Research Paper By Christian Vinceneux
(Life Coach, UNITED STATES)
Most people experience procrastination. Many people report procrastinating daily in many areas of their life. What causes it? Is it laziness? What are the best ways to overcome it? Can coaching help? In the context of coaching, procrastination is a commonly experienced human behavior that can interfere with people’s ability to do what’s important to them. Procrastination can be one of the many obstacles causing people to feel stuck and unhappy with their life. Life coaching can support people to achieve what they want. By understanding procrastination better, coaches can in turn support their clients better. This paper will review procrastination, its possible causes, and its significance in the context of coaching.
Dictionary.com: The act or habit of procrastinating, or putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention.
The term procrastination usually applies to delaying a set of actions that are in our best interest to complete sooner or later, or by a certain deadline, to obtain something we want or complete something we have to do.
In an independently conducted survey of 2219 people, Darius Foroux identified that at least 88% of the participants reported procrastinating at least 1 hour a day. https://medium.com/darius-foroux/how-common-is-procrastination-a-study-80869467c3f3
The psychologist Timothy Pychyl and Fuschia Sirois have discovered that procrastination isn’t about avoiding work; it’s about avoiding negative emotions. We procrastinate when a task stirs up uncomfortable feelings like anxiety, confusion, or boredom.
In their book “Procrastination, Health, and Well-Being”, Timothy Pychyl and Fuschia Sirois described that “Research on procrastination has grown exponentially in recent years. Studies have revealed that procrastination is an issue of self-regulation failure, and specifically, misregulation of emotional states—not simply a time management problem as often presumed. This maladaptive coping strategy is a risk factor not only for poor mental health but also for poor physical health and other aspects of well-being.”
In a 2013 study, Dr. Pychyl and Dr. Sirois found that procrastination can be understood as “the primacy of short-term mood repair … over the longer-term pursuit of intended actions.” Put simply, procrastination is about being more focused on “the immediate urgency of managing negative moods” than getting on with the task, Dr. Sirois said. Procrastinating provides temporary but immediate relief; it acts as a reward and reinforces the behavior. Short term needs are prioritized over long term needs, easily becoming a chronic cycle. When we face a task that makes us feel insecure, the amygdala perceives the task as a threat (even if only to our wellbeing or self-esteem). Our brain is wired to be more concerned to remove a threat in the present than with the possibility of creating more stress for ourselves by putting off a task (amygdala hijack).
Professor of motivational psychology Dr. Piers Steel goes as far as describing procrastination as “self-harm”.
Dominic J. Voge discusses aspects of procrastination in “Classroom Resources for Addressing Procrastination”, Source: Research and Teaching in Developmental Education excerpted from Vol. 23, No. 2 (Spring 2007), pp. 88-96.
“Others claim they “do better” when they procrastinate and “work best” under pressure. I encourage you to be critical and reflective of these explanations. Virtually everyone who says this habitually procrastinates and has not completed an important academic task in which they made a plan, implemented it, had time to review, etc. before their deadline. So, in reality, they can’t make a comparison of the circumstances they work best under. If you pretty much always procrastinate, and never really approach your tasks systematically, then you can’t accurately say that you know you “do better” under pressure. Still, other people say they like the “rush” of leaving things to the end and meeting a deadline. But they usually say this when they are NOT working under that deadline. They say this works before or after cramming when they have forgotten the negative consequences of procrastinating such as feelings of anxiety and stress, fatigue, and disappointment from falling below their standards and having to put their life on hold for chunks of time. Not to mention, leaving things to the end dramatically increases the chances something will go wrong – like getting sick or a computer problem – and you not being able to pull off the desired grade. So, procrastination can be hard on us and increase our chances of failing, but we do it anyway”.
For a long time, procrastination has been viewed as a product of laziness and/or lack of willpower. If someone is known to procrastinate, they tend to be viewed in a negative light.
In the workplace, procrastination can affect productivity, meeting deadlines, teamwork, customer satisfaction, and overall cost of operations.
In relationships (romantic, business, friendships), procrastination can affect trust and can place stress on the relationship. For example, a spouse who procrastinates about paying bills may incur additional late fees or discontinued service; delaying filling out an application for a child’s school or summer camp may compromise enrollment, create a need to come up with last-minute alternate plans, etc.
With ourselves, procrastination can take just as much of a toll. As a result, we may miss out on work opportunities, lose friendships, experience financial difficulties, and miss out on great life opportunities.
