Unveiling the Truth Behind Procrastination and Effective Coping Mechanisms
What is Procrastination?
While occasional procrastination is common, chronic procrastination affects approximately 20% of the population[^1]. Most individuals recognize procrastination as a nuisance rather than a significant problem, but it can lead to stress and hinder productivity if left unchecked.
The word Procrastination comes from Latin Pro meaning forward and Crastinus ‘tomorrow/until next day’[^2]. The common meaning of procrastination is to postpone duties and obligations from one day to the next.
Though Aristotle saw it as a lack of self-control leading to act against one’s best judgment[^3]. Psychological literature still acknowledges this as having ‘little will power/weakness of will/ self-regulation failure’[^4]. Procrastination has since been refined by procrastination experts and psychologists to mean "the unnecessary but voluntary delaying of task completion (either requested or intended) despite potential harmful outcomes"[^5].
Debunking Misconceptions
Misconception 1: "Procrastinators are lazy": Contrary to popular belief, procrastination often stems from emotional regulation issues rather than laziness. Individuals may postpone tasks due to feelings of overwhelm or fear of failure. Research suggests that both men and women use procrastination as a self-handicap strategy to avoid potential failure[^6].
Misconception 2: "I work better under pressure": Research indicates that habitual procrastinators tend to complete fewer tasks and make more errors, especially when under stress or time constraints. This contradicts the notion that pressure enhances performance[^7].
Misconception 3: "Procrastinators lack time management and planning skills": While poor time management can contribute to procrastination, it is often driven by emotional factors rather than a lack of organizational skills. Procrastinators may engage in avoidance behaviors to cope with negative emotions associated with tasks[^8].
Procrastination in the Workplace and Home
Procrastination in the workplace can lead to rushed and error-prone work, missed deadlines, and dissatisfied clients. For instance, delaying administrative tasks in a financial consulting firm can result in incomplete or inaccurate client reports, damaging the firm's reputation and credibility. Similar consequences can arise in personal life, such as neglected chores leading to household chaos and financial stress.
The Psychology Behind Procrastination
There are 8 psychological mechanisms that underlie procrastination to explore.
Temporal Discounting: Procrastinators often choose instant rewards over future ones, which can make them delay tasks. This happens because they're more impulsive and like immediate gratification[^9].
Emotion Regulation: Putting things off can sometimes be a way for people to deal with feeling bad about doing tasks. Research says people might procrastinate (delay tasks) to avoid feeling anxiety and the fear of failure[^10].
Self-Regulation Failure: When you procrastinate, your ability to stay on track and control yourself isn't working well due to a poor regulation process. This means you might struggle to set goals, keep an eye on your progress (monitoring), and stick to your plans (self-control). Studies have shown that procrastinators tend to have weaker executive functions, leading to difficulties in starting and to keep going with what they need to do called "initiating and sustaining goal-directed behavior"[^11].
Cognitive Biases: Procrastination may be influenced by cognitive biases such as the planning fallacy and the overconfidence effect. Procrastinators often underestimate the time needed to complete tasks (for example giving themselves 2 hours instead of 4 hours) which means they don’t get enough done and overestimate their abilities, leading to delays in task initiation[^12].
Perfectionism: When you're a perfectionist, you might end up procrastinating because you set really high standards for yourself and get really scared of failing to meet them. Research suggests that perfectionism is positively associated with procrastination across various domains[^13].
Task Aversion: When you don't want to do something because it seems hard or not enjoyable, it can make you put it off. Studies have found that people are more likely to delay tasks they don't like, which makes them take longer to initiate the tasks and to complete them[^14].
Self-Esteem: Studies have found that low self-esteem is positively correlated with procrastination tendencies across various domains (areas of life). This would happen when people don't feel confident about themselves, then they're more likely to procrastinate on different kinds of tasks and more so when tasks make you feel like you're not good enough[^15].
Mood Regulation: Procrastination can sometimes act to manage our emotions, with people putting off tasks to steer clear of feeling negative emotions or to give themselves a short term mood enhancement. Studies indicate that individuals who tend to procrastinate might use “avoidance behaviors” to control and regulate their mood, which can end up making them procrastinate even more[^16].
Strategies for Procrastination
Based on a meta-analysis by Klingsieck, K. B., & van Eerde, W. (2018), the conclusion was that procrastination decreases after an intervention. The findings suggest that people can change.
The four main strategies in the study that showed effectiveness for overcoming procrastination included:
1. Time Management Training
This strategy involves teaching participants how to manage their time efficiently, prioritize tasks, and set achievable goals. Specific techniques include setting SMART goals, prioritizing tasks, breaking tasks into manageable steps, creating schedules or routines, and minimizing distractions. By implementing these strategies, individuals can improve their productivity and overcome procrastination tendencies[^17].
2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) addresses the root causes of procrastination by targeting negative thoughts and beliefs. For instance, individuals undergoing CBT might identify negative thoughts like "I'll never finish this task on time" or "I'm not good enough to do this." Through CBT, they learn to examine evidence supporting these thoughts, challenging their accuracy and validity. For example, they might consider past successes as evidence to counteract beliefs of inadequacy. Subsequently, they generate balanced thoughts conducive to task completion, such as acknowledging challenges while affirming their ability to overcome them one step at a time. Through practice and reinforcement of these new thought patterns, individuals develop resilience against procrastination, ultimately enhancing their productivity and well-being[^18].
