Procrastination - what is it in simple words, how to get rid of it

Procrastination is the habit of putting off important things “for later.” This does not mean that a person just lies on the couch, lazing around. Not wanting to do one thing, he takes on dozens of others. So he tries to reduce anxiety and convince himself that he has no time. But the thing that is put off, as a rule, is considered important, and those with which a person fills the void are usually considered unimportant, or even garbage, time wasters.

Let’s take a closer look at what the word “procrastination” means in psychology, define the phenomenon of procrastination, find out what it is in simple words and how to deal with it.

What is procrastination

Let’s look at the meaning of the word “procrastination” and what this term means. It is formed from two Latin words: pro, which translates as “instead, ahead,” and crastinus, which translates as “tomorrow.” And from English the word “procrastination” is translated as “delaying”, “delaying”.

Some people ask how to correctly pronounce the word: proscarnation or procrastination. The second is the correct option.

Procrastination is the tendency to put off doing important but difficult, uninteresting or scary things. A person can repeatedly calm himself down with “breakfasts”, and as a result he either does something in a hurry or does not have time to do it at all. In simple words, procrastination is when you constantly put off important things until later.

It is important not to confuse procrastination with laziness. In the second case, the person does nothing and does not experience pangs of conscience.

Procrastination is closely related to perfectionism and the fear of not being able to cope with work. In the first case, a person is afraid to do a task imperfectly, and he is also repelled by previous experience - perfectionists spend a lot of time on details, the search for ideal exhausts them. In the second case, fear is associated with self-doubt or fear of punishment. We will return to the reasons for procrastination in the appropriate paragraph of this article.

Note! Behind procrastination lies the fear of work. It, in turn, is associated with fear of failure, criticism, ridicule and a number of other phobias.

Symptoms

If you dig deeper, you can draw the following conclusion: such a state of mind and body makes life much easier. So, procrastination: what is it? In other words, this is a simplified version of existence, when it becomes less stressful and responsible. Experts identify the main symptoms of a psychological phenomenon:

Inspiration and readiness to take on the task at hand.
The emergence of a desire to “jump” from solving a global problem.
Fading enthusiasm means pushing things back to a later date. The emergence of self-criticism and subsequent justification.
The decline in motivation continues - the issue is postponed for a critical period.
The problem remains unresolved or is shifted onto the shoulders of colleagues. The person does not admit that he failed.

The most interesting thing is that procrastination has a cyclical nature: symptoms, also known as stages of the process, are repeated with all subsequent tasks. The phenomenon is not a disease, sometimes it is just a lifestyle or a banal lack of confidence in oneself and one’s own abilities.

Types of procrastination

In psychology, there are different classifications of procrastination. We will analyze one of them - the typology of N.A. Milgram. The author identifies the following types of procrastination:

Everyday. This is putting off household chores: washing dishes or the floor, cleaning the closet or desk, etc.
In decision making. The intensity of fear of decision-making varies: from the inability to choose what to eat for lunch, to the fear of entering into a relationship, or changing jobs. Behind this lies a fear of responsibility and fear of change.
Neurotic. This is the fear of everything new. Psychological discomfort is accompanied by somatic symptoms: sweating, trembling, tachycardia, arrhythmia, headache and dizziness, nausea.
Compulsive. Because of the fear of making decisions, a person repeatedly postpones completing an important task.
Academic. This is the procrastination of pupils and students - postponing preparation for exams, lectures, sessions.

In addition to these types, the following types of procrastination can be distinguished:

relaxed - a person is doing what he loves, he feels good, he calmly realizes that he will need to start an important task;
tense - a person is bogged down in business and cannot do anything calmly, as he feels the burden of an impending important task.

Among procrastinators, the following types are distinguished:

passive - those who cannot complete a task on time, no matter how much they want to;
active – those who like to work under stress and deliberately delay deadlines.

Interesting! According to WHO statistics, 96% of people have experienced procrastination at least once. And 56% of people suffer from chronic procrastination.

Vdovin Ivan

More than 15 years in psychology
Owner of 2 successful businesses
Developed his own method “Key Therapy”
Certified NLP Practitioner
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In practice I use: Gestalt therapy, imagery therapy, body therapy, art therapy, hypnosis, Hellinger constellations
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Signs

Signs of procrastination:

the desire to be distracted by something not only before completing a task, but also while trying to do it (drink coffee, read the news, check social networks, walk the dog, etc.);
systematic failure to complete assignments, delivery at the last moment;
multiple excuses and justifications - a procrastinator will always find something to say, just not to admit the true reasons for the delay;
sleep problems and other psychological problems that gradually penetrate into all areas of life.