The impact of procrastination on physical and emotional health cannot be ignored either. Many people procrastinate about scheduling regular medical check-ups or following up on a medical recommendation, which could result in health issues.
On an emotional level, people who procrastinate frequently tend to experience increased anxiety and stress. As people know they are likely to procrastinate, they can become more anxious predicting that they may not be able to do what they decide to do. They may lose trust in their own ability to follow through with their decision and in their ability to reach their goals. They’re likely to feel guilty and embarrassed each time they procrastinate. Over some time, they may develop the belief that they are incapable of following through promptly and stop even trying. This may further affect the individual and lead to depression.
So why would we delay something that we know we’re better off doing sooner than later?
Thinking about a task that we need or want to do, we may immediately feel overwhelmed, bored, incompetent, scared, etc. The feeling may be so uncomfortable that we may try to make ourselves feel better by ignoring/postponing the task and engaging instead in something that makes us feel good.
We can get stuck in this cycle, where we continue to state our intentions but keep delaying the actions that will bring us closer to our goal. In more severe cases, people may gradually develop the belief that they will never reach their goal, each time to be reinforced by another postponement. Over time, people may give up on even trying, convinced that they will not be successful.
It is easy to see how people may attribute this issue to laziness or a lack of willpower. Dr. Pychyl and Dr. Sirois explain how it is not the case and how procrastination is tied to avoiding negative emotions. While it makes great sense after learning about it, it is often not obvious to most people.
When facing a problem, we naturally revert to using the tools that are familiar to us. For example, if we believe that our reason for procrastinating is laziness, we may feel bad about ourselves, feel guilty, and be embarrassed. We may decide to try harder. Each time we fail, we feel that we are not trying hard enough and that we are weak. We blame ourselves. We lose confidence in our ability to do what we want or need. We develop the belief that we are not capable of achieving our goals. Even though we know what’s in our best interest, we can’t do it. We’re stuck. With this mindset, we can end up in a dynamic where the more we try, the worse we feel, to the point where we stop trying.
By applying the concepts of Dr. Pychyl and Dr. Sirois, we can look at procrastination differently. If procrastination is indeed a result of avoiding negative emotions, we can now approach similar situations by asking some pertinent questions:
- What am I uncomfortable about when I think of this task?
- What are my feelings? Am I feeling incompetent, bored, overwhelmed, etc?
As we identify feelings associated with the anticipated task, we can start challenging our beliefs, perspectives, and engage in problem-solving to tackle the task more effectively.
Upon reviewing work from experts, it is clear that procrastination is a complex issue. However, understanding that the reason why we avoid a task is due to how we feel about it provides us with hope and a roadmap in trying to tackle it.
The different types of procrastination
The tasks we procrastinate about tend to fall into several categories. Here are some examples that I have encountered personally or in my clients.
We don’t know how to do the task; we lack skills and knowledge
- Example: we keep talking about wanting to repair the fence in the backyard. We know we may be able to do it but we have no experience and we’re not sure of how to proceed. As soon as we think of repairing the fence, we become overwhelmed by not having the slightest idea of where to start; our mental response might be “I’ll figure it out later” and the job doesn’t get done.
We know how to do the task but we don’t feel confident; we’re afraid of failing
- Example: we want to start a new business, promote a new workshop, write a book, etc. We’re excited about the idea but when it comes to getting started, we’re filled with self-doubt. Are we capable of doing this? Will people like it? What if we fail? Our mental response might be “I’ll figure it out later” and the job doesn’t get done.
We are afraid of the outcome
- Example: we have been experiencing some unusual physical symptoms that are worsening with time. We know we should go to the doctor to get checked out, but we’re afraid that we may need surgery. We’re so afraid of surgery that we keep delaying making an appointment.
We have enough skills but we are overwhelmed by the task; we’re not sure where or how to start
- Example: we decide to clean out the garage and reorganize the space. Each time we think of getting started, we become overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task. So many boxes, so many things that we don’t know what to do with. What should I keep or throw away? Where should I put everything? We can’t think of a quick and easy plan. Our mental response might be “I’ll figure it out later” and the job doesn’t get done.
We perceive the task as boring. We are not motivated by the task
- Example: we need to file our taxes, which entails gathering all of our expenses for the year. We have to go through our accounts and review everything item by item. It’s not difficult, we know how to do it, but it seems so tedious and boring that we keep postponing it.
In any of these situations, the emotions we experience stop us from moving forward and doing what we are intending.
