What We Can Learn About Procrastination From Memes
When we think of ways to communicate with others, sometimes memes are the way to go. They can give us a good laugh, and they can even make us feel less alone when they joke about something common and relatable.
A meme isn’t always just an image with text. They can also be commonly held ideas that spread like wildfire until many people experience the same thought or joke.
While they may not help you beat procrastination, here are some of what may be the best procrastination memes and meme sites out there, what they mean, and how we might relate to them.
The Reddit tab
If you often use Reddit, then perhaps you’ve used it at some point to procrastinate. Reddit is a place for anyone to laugh or learn about almost any topic. There are so many subjects out there that one minute you may be learning about facts for a history paper, and the next you are leaving a comment on a Reddit thread about cats on bicycles.
And at some point, you might look up and realize you spent half your day on a post about cats on bicycles instead of doing the work that you had hoped to finish in the same time frame.
Even if Reddit isn’t the website that you close then open to read again, then perhaps you’ve done the same with another site or game.
Procrastination level: Expert meme
This is a meme that might be relatable to those who have procrastinated often. It can be very easy to delay work in the modern times, with the advent of technology, different devices, streaming services, different shows to watch, video games to play—sometimes procrastination feels like the more logical route.
But procrastination isn’t new, and many of us have even been doing it before the advent of social media.
This take on the popular Bane meme indicates that procrastination is a very common human behavior, and not something that you should beat yourself up over. However, with certain techniques and resources, beating procrastination is feasible.
Procrastination as a challenge
This meme jokes that many cats enjoy simply relaxing in the sun all day. When we self-deprecate ourselves, we may call this behavior lazy, but by observing cats we can recognize that they don’t see this act as good or bad. Sometimes we can learn from our pets and try to take things at face value; if he or she’s enjoying the sun and doesn’t see it as “unproductive” behavior, why should we?
After four hours of writing an essay
If you’ve seen SpongeBob, you might remember a scene when he tries to write an essay.
Even without spending time looking at memes or reading internet threads, we may still find ourselves procrastinating with things like the font, doodles, or even just daydreaming.
Some say that the creative process is made of three phases: inspiration, production, and rest. You may notice that only one third of that process involves actually creating something, but that doesn’t make the other two thirds any less essential. Instead of pressuring yourself to produce constantly, ask yourself if your brain needs rest, or if you need to get out and find inspiration in the world. You may also find motivation by sharing your experience with a friend or loved one.
The study dilemma
This common thought process goes as follows: "During the day: ‘I'll study at night when there aren’t any distractions.’ At night: ‘I'll study in the morning when I'm fresh.’"
This is a common, cyclical problem that unfortunately can lead to us not getting anything done at all.
If you are a student and you are struggling with things like procrastinating, while this is a very normal circumstance, consider that there might be something deeper going on, such as disproportionate pressure being put on your attention difficulties. Studies have shown that online therapy is effective in reducing psychological distress among college students, whatever the cause of that stress may be. An online therapist can offer you resources and support that can help you manage your workload and ease your burden so that you can enjoy school and learning.
Rewarding yourself for the small things
While you might get frustrated with yourself for finishing one thing then binging on a movie, something similar to this can be useful. The Pomodoro technique has been proven as effective in helping procrastination and it has a similar philosophy to what the meme mentions above.
This technique involves working for 25 minutes, “rewarding” yourself with a break for five minutes and repeating that process four times. Then, on the fifth time, you reward your hard work with a longer break of 15-30 minutes.
This process helps you break up big tasks into smaller ones, which may make the whole thing feel less daunting so that you don’t feel the same need to procrastinate.
Bite that procrastination bug with online therapy
If you are having trouble making a change in your procrastination or want to discuss your feelings on a complicated subject, a licensed therapist might be able to help. Online therapy has been proven to be just as effective as in-person treatment for many mental health conditions and daily stresses.
Additionally, this therapeutic method is convenient and flexible; you can meet with trained counselors who can offer much close attention and advice regarding procrastination and productivity, all from the comfort of your own home. Eliminating the commute to the office may even reduce your chance of procrastinating your appointments!
Takeaway
Procrastination memes show us that we are not alone in our desires to push things off, but they can also offer some insight on how to work against procrastination so that you can finish tasks and reach that sense of accomplishment that we hope for. For professional support in overcoming procrastination, developing time management techniques customized to your lifestyle, or addressing the root of behaviors like procrastination, reach out to an online therapist at BetterHelp.
What is a famous quote about procrastination?
Here are some famous quotes about procrastination:
“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”
-Abraham Lincoln
“In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”
-Theodore Roosevelt
“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”
-Douglas Adams
What is the root cause of procrastination?
While there are many types of procrastination and potential causes, the main issue tends to revolve around an internal battle between preferred and unpreferred activities. Researchers often point to two brain structures when describing the neurological underpinnings of procrastination: the prefrontal cortex and limbic system. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain responsible for planning, decision-making, and taking conscious actions. When you decide to do something, the prefrontal cortex coordinates what needs to be done to accomplish the task.