Here’s what the cycle of procrastination looks like (it’s constantly repeating itself):

awareness of the need to do something;
bargaining with oneself;
searching for reasons for delay and postponing the matter until later;
search for self-justification;
awareness of the problem and self-criticism.

The problem of putting things off has already been reflected in folk art. The procrastination map has become popular - people draw pictures where the essence of the phenomenon and its signs are clearly visible:

The guise of procrastinators

To identify individuals most susceptible to this condition, psychologists often use a popular method. Procrastination or a tendency towards it is diagnosed in the following people:

Gray mice. Such individuals are accustomed to being the “middle peasant” in the team. They are sure that they are deprived of talents, their inclinations are undeveloped, and their positive character traits are not clearly expressed. Therefore, they often listen to other people’s opinions and are subject to outside influence. It is easier for them to remain in the shadows than to show individuality. They doubt their strength and knowledge.
Thrill seekers. Such individuals deliberately postpone everything until the last moment, since they cannot live without adrenaline. They like the feeling of their heart beating wildly in their chest from the realization that there are only a few hours or minutes left until a decision is made.
Irresponsible. These are either so-called nihilists who simply do not need anything in this life, or cowards who tremble before important decisions, or weak-willed people without an inner core and lacking basic self-education skills.

Other individuals can also be procrastinators due to certain circumstances, characteristics of upbringing and character.

Causes

Why does procrastination occur in women or men? Technical reasons for procrastination include:

Low self-esteem and learned helplessness syndrome. It is formed against the backdrop of a number of failures. And the essence of this phenomenon is this: a person is sure that he will not succeed. He sees continuous obstacles and does not notice opportunities. Due to failures in the past, he does not even take on what he once did well.
Perfectionism and the excellent student syndrome. A person tries to be the best in everything, gets hung up on little things. This prevents him from grasping the essence of the matter, distracts him from the goal, and prevents him from completing the task on time. And the idea of what kind of torment awaits a perfectionist in an attempt to achieve the ideal makes him delay completing the task.
Distorted time perception and white rabbit syndrome. The essence of the phenomenon is that a person is constantly in a hurry and is late. And more often than not, due to stress, he is really late. It seems to him that there is still time left; hour X comes unexpectedly for him.
Lack of motivation. If a person is not interested in the upcoming task or there is no other, at least external, motivation, then he persistently delays its completion. Examples of motivation: self-satisfaction, praise, promotion at work, payment for services, gratitude, etc.
Uncertain or delayed outcome. It also has to do with motivation. It is easier for us to achieve what is clearly defined by time, date, and other numbers. If you have to work on something with a distant result, then it’s more difficult to force yourself. For example, many people find it difficult to force themselves to exercise until they see the first significant results (changes in volume, clothing size or weight).
Routine, boring work. It just so happens that we need to complete some tasks in the same way as we take medicine, that is, gather our courage and quickly swallow. These are the ones that most people put off until later. But just imagine what a person’s life turns into if his entire working day or his entire life is a routine.
Difficult task. I’m sure you are also reluctant to start something that you don’t understand well, or that seems difficult, requires more time to complete and requires greater psychological and physical costs?
Inability to determine priorities. Another reason for procrastination. Due to problems in prioritizing, a person does not know what to tackle first, and as a result, everything is overdue.

Interesting! Procrastination is often associated with a lack of personal meaning to a task for a person. Simply put, he doesn’t understand why he needs it.

Pierce Steele equation

Psychologist Piers Steele argues that the syndrome does not apply to completing an urgent, interesting task. Steele insists that the problem often affects those who are unable to realistically assess the prospect at the start.

He derived the formula U = E x V/I x D with five variables, which proved the driving force of motivation pushing the process.

U (Utility) – the benefits of actions.
E (Expectancy) – chance of receiving a bonus.
V (Value) – expected reward for work.
D (Delay) – time interval before receiving the bonus.
I (Impulsiveness) – impulsiveness.

The equation proves that a person willingly solves problems that provide him with a chance of getting a quick reward, and is not in a hurry to complete goals that take a long time and require a lot of energy. The further you get to the final result, the less enthusiasm.