Tips on overcoming procrastination
(Dominic J. Voge “Classroom Resources for Addressing Procrastination”, Source: Research and Teaching in Developmental Education excerpted from Vol. 23, No. 2 (Spring 2007), pp. 88-96). He suggests the following tips to overcome procrastination:
Awareness – Reflect on the reasons why you procrastinate, your habits, and thoughts that lead to procrastinating.
Assess – What feelings lead to procrastinating, and how does it make you feel? Are these positive, productive feelings: do you want to change them?
Outlook – Alter your perspective. Looking at a big task in terms of smaller pieces makes it less intimidating.
Commit – If you feel stuck, start simply by committing to complete a small task, any task, and write it down. Finish it and reward yourself. Write down on your schedule or “to do” list only what you can completely commit to, and if you write it down, follow through no matter what. By doing so you will slowly rebuild trust in yourself that you will do what you say you will, which so many procrastinators have lost.
Surroundings – When doing schoolwork, choose wisely where and with whom you are working. Repeatedly placing yourself in situations where you don’t get much done – such as “studying” in your bed, at a cafe, or with friends – can be a kind of procrastination, a method of avoiding work.
Goals – Focus on what you want to do, not what you want to avoid. Think about the productive reasons for doing a task by setting positive, concrete, meaningful learning and achievement goals for yourself.
Be Realistic – Achieving goals and changing habits takes time and effort; don’t sabotage yourself by having unrealistic expectations that you cannot meet.
Self-talk – Notice how you are thinking, and talking to yourself. Talk to yourself in ways that remind you of your goals and replace old, counter-productive habits of self-talk. Instead of saying, “I wish I hadn’t… ” say, “I will …”
Un-schedule – If you feel stuck, you probably won’t use a schedule that is a constant reminder of all that you have to do and is all work and no play. So, make a largely unstructured, flexible schedule in which you slot in only what is necessary. Keep track of any time you spend working toward your goals and reward yourself for it. This can reduce feelings of being overwhelmed and increase satisfaction in what you get done. For more see the book Procrastination by Yuen and Burka.
Swiss Cheese It – Breaking down big tasks into little ones is a good approach. A variation on this is devoting short chunks of time to a big task and doing as much as you can in that time with few expectations about what you will get done. For example, try spending about ten minutes just jotting down ideas that come to mind on the topic of a paper, or skimming over a long reading to get just the main ideas. After doing this several times on a big task, you will have made some progress on it, you’ll have some momentum, you’ll have less work to do to complete the task, and it won’t seem so huge because you’ve punched holes in it (like Swiss cheese). In short, it’ll be easier to complete the task because you’ve gotten started and removed some of the obstacles to finishing.
Coaching clients often bring up situations where they feel stuck and unable to achieve their goals. For various reasons, they may experience procrastination and not be able to take the actions that will get them closer to their goals.
Due to procrastination being linked to facing uncomfortable emotions triggered by the prospect of a new task, coaches need to understand how to best support their clients in this area.
Some critical areas where coaching can help clients with procrastination include:
- Increasing awareness of emotions triggered by task
- Examining productive reasons for wanting to do the task
- Identifying what we do to avoid the task
- Examining beliefs and values re instant vs delayed gratification
- Assessing the environment to minimize possible distractions
- Creating new routines and schedules
- Breaking up large tasks into more manageable chunks
- Creating rewards for work that is accomplished
Procrastination is a commonly experienced challenge. In some cases, it can seriously prevent people from achieving what they intend and lead to overall life dissatisfaction. Whereas many people believe that procrastination stems from laziness and a lack of willpower, experts agree that it is related to the discomfort of emotions that arise when facing a task. As a task triggers uncomfortable emotions (boredom, anxiety, fear, etc), we choose to move away from the discomfort by delaying actions that will allow us to complete the task. Procrastinating can result in a temporary delay in reaching our goals. In some situations, it can become a chronic pattern where the individual becomes stuck in “inaction”. Over time, individuals suffering from severe and chronic procrastination can also experience heightened anxiety and depression. Coaches can provide great support to their clients to tackle procrastination and identify ways to overcome it.
Susan Krauss Whitbourne Ph.D. Fulfillment at Any Age. A New Way to Understand Procrastination. Jan 09, 2018
Why you procrastinate (It has nothing to do with self-control)
“Procrastination, Health, and Well-Being”, Dr. Timothy Pychyl and Dr. Fuschia Sirois
Dominic J. Voge: “Classroom Resources for Addressing Procrastination”, Source: Research and Teaching in Developmental Education excerpted from Vol. 23, No. 2 (Spring 2007), pp. 88-96.