Procrastination — why we delay and how to stop

Procrastination is not laziness

Procrastination is the voluntary delay of an intended action despite knowing the negative consequences. The key phrase: "despite knowing". A lazy person does not want to do anything. A procrastinator wants to — but cannot get started.

Research by Timothy Pychyl and Fuschia Sirois has shown that procrastination is a problem of emotion regulation, not time management. We put things off because we want to avoid the unpleasant feelings tied to the task: anxiety, boredom, frustration or uncertainty.

4 types of procrastinators

1. The decisional procrastinator

Puts off making decisions in the hope that the problem will solve itself. "I'll think about it tomorrow."

2. The avoider

Looks for more pleasant activities instead of getting down to the task. "Just one more episode..."

3. The thrill-seeker

Needs deadline pressure to get motivated. "I work best at the last minute."

4. The perfectionist

Delays because they fear the result will not be perfect. "I'm not ready yet."

Proven techniques

• The 2-minute rule — if something takes less than 2 minutes, do it now
• The Pomodoro technique — 25 minutes of work, 5 minutes of break
• Eat the frog — start the day with the hardest task
• Implementation intentions — "when X happens, I will do Y" (Gollwitzer, 1999)
• Self-compassion — don't punish yourself for procrastinating, because guilt makes it stronger

Take the free Procrastination Test at PsychoProfil.pl — 16 questions, 4 dimensions, find out which procrastinator type dominates in you.