Procrastination leads to increased stress levels. Increased stress levels lead to increased chances of anxiety. If you are a habitual procrastinator, you need to do something about it if you want to ease the additional stress that you are creating for yourself.
What Is Procrastination?
Have you got stuff that needs doing that you have put off? That household job that you know needs doing, but could always be done next week. That medical test that you really should get done, but you don’t really want to know the result. That paperwork that needs seeing to, but is not that urgent.
This is procrastination – putting off doing something until it becomes urgent, even though putting it off adds to your stress. That stress can eventually turn into anxiety.
Why Do We Procrastinate?
When there is something that needs doing, but it’s boring or unpleasant, then it is always easier to find something else to do. That “something else” distracts you from thinking about the thing that needs doing. Scrolling on your phone distracts you from the nagging thought that you really ought to clear those out-of-date items at the back of your fridge.
It’s all about rewards and stresses. Scrolling on the phone give you a small sense of reward, whereas cleaning out the fridge does not. Leaving the fridge just another day does not add much stress. The reward you get from scrolling on the phone is enough to counteract the small bit of stress you get from not cleaning the fridge.
The problem is that the same thing will happen tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that … That small amount of stress is always there. And it’s not just the fridge, is it? There are all the other things that you put off, because it’s so easy to do something else more pleasurable.
What Do You Procrastinate About?
It is important to understand the difference between important tasks and urgent tasks.
Urgent tasks need to be done right away, or at least, very soon. If your rent is due today, then it is urgent that you pay it today. If the movie you have gone to see starts in 10 minutes, then it is urgent that you go in and sit down in the theatre.
Important tasks are tasks that are going to have a big impact on your life. It is important that you pay the rent, otherwise you might find yourself being evicted. It would be nice to get to see the movie on time, but, in the grand scheme of things, it is not that important.
Tasks like sorting out that pile of financial papers, booking that medical test that your doctor said you would need, and fixing that slow leak at the back of the sink are important, but they are not that urgent. You can always put them off until next week.
You will tend to procrastinate about tasks that are not urgent, particularly if they are boring or are somehow unpleasant to do. Problems tend to arise when you procrastinate about important tasks that are not urgent. They just get left and provide a constant source of stress while they are not getting done.
How Does Procrastination Impact Anxiety?
When you put things off, you often have that nagging thought, “I really need to get around to doing that.” This thought creates a little bit of stress. The longer you put it off, the more stress it generates.
The more stress you have in life, the more likely you are to develop anxiety. Procrastination itself does not generate anxiety, but the accumulation of the stresses of procrastination with other stresses of life will.
Is Procrastination A Problem For You?
Start by analysing your own behaviour, thoughts and feelings. What tasks are you procrastinating over right now? How much are those tasks creating those nagging thoughts? How does all this make you feel?
Now ask yourself, “What will it be like when those tasks are done?” Get a sense of how good you will feel when they are all out of the way and you can get on with life.
Now step back and evaluate yourself. Is procastination a problem for you? If it is, you should start doing something about it.
How Can You Get Over Procrastination?
If you are a habitual procrastinator, experiment with some of these ideas to find out which combination works best for you:
- Write a list of tasks – Listing tasks gives you a sense of control. Write a list of all the tasks that you are procrastinating about. Put this list somewhere where you will see it every day.
- Cross things off the list when you have done them – Creating a visible sign of progress gives a sense of accomplishment. When you have completed a task, cross it off your list using a thick pen or highlighter, or if it is an electronic list, highlight the task by making it bold, say.
- Do something, however small – Motivation arises when you start doing something. Make a deal with yourself to work at a task for, say, ten minutes. Once ten minutes are over, you can choose whether to continue or finish it later.
- Be proud of yourself when you done a task – A few seconds of pride in yourself when you have done something that you have been putting off will motivate you to do some more tasks at another time. Take a moment to step back and look at what you have done. It may not be much, but you can still be proud of achieving it.
- Break down big tasks into little tasks – You will feel more motivated to start a small task than a big one. That pile of financial papers that need sorting … divide it into, say, four smaller piles, and just sort one of them to start with.
- Reward yourself for doing a task – Promised rewards provide motivation. Make a deal with yourself – I will do something more enjoyable after completing one of the tasks. When you have done one task, reward yourself with half an hour of screen time, or your favourite meal.
- Do small tasks immediately – It is difficult to motivate yourself to start on a list of hundreds of tiny jobs. Estabish the “two minute rule” in your life. If you have a task that will take less than two minutes – do it immediately rather than adding it to your list.
- Get a friend to hold you accountable – You are more likely to do a task if have told someone else that you’ll do it. Tell your friend what you are going to do and when you plan to do it. Also, tell them when you have done it.
- Forgive yourself – Forgiving yourself for your past procrastination will help you do more tasks on your list. If you feel guilty about procrastination, then your list of tasks will only remind you of your guilt feelings, so you may avoid thinking about the tasks. So go easy on yourself.
- Book time in your calendar – When you know you have a fixed time to clear some of your backlog of tasks, you will be more likely to do them. Book time to work on them in your calendar, and when the time is up you can get on and do something more enjoyable.
And Finally
If procrastination is a problem for you, then it is a problem. It needs sorting out. Start small and build it up so that procrastination is no longer a habit. If it is not a problem for you, then you don’t need to fix it. Just remember that procrastination adds to your stress, and too much stress turns into anxiety.
If you need some help with any aspect of your anxiety or depression, you may like to give hypnotherapy a go. Contact Me for a free 15 minute consultation. I would be happy to talk your issues through with you and answer any questions you might have.
Credits
Photograph by Mizuno K on Pexels
Graphics generated by AI Google NotebookLM
