Much of the UK (and Europe) have been basking in the sun of late (not something we in the UK get to do very often) and the weather is the one topic that us Brits like to talk about – a lot!
In this blog we are looking at the topic of procrastination – and with record breaking temperatures, working (or particularly concentrating on tasks), can be exceptionally difficult. Are we blaming the weather, or could there be something else at the root of it?
- So what it is?
- What causes it?
- How can you reverse it?
What is Procrastination?
The dictionary definition of procrastination is: “Delaying or putting off tasks or decisions”. The word itself originated from the Latin word “procrastinatus” which comes from the prefix pro – meaning ‘forward and crastinus’, meaning ‘of tomorrow’.
People often think that procrastination is a sign of being lazy or poor time management, but there is more to it than that. It could be the results of an underlying condition or underestimating the time it takes to complete a task – but we will look at that more in the next section.
Procrastination is a normal human behaviour, even the most highly engaged and productive people procrastinate!
It can vary from delaying everyday tasks like shopping, doing the washing, or cleaning the oven, through to tasks such as booking an appointment with the GP for a blood pressure check, submitting a report needed for your job or broaching an emotional issue with a loved one.
Procrastination is typically perceived as a negative trait (due to the impact that it has on an individual’s productivity), but it could also be seen as the right decision – when a demand is risky or could lead to negative outcomes later down the line, or where you are waiting for new information to be received to help you solve a problem, or make the task you are procrastinating about easier to undertake (which will save time and increase your productivity in the long run).
What causes it?
Briefly in the earlier section, we mentioned that there may be underlying conditions that are the causes of procrastination. These include:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
A condition with exaggerated tension, worrying and nervousness about daily life events.
Symptoms may include:
- Uncontrollable worrying and nervousness
- Getting easily startled
- Trouble sleeping
- Amnesia
Major Depressive Disorder
A mental health disorder having episodes of psychological depression.
Symptoms may include:
- Feelings of sadness
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Loss of interest/lack of pleasure
- Short temper
- Irritation
Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
A mental health condition with a short attention span, hyperactivity and social – occupational dysfunction.
Symptoms may include:
- Lack of focus
- Poor time management skills
- Disorganisation
- Impulsivity
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
A mental health disorder characterized by repetitive actions that seem impossible to stop
Symptoms may include:
- Obsessions & compulsions
- Persistent, repeated, and unwanted thoughts
- Urges or images that are intrusive
- Compulsive or ritualistic behaviour to get rid of the thoughts
Of course, procrastination is not always related to an underlying condition. It can also be caused by incorrectly estimating the time required to complete certain tasks i.e. “I just need to finish this spreadsheet,”I only have two more pages of data to go through”, “that won’t take me more than an hour to do” or how much time you have left i.e., “This piece of work is due on 1st September, I have ages so I will do it nearer the time”.
What can you do to reverse it?
So, even though we all procrastinate, the good news is that you can train your brain to stop you doing it less often by turning the triggers of procrastination in on themselves.
Dr Travis Bradbury – author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and The Seagull Manager has shared the latest research from Joseph Ferrari at De Paul University, in this linkedin post. The research shows that procrastination stems from negative emotions that hijack your mood – once they have hold its difficult to get out of it, and he calls this the procrastination doom loop:
- “Putting this off. Not in the right mood”
- “Too much time has passed, I’d better start”
- “Cannot focus. Feeling guilty/cruddy about wasting time”
In the same article, Dr Travis sets out a few ways to help you get out of the loop:
- Figure out why – perhaps one of the most difficult is to work out why you are procrastinating? Tim Pychl in “Solving the procrastination puzzle” (2013) found that there are a handful of attributes that a task has that will make you more likely to procrastinate over it:
- Boring
- Frustrating
- Difficult
- Unstructured or Ambiguous
- Lacking in personal meaning
- Lacking in intrinsic rewards (i.e., it is not fun or engaging)
The more of these a task has (or how intense they are), the less attractive a task will be and the more likely you will procrastinate over it.
By understanding what triggers this will enable you to make a plan to flip them.
Here are some ideas to help you…
1. Create a procrastination list
Make a list of all the tasks that are meaningful and high impact so that the next time you are procrastinating, work on those to give your brain time to warm up (the prefrontal cortex to be exact).
2. List the costs
Listing the cost of putting something off – will soon make you do it.
3. Get started
Even if you don’t get the task finished, by at least starting it (set a timer for 5 minutes and then if you can, in the time allowed, reset for a further 5 minutes – small, short bursts) will at least make it easier to go back to (even if you leave it to go and work on something else in the meantime).
4. Remove your obstacles
Prior to starting a task, think about the obstacles that might get in your way. Then develop a plan to ensure that they do not i.e., if the instructions are in your inbox you will need to refer to them and then potentially get side tracked by incoming emails. Save the document and turn off your emails.
5. Cut holes in your project
As Tim Pychl notes, if a task is difficult or big it can make us procrastinate. Try breaking down into smaller bite sized pieces that can be done quickly and are easier to accomplish. Making this a manageable size can help reduce the likelihood of procrastinating.
6. Work in the right environment
Keeping yourself away from distractions (if you are a prolific social media user cut this down to checking a few times a day, switch off email inbox and turn phones onto airplane mode). The next time you find yourself watching that funny cat video on you tube try switching off and see if that helps you to stop procrastinating.
7. The small wins
If you are like me and are an accomplisher, you will love a to do list. To help procrastination even the smallest victory of crossing or ticking off a job done is intensely satisfying and helps motivate to do the next task on the list.
8. Goals
Set yourself goals at the start of the day and at the end reflect on what you have achieved. Just make sure that the goals are realistic as this will keep things positive which keep you in the right mood to tackle the tasks ahead and reduce procrastination and improve productivity.
9. Talk to yourself
The tip here is not to say to yourself that you are not going to procrastinate – as this will almost ensure that you will! Tell yourself instead how great you will feel when the task that you need to do is done. This way your mind will fixate on the action you want to take as opposed to focussing on the behaviour you are trying to avoid.
10. Do not be a perfectionist
Your work does not have to be perfect from the first draft. Great writers do not create characters in the first sitting. They will have an idea and then work from that over many, many drafts to develop the characters, so its ok for you to do the same.
11. Focus on the results
Instead of focussing on the task; focus on the outputs that will come from it i.e., you may get recognition for the work, you may present an idea that will save the organisation money or help them beat a competitor.
12. Forgive yourself
Even with a plan you will still procrastinate from time to time, but do not be hard on yourself when this does happen. Instead, learn from it and build your resilience.
If you want to talk to us more about procrastination, how this relates to productivity and the psychology of engagement, take a moment to say hello and contact us.
@Karen
