrastinators at home, work, in school and also in relationships."

So What is procrastination, anyway, Let's start with a definition?

Procrastination is lack of action, the art or process of putting something off until later. Let's say in these challenging times you are working from home and you have a project to finish. You might dit down at your computer, but look at social media or read your emails. Anything in fact rather than work.

Some people put things off without knowing that they are procrastinating, its just a habit. In my case, it's a habit that has been going on for so long it has become part of my personality. Some people do it because they are bored, now neither of those apply to me I love my work, but stil put off starting it. Even though and this is the weird thing, I plan it the day before so I know what I am doing.

To be fair all of the above are just excuses, to get a clearer picture we need to look at the difference between the procrastinators and those that don't.

This year I have been making a very conscious decision to change the way my brain works and consequently the way I think. The reason behind this is our thoughts become our actions.

“Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.” Napoleon Hill

Don’t procrastinate.

Lots of people think that procrastinators are lazy or unmotivated. or that procrastinators don't know how to manage their time. None of these is correct in my case I love the variety of work I do and love the work itself. I love reading, researching and writing. Laziness can be caused by an underlying reason such as anxiety or fear of failure.

By and large, I don't have to do tasks I don't like, I have a well-chosen business partner. Tasks that make my eyes glaze over in boredom excite him and vice versa.

I know I am a very very hard worker with a great work ethic. I also think that I can manage my time. Recently I have been investigating gene research, environment and psychological reasons for procrastination. I have to justify the extremely expensive degree in psychology that I have done nothing with!!!!!

Is the Root of procrastination Emotional or Psychological?

Tim Pychl is a psychology professor who blogs.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dont-delay/201607/procrastination-101-its-not-about-feeling-it)

How we feel emotionally governs how we feel when doing tasks. Our emotions stem from the limbic centre of the brain. They include the amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus which links our emotions, memories which in turn evoke a physical response.

I have been wondering if I can control my emotional responses will I have a better handle on procrastination? For instance, I always have a very positive emotional response to time spent reading. On the other hand, give me any type of paperwork to fill in and it sits on my desk for as long as possible. In effect, I have no resistance to reading and loads to fill in a tax form.

Things that make us feel afraid, out of our comfort zone, frustrated, uncomfortable, or afraid we tend to put off. Rather than stretch ourselves and go into we do something that keeps us in our comfort zone such as watching television.

We have long known that people who feel pain do so in different ways. Recent research by Barbara Oakley in A Mind for Numbers illustrates that people who are mathphobes can say their berain hurts when they think of anything to do with numbers. What is even more interesting the pain centre in the brain actually lights up when this thought enters their head.

This means that with the best will in the world, even though we are determined to carry out an action whatever the resistance, we don't because the negative emotions it invokes make us feel uncomfortable. So we put it off and do something more enjoyable.

Modern researchers are also thinking we inherit the tendency to procrastinate. In my case, both my parents and grandparents were go-getters, so if that is the case it skipped two generations.

The Genetics

Researchers at the University of Colorado studied human twins and discovered that identical twins are more similar in their behaviours than fraternal twins.

So procrastination is inherited probably from nomadic ancestors who had short term survival plans. We often use familial obligations to procrastinate, no excuse for me there, I live alone!

Some people blame the fact that they don't have the right tools for the job, again I am knackered there, I have all the tools I need.

I think we have conscious and unconscious reasons for procrastinating. Another reason for me to look the how I think.

I am exploring the fears and anxieties that may stop me from acting. Things like fear of judgement, fear of success or failure may be the root of procrastination. Some procrastinators will be perfectionists, they fear that they won't meet their high expectations. Again sadly I can't hide behind that, I know failure is a necessary step to success. I happily fail all the time.

Either way, I still stay in my comfort zone every so often.

One of the things that may cause me to procrastinate is overwhelm. I am a big picture sort of girl. I don't always break tasks down far enough and I try to do it all at once and can end up doing nothing.

Another reason I procrastinate is the fact I underestimate how long it will take - in other words, I am overconfident.

Sometimes I think I procrastinate because of a lack of accountability. One of the things that have made it easier for me is my partner asking me at the end of the day what have I done. There is something very very sad about a grown woman lying, so it doesn't happen.

At other times for reasons, I am clueless about I cant make quick decisions. There is nothing like overthinking to create paralysis.

I have also found I procrastinate less when I make more concrete goals.

When I am vague about what I am doing I am far less likely to get it done.

So for example, if I say I am going to write 7,000 words that's vague. If I say I am going to write two articles of 3,500 each about a specific topic then I am more likely to finish on time.

Why Is Procrastination Harmful?

“There is nothing so fatal to character as half-finished tasks.” David Lloyd George

Long term procrastination in my case means I file my tax returns five minutes before or after the deadline. Some people pay their bills late, I don't it's easier to have them paid by direct debit then I don't have to think about them.

For some people, procrastination can damage their health, because stress causes sleepless nights, worry, headaches, high blood pressure and obesity. I have had in the past had to put in many an all-nighter.

Luckily no one has to puck up the slack when I procrastinate.

Success

“My mother always told me I wouldn’t amount to anything because I procrastinate. I said, just wait.” — Judy Tenuta

Sometimes my procrastination means I underachieve because I don't have time to complete tasks properly. Planning and making better more goals is helping me here. I make fewer excuses for myself to myself. I have asked friends in a mastermind class to point out when I make promises I am not likely to keep.

Life Satisfaction

One of the dangers of procrastination is the fact you give yourself a massive stick to beat yourself up with and feel a failure. Then this creates a vicious cycle of more procrastination and further guilt.

“The really happy people are those who have broken the chains of procrastination, those who find satisfaction in doing the job at hand. They’re full of eagerness, zest, and productivity. You can be, too.”— Norman Vincent Peale

So procrastination can damage how people's see themselves, who they socialize with, and how they handle a lack of self-esteem.

So I am beginning to explore the real reason I procrastinate. Each time I ask myself

Am I afraid I will fail

Am I afraid I will succeed

Am I procrastinating because I don't like the task

or Am I too challenged by the task?

Another thing that has worked is I say ok you have got to do it now for ten minutes and if I want I can stop, I have never stopped yet because once I have started I am away.

I have started to change my behaviour and have taken steps to change it. When I catch myself falling into old habits I ask myself is this behaviour serving me now?