Why Do We Procrastinate? Breaking Down This Behavior Pattern

Whether you’re putting off studying for an important exam or completing an errand, procrastination is something most people engage in at times. You might delay doing something until the last minute, even though you know it’ll end up causing more stress in the end. Although it may seem like a harmless habit, procrastination can have various effects that bleed into different areas of our lives.

Different factors might cause us to procrastinate, including emotional and psychological factors. For example, a desire to avoid discomfort or a lack of clarity on our goals may make us more likely to procrastinate. However, the reasons for procrastination may be more complex for some people. Read on to learn about why you might procrastinate and how to manage and overcome this habit.

The effects of procrastination

Procrastination, the act of delaying or putting off tasks, can have many negative consequences on a person. Let’s go over how procrastination affects mental health, performance, and relationships, among other aspects of life.

Poor mental health

Procrastination can create stress and lead to a range of mental health concerns, especially if left unchecked. Chronic procrastinators often experience anxiety, depression, and guilt because of this self-defeating behavior pattern. By continuously putting off tasks, you might experience more pressure to complete them later and other negative emotions from missed deadlines. As a result, you may develop stress and more serious mental health challenges over time.

Reduced performance

When people procrastinate until the last second, they might have difficulty completing a task well, often harming their performance and work quality. For example, you might not have enough time to plan, gather what you need, or finish your work with care. As a result, people who procrastinate may see their grades in school or performance at work start to decrease. Reduced performance may hurt your confidence and self-esteem and make you less motivated to get things done in the future — potentially even fostering a mindset where failure is expected.

Strained relationships

Procrastination may not just affect you. It may also impact your relationships with friends, family, and coworkers. If you're consistently missing deadlines or not keeping promises, people might start to lose trust in you. For example, if you're continually late in delivering your part of a group project at work, your team might get frustrated with you. This could cause tension among the team. The same goes for your personal relationships. If you're always putting things off, your loved ones might become upset that it seems like you're not managing your time well.

Why do we procrastinate?

Now that we have an idea about the consequences of procrastination, let’s discuss some potential causes of procrastination, including fear of failure, lack of motivation, and poor time management.

Fear of failure

Many people procrastinate because they are afraid of failing. This fear can stem from a variety of factors, such as past experiences, self-doubt, or a desire to meet high expectations from others or even themselves. By putting off tasks, individuals can avoid confronting anxious thoughts and, in turn, the possibility of failure. However, avoiding tasks may hurt your productivity and make you feel worse in the long run. Likewise, when you neglect to do your work at all, the fear of failure may become a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

Perfectionism

Perfectionism is another reason why some people may procrastinate. Perfectionists often hold themselves to high standards and may feel stressed out by the pressure to do everything perfectly. As a result, they might put off starting or finishing tasks because they're worried their work won't meet their own or others' expectations. Perfectionism may then lead to a cycle of stress and lower productivity.

Lack of motivation

Many individuals find themselves procrastinating because they lack the motivation to complete unpleasant tasks. You might lack motivation if you find the tasks boring, uninteresting, or irrelevant. You might also lose motivation if you’re tired or overwhelmed by how much work you have on your plate. A potential key to overcoming this is to understand why you're not motivated and to find ways to make tasks more enjoyable or rewarding.

Poor time management

Many people have difficulties organizing their schedules, deciding which tasks are most important, and setting aside enough time to get things done. This can make people more likely to procrastinate, especially when tasks seem hard or unpleasant. Instead, they might lack self-control and choose to do things they enjoy more. 

Strategies for overcoming procrastination

Although you may have already fallen into a pattern of procrastination, there are some ways to manage this unhelpful habit. The following are a handful of strategies that may help you overcome procrastination, including setting realistic goals, exercising time management techniques, and managing perfectionism.

Set realistic goals

One way to overcome procrastination is by setting realistic goals. Breaking down daunting tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces might make them less overwhelming. Being able to focus on one specific part of the task may lead to a sense of accomplishment and give you motivation to continue. In addition, it can be important to be kind to and patient with yourself when things don't go as planned. Having some self-compassion may help you overcome the negative feelings that come with procrastination and encourage you to keep trying. Instead of holding yourself to unrealistic standards, recognize that you’re human and bound to make mistakes sometimes.

Learn time management techniques

Having adequate time management skills may help you stop procrastinating. One popular technique is the Pomodoro method, which involves working on a task for a set period (usually 25 minutes) followed by a short break. With this method, you may be able to maintain focus and prevent burnout more easily. Another time management strategy is prioritizing tasks. For example, you might tackle the most important tasks first so that they’re not left until the last minute. Setting specific times to do each task in your daily or weekly schedule can also help you stop putting things off.

Manage perfectionism

Perfectionism can often lead to procrastination. If you're scared of not doing something perfectly, you might put it off or keep delaying it. To manage perfectionism, try to be kind to yourself and remember that it's OK to make mistakes. Rather than focusing on being perfect, you might choose to concentrate on making progress instead. It may be more important to get started and keep improving than to have a perfect result. Setting a realistic deadline for a task may also help. That way, you can have a clear time frame to work toward and prevent yourself from endlessly tweaking and adjusting your work.

Address underlying causes of procrastination

Recognizing what makes you procrastinate may be helpful in overcoming it. Underlying causes might include fear of failure and being unsure, overwhelmed, or unmotivated. You might also be facing a mental health condition like anxiety or depression that takes away your focus, concentration, or motivation. Reflecting on these factors and making a conscious decision to react differently when they happen can help. For example, if you're scared of failing, try to see potential mistakes as chances to learn and grow rather than reflections of your worth. 

Practice mindfulness and meditation

Practices like mindfulness and meditation can be powerful in overcoming procrastination. They may make you more aware of yourself and help you understand why you procrastinate. Being mindful can also help you focus on the present moment and the task in front of you. This might help reduce distractions and the urge to put things off. Meditation can help reduce the stress and anxiety that often go hand in hand with procrastination. It may also help you be calmer and more focused, making it easier to get things done.

Online therapy for procrastination

Online therapy may be a flexible option for addressing procrastination, particularly if this habit stems from anxiety or another underlying mental health condition. Making time for therapy may seem difficult if you have a demanding career, childcare responsibilities, or already have trouble managing your time appropriately. With online therapy through platforms like BetterHelp, you can schedule sessions with your provider at a time that works for you without worrying about a waiting list or a long commute to an office. This may make it easier and more convenient to get the professional guidance you seek.

Online therapists commonly use an approach called cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, to treat their clients. CBT can be effective in reducing beliefs and behaviors associated with procrastination and poor time management. Since conditions such as depression, anxiety, and low self-confidence may contribute to procrastination, seeking online support for these concerns could be useful.

A review from 2017 found that internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (ICBT) successfully treated conditions like depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, and more. Since CBT uses cognitive restructuring and behavioral strategies to help people identify and change habits, it could be helpful for those having difficulties overcoming procrastination on their own, particularly when delivered in a flexible and convenient online setting.