The limbic system refers to a series of anatomical structures within the brain that are responsible for processing emotion. It is responsible for both unpleasant feelings and pleasure. When you complete a task, your limbic system produces a sense of accomplishment or achievement. Conversely, the limbic system can also produce adverse emotions when you consider doing a task you don’t want to do. The battle between the prefrontal cortex and limbic system is generally considered the root cause of procrastination. When the prefrontal cortex wins, you finish the task and don’t procrastinate. When the limbic system wins, you must overcome the adverse emotions before starting the task, leading to procrastination.
What is procrastination a symptom of?
Procrastination isn’t a symptom of one particular condition, but it is associated with several mental health concerns. For example, those with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to procrastinate due to the condition’s impact on planning, organization, and decision-making. Procrastination might also indicate a concern unrelated to a mental health condition. Evidence suggests that procrastination may be a coping mechanism for burnout. Burnout occurs when a person is overwhelmed and experiencing brain fatigue, and procrastination may increase sharply as their fatigue worsens.
Is procrastination a trauma response?
Procrastination isn’t commonly considered a direct response to trauma. However, some of the symptoms of traumatic exposure, such as depression and anxiety, can substantially increase procrastination. Procrastination is thought to be a coping tool that allows a person to avoid adverse task-related emotions. Managing trauma symptoms can be a significant mental load, and it may be harder for someone to overcome procrastination while managing trauma.
Another explanation may be the strong aversive feelings trauma can cause. For example, someone who experienced a traumatic event at their workplace might feel fear or anxiety when entering the building. They might try to avoid their workplace or things at work that remind them of the traumatic event. To some, their actions might appear like procrastination, but the person is actually struggling to manage the symptoms of their traumatic exposure.
What does the Bible say about procrastination?
The Bible refers to procrastination directly and tangentially at many locations throughout its books. Here are some examples:
“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.”
-Proverbs 13:4 ESV
“The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.”
-Proverbs 20:4 ESV
“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
-Hebrews 12:11 ESV
What is the paradox of procrastination?
Procrastination is caused by adverse feelings associated with completing a certain task. It is commonly considered an avoidant coping mechanism, preventing a person from completing an unpreferred task to avoid the unwanted emotions surrounding it. However, procrastination is typically not very helpful as a coping mechanism. The paradox of procrastination refers to the fact that procrastination can only yield short-term benefits while substantially worsening adverse feelings down the road. By attempting to protect a person from adverse task-related feelings, procrastination can make those feelings substantially worse as time goes on.
Why is procrastination lazy?
Procrastination is often associated with laziness, but the concept of laziness is often misunderstood. Many experts, especially those in mental health and education, question whether laziness exists in the same way many people picture it. The common understanding tends to characterize laziness as a deliberate choice to avoid work. For example, a parent may think their teenager is lazy because they often try to avoid doing homework by looking at relatable memes instead.
Research suggests that avoiding work simply because a person doesn’t want to do it is relatively rare. A more likely explanation is that people encounter barriers when attempting to start or complete a task, increasing adverse feelings associated with that task. When that barrier is encountered, it is harder for the person to overcome the urge to avoid the task and reduce unpleasant feelings.
For example, think about how a parent might react to a teenager trying to get out of doing homework if they were aware of the barriers they faced. Some barriers might include a lack of confidence, a specific learning disability, fatigue, or many other factors that make it harder for them to complete work. It’s relatively unlikely, however, that the teen is trying to avoid work simply to be lazy. The barriers they encounter make preferred activities, like looking at funny memes, an easy escape from the unpleasant feelings associated with homework.
Why is it OK to procrastinate?
Proactive procrastination can be a part of good planning. Taking on too much work or holding yourself to an unreachably high standard can lead to burnout, which is likely to make completing tasks significantly more difficult. Ensuring you balance your preferred tasks - the ones that are likely to be procrastinated - with your preferred tasks can help prevent burnout and the adverse effects it can cause.
How do you fix procrastination?
While many strategies address procrastination, not all are likely to work for everyone. A good place to start is likely the research-based procrastination management strategies listed below:
Reverse procrastination triggers. It is often helpful to think about what drives the urge to procrastinate. Is the task too difficult? Too frustrating? Boring? Once you know what triggers procrastination, try to reframe the task so that you can think about it differently. If the task is boring, is there any part of it you might find interesting? Is the task too complicated, or have you yet to learn how to accomplish it? Reconsidering procrastination can help make the adverse feelings associated with it less impactful.
Work within your resistance level. When a task triggers the urge to procrastinate, you likely resist doing the task. The strength of that resistance is likely to change based on the task and context. For example, if you can’t focus on the task for an hour, consider whether you could work within your resistance level by doing it for 30 minutes.
Do anything to get started. It is often easier to overcome procrastination by breaking tasks into smaller sub-tasks. Smaller tasks likely produce less of an aversive response than larger ones. What’s more, it is typically much easier to continue working on a task than it is to start one. Consider starting with a small sub-task and using that momentum to tackle the whole task you are procrastinating.
List the costs of procrastination. Procrastination doesn’t remove anything from your to-do list; it just pushes it further down the road. This can lead to a cycle where procrastination increases the difficulty of starting a task, leading to more procrastination, which further increases the difficulty. It can be helpful to look at what your burden will be if you continue procrastinating compared to starting the task right away.
Remove distractions. One of the most effective ways to address procrastination is to limit access to preferred alternative activities. Turning off your phone and putting yourself in a distraction-free environment will likely make getting started on some tasks substantially easier.
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