The employee does not want to engage in activities that pose a subconscious threat to the peace of the Ego . It is precisely this that paralyzes the will and forces one to behave contrary to logic and personal interests. However, there are methods that defeat the lazy mind and sabotage (what is this?) Ego.

Consequences of procrastination

Although a person creates the illusion of being busy, anxiety from unfinished business and the burden of responsibility do not disappear anywhere and continue to influence at the subconscious level. With every minute, fears grow even more, because the longer a person procrastinates, the less time remains to complete the task, which means the higher the chance of failing.

This is what usually happens in the end. In a hurry, with a maximum level of anxiety and irritation, a person does what is needed, but he still does not receive satisfaction. And if the subject does not have time to complete the task, then he goes into self-flagellation. Because of this, already weak self-confidence becomes even weaker.

Other consequences of procrastination:

a mountain of unresolved problems in life;
decreased performance;
chronic fatigue;
fast fatiguability;
financial difficulties;
psychological problems;
psychosomatic problems;
addictions;
isolation and isolation from society.

Procrastination causes frustration - a state of mental tension caused by the inability to satisfy an urgent need. Accompanied by disappointment and apathy. Moreover, the impossibility of satisfaction can be both real and imagined by the person himself.

Note! Procrastination is not a disease, but a habit, a feature of thinking. Therefore, it does not need to be treated, but it is recommended to work on this personality trait.

Results

As you can see, procrastination tests have been created in large numbers and variety by scientists, psychologists, and today they are used in various studies, as well as at the layman level, when a person wants to test himself for the level of procrastination.

Don't forget that if procrastination actively creeps into your life, it will bring nothing but chaos, destruction and stress in the long run. Therefore, be prepared and fight the enemy with reasonable available methods.

We wish you success!

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Key words: 1Psychoregulation, 1Time management

What are the benefits of procrastination?

You may have already thought that procrastination is a universal evil. In fact, it is not only dangerous, but also useful - it indicates a pressing problem in life. If you notice that you have started to procrastinate, then you need to admit it, stop filling the void and understand the reasons:

you don’t like what you do - it’s time to change jobs;
It’s hard for you because you lack some knowledge or competencies - you need to improve this, work on improving your skills and professionalism;
the planned business contradicts your true desires, principles, beliefs - you need to think about what this is connected with, whether it can be excluded from your life, and how to do it.

But it happens that procrastination concerns only global, personal plans for life. That is, a person first gets excited about some idea, and then starts internal sabotage. This behavior is caused by living in a loser scenario, self-dislike, chronic feelings of guilt, and the attitude “I don’t deserve better, bigger, good.” It is necessary to deal with the deep causes of self-sabotage - an act of self-destruction.

Important! Stop running away from procrastination and considering it your enemy. She gives hints and points out problems in life. Make friends with her, decipher and accept the hint.

How to deal with procrastination

The causes and dangers of procrastination have been sorted out, let's move on to ways to overcome it and methods of dealing with it. Let's consider general advice from psychologists and individual exercises that will help you overcome procrastination and start working.

What to do if you suffer from procrastination - a reminder from psychologists:

Always set clear time frames, try to indicate results in numbers. This is especially true for the goals that you set for yourself in life.
Motivate yourself. You can come up with a system of rewards or add a touch of novelty and creativity to a familiar activity. If you understand that work does not interest you in any way, and nothing can inspire you to do it, then you need to get rid of such elements in your life.
When doing something, remove all distractions. For example, if we are talking about household chores or spending time with family, then you should turn off your work phone. If you sit down to write a report or do homework, then you need to turn off the TV, turn off all social networks, and leave the essentials on your desktop.

Time management exercises and techniques that will help you cope with procrastination and overcome it yourself:

Search for resource time. Determine when your peak performance occurs. Dedicate this time to the most important and difficult matters.
Eisenhower Matrix. This technique helps you prioritize and get rid of time wasters. Divide all tasks into four squares: “Important and urgent”, “Unimportant but urgent”, “Important and not urgent”, “Unimportant and not urgent”. First, do it right away. Second, delegate it to someone else. Third, set it aside for a couple of days. Fourth, eliminate it from your life.
Descartes square. Decision making technique. Describe the problem into four sectors-issues. What will happen if I do this? What happens if I don't do this? What won't happen if I do this? What won't happen if I don't do this?
Formula 10/5. Do one thing continuously for 10 minutes, and then rest for 5 minutes. Then repeat the cycle. After three repetitions, rest for 20 minutes. Important: you need to start with the simplest task and gradually move on to more complex ones.

