WHY DO WE PROCRASTINATE AND HOW TO STOP IT:

Are you just being lazy or could there be an underlying reason why you love delaying certain tasks?

Everyone has a set of favourite ‘feelings’ that don’t necessarily arise from momentous experiences—like that of having a fully-charged phone before you leave the house, that end-of-day post workout breath, or when you hit send/complete on a task. For me, the latter almost always brings joy and relief, every single time—my favourite feeling. Yet, I take my time to get there. It’s the hours, days, weeks… leading up to it that are the hardest. The fleeting moments that get you too close for comfort to the deadline you thought you’d outsmart. Sounds familiar? You, just like me sometimes, might be facing the pervasive problem of procrastination. You’d think it’s simply laziness or poor time management, but could it be more? And are there ways to procrastinate less?

The problem with procrastinators is that they know what they are doing, how it’s going to affect them yet they cannot help but procrastinate. Mustafa suggests focusing on regulating our emotions in an effective way. Start by challenging the unhelpful thoughts, known as cognitive distortions in psychology, that occur as we think about doing the task. These include catastrophising—“this is too hard. I’ll never be able to do it well”, should statements— “I should be more responsible,” overgeneralisation—“No matter how much I try not to, I always put things off.” Once you identify these thoughts that are likely not true and lead to anxiety or stress, it is time to reframe them. “By reframing our thoughts, we change the way we feel about a situation and ultimately how we behave or act. Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours influence each other (this is the underlying concept of cognitive behavioural therapy),” explains Mustafa. She also urges us to forgive ourselves, “Procrastination is linked to negative feelings. When we forgive ourselves, it reduces the guilt we feel about procrastinating, thus reducing the negative feelings associated with this behaviour. Self-compassion allows us to move away from rumination and self-criticism and focus on preparing for upcoming tasks with a clear mind.”