3. Affective Interventions
Affective interventions target the emotional roots of procrastination, aiming to enhance emotional regulation and reduce procrastination behavior. Techniques such as stress reduction, including deep breathing exercises and mindfulness meditation, equip individuals to manage task-related stress effectively. Additionally, fostering positive self-talk and affirmations helps counteract negative thoughts and self-doubt, empowering individuals with confidence and resilience. By addressing emotional barriers to task completion, these interventions facilitate a proactive approach to tackling responsibilities, ultimately mitigating procrastination tendencies and promoting productivity[^19].
4. Metacognitive strategies:
Metacognitive interventions improve individuals' awareness of their thought processes and learning strategies, leading to reduced procrastination. Techniques like goal setting and progress monitoring help individuals identify areas for improvement in task management. Similarly, reflection and self-assessment enhance self-awareness and inform effective strategies. By integrating these approaches, individuals develop emotional resilience and self-regulation skills, ultimately reducing procrastination and improving task performance[^20].
Conclusion:
Overall, the meta-analysis underscores the effectiveness of these strategies in addressing procrastination through varied approaches. Coach Ofri (who has written this article) has a series of useful interventions for reflecting on why you procrastinate, the type of procrastinator you might be and useful tactics on how to move towards being a productivity ninja. Contact me to book your procrastination workshops.
At CallToSelf, Ofri is a Transformational Coach that specializes in personalized coaching and transformative experiences, fostering growth and inner healing for individuals and groups. Through tailored resources and plant-based medicine journeys, we break cycles and make break throughs and we raise self-awareness, empowering action and connection to the authentic self. Whether you're exploring self-discovery, enhancing relationships, or seeking professional development, we're your trusted partner for meaningful change.
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References:
American Psychological Association. (2010, April 5). Psychology of procrastination: Why people put off important tasks until the last minute [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2010/04/procrastination [^1]
Aristotle (1984). Nicomachean Ethics. In J. Barnes (Ed.), The Complete Works of Aristotle, Volume II. Princeton: Princeton University Press. [^2]
Ferrari, J. R. (2001). Procrastination as self-regulation failure of performance: Effects of cognitive load, self-awareness, and time limits on ‘working best under pressure’. European Journal of Personality, 15(5), 391–406. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.413 [^3]
Ferrari, J. R., & Tice, D. M. (2000). Procrastination as a self-handicap for men and women: A task-avoidance strategy in a laboratory setting. Journal of Research in Personality, 34(1), 73–83. https://doi.org/10.1006/jrpe.1999.2275 [^4]
Goldstein, L. (2011). The Reflective Function: Bridging the Gap Between Neuroscience and Psychoanalysis. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 31(2),132-141. https://philpapers.org/archive/GOLTRF [^5]
Jakucionis, D. (2022). 3 Most common myths about procrastination. Retrieved from https://repertoiremag.com/3-most-common-myths-about-procrastination.html#:~:text=Myth%20%231%3A%20People%20procrastinate%20because%20they're%20lazy&text=In%20fact%2C%20those%20who%20take,is%20an%20emotional%20regulation%20problem. [^6]
Klingsieck, K. B., & van Eerde, W. (2018). Overcoming procrastination? A meta-analysis of intervention studies. Educational Research Review, 25, 73-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2018.09.002 [^7]
Meyer, M. (2022). The Why Behind Procrastination. Retrieved from https://success.tulane.edu/why-behind-procrastination#:~:text=Everyone%20procrastinates%20at%20some%20point,are%20classified%20as%20chronic%20procrastinators. [^8]
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Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65-94. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65 [^10]
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Tice, D. M., & Baumeister, R. F. (1997). Longitudinal study of procrastination, performance, stress, and health: The costs and benefits of dawdling. Psychological Science, 8(6), 454-458. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.1997.tb00460.x [^14]
Sirois, F. M., & Pychyl, T. A. (2016). Procrastination, self-regulation, and well-being: A moderated-mediation model. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 34(3), 154-167. [^15]
Sirois, F. M. (2014). Out of Sight, Out of Time? A Meta–Analytic Investigation of Procrastination and Time Perspective. European Journal of Personality, 28(5), 511-520. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.1947 [^16]
Sirois, F. M., & Pychyl, T. A. (2013). Procrastination and the priority of short-term mood regulation: Consequences for future self. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(2), 115-127. [^17]
Sirois, F. M., & Pychyl, T. A. (2016). Procrastination and the priority of short-term mood regulation: Consequences for future self. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 10(9), 625-638. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12265 [^18]
Geng, Y., Xia, D., & Qin, B. (2020). How does trait procrastination influence self-regulation in college students? The mediating role of self-efficacy. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 262. [^19]
Ferrari, J. R., Barnes, K. L., Steel, P., & Schweitzer, R. D. (2009). Emotional approach coping and the effects of online supportive messages on the well-being of young internet users. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 14(2), 265-285. [^20]
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