Basic mistakes

Avoid common mistakes in the fight against procrastination:

Making the fight a fixed idea. You need to tune in to control procrastination, not fight it.
Engage in self-flagellation, overly criticize yourself. Replace it with healthy introspection and self-improvement.
Force yourself to work. Some people, without understanding the main reason for procrastination, force themselves to complete problematic tasks. As a result, they become even more tired, irritated, and disappointed in themselves.
Ignore the problem. Look at procrastination as your teacher.

Conclusion - stop thinking about how to get rid of procrastination and laziness, engage in introspection.

What kind of people tend to procrastinate?

Most people are prone to procrastination, but some professions are more susceptible to this danger than others. Let's figure out which ones.

Freelancers. These are the most procrastinating people of all. They do not have a clear schedule: work from home and many distractions. Talk to any freelancer and you will learn that working from home is not so much a holiday as it is hard work on yourself. It's hard to do anything serious when you're sitting at home in a chair with coffee in your hands.
Creative people. The most fickle people who work in most cases from bursts of inspiration. But despite the fact that good work can only come out if the artist has a good attitude, ordinary things are not ready to wait for several months. Working from inspiration is one of the causes of procrastination.
Students and schoolchildren. Everything is clear here without words. Putting off doing homework until late at night is the best way to spend your time. Much more often, everything is postponed until the time when it is no longer possible to prepare properly.
People with unstable work schedules. Unstable work schedules are most often characteristic of small entrepreneurs who are engaged in trade or passenger transportation (taxi). The main argument of such people, “If I want, I go out, if I want, I stay at home,” often turns into “I stay at home.” And money is rarely a real motivator for them.

My experience of getting rid of procrastination

I'm still a procrastinator. In the shower. I used to have it regularly in my life. Now I don’t even remember when I encountered this for the first time, but I know for sure that it happened during my studies at the university (regarding certain subjects) and at the beginning of my professional journey.

I remember I worked on one project... There was no interest, the demands were exhausting, one order from him turned me into a squeezed lemon. The only thing that motivated me was pay. Back then I didn’t have much choice, so I had to be content with what I had, gaining experience and ratings.

I delayed each task until the deadline itself, but the problem was that it didn’t get any easier. The shadow of orders followed me everywhere. Then I decided it was time to do something about it. At first, the “Eat the Frog” method worked for me: at the beginning of the day, you force yourself to do the most unattractive or difficult task. And as soon as a more interesting and congenial project came my way, I abandoned this work altogether.

Whatever type of procrastination we are talking about (everyday, in work or study, in self-development), I never set myself the goal of getting rid of procrastination, because, as you already know, this is impossible. My goal was to learn how to manage my time effectively and get rid of clutter.

For example, in relation to everyday procrastination it was like this: at first I forced myself to do everything I thought about at once, and gradually it became a habit. After all, most household chores, if you don’t accumulate them, are such a trifle. Done in a couple of minutes and you can calmly work, relax or devote time to a hobby. And all this without pangs of conscience, absent-mindedness, self-loathing or anything like that.

The situation is similar with work or some organizational issues in life. My motto: “If you’ve done the job, walk boldly.” Here's what helped me get rid of procrastination in work or other areas and still helps me:

Planning. In the evening, I already know how my day will be structured tomorrow, even if it’s a day off. And in general, I can say that I have a daily routine and schedule. Of course, sometimes I deviate from it, but in general I live according to the regime. And I like it - it helps me maintain a balance between work, family life and personal needs.
“Do it right now.” When the thought arises of putting something off until later, I say this phrase and do it.
Self talk. When I catch myself thinking that I’m starting to procrastinate and get distracted, I figure out the reasons. For example, it may turn out that it’s because I’m tired or that I’m not really interested or need what I’m trying to do.
Setting goals. Everything must have clearly defined goals and results that can be measured in some way.
Comparison. It helps a lot to convert the day into hours and minutes. Against the background of this figure, 20 minutes a day for something important, albeit with delayed results, seems like such a tiny amount. And, conversely, adding up the daily “crumbs” and looking at it through the prism of “this is almost unnoticeable now, but imagine what will happen in a year” is very motivating.

In general, a sense of responsibility does not allow me to put off everything until the last minute. I always try to leave myself a little time in case of “What if...”. This usually doesn't happen, but this approach gives me a feeling of calm and confidence. And the freed up time can always be filled with something interesting and useful.