Self-Sabotage: Procrastination

Every Sunday before going to bed, I think about the work waiting for me in the week ahead. I suppose I am preparing my mind in advance for what it will face.

However, each time I notice that some tasks have been carried over from previous weeks. They become part of the new week’s to-do list and continue travelling with me.

On the one hand, I do not think this behaviour suits me. On the other hand, I experience the tension created by unfinished work. Although I feel brief relief when I delay something, the burden does not disappear. It is simply moved to a future date.

Not Every Delay Is Procrastination

We may delay a task because we need to gather more information, complete another priority or wait for the right time. This can be a conscious decision.

Procrastination, however, means unnecessarily delaying something we plan to do even though we know that the delay may have negative consequences.

Research suggests that around 20 per cent of adults describe themselves as chronic procrastinators. Procrastination is more common among university students. According to Piers Steel’s detailed review, between 80 and 95 per cent of students procrastinate from time to time. Around 75 per cent describe themselves as procrastinators, while almost half experience procrastination regularly and at a level that causes problems.

These figures vary according to the research sample and how procrastination is defined. They should therefore not be treated as exact rates for all adults or students.

Many figures are also shared about procrastination in the workplace. However, a significant number of them are based on online surveys that do not represent the wider population. I previously used a claim that 76 per cent of employees procrastinated for at least one hour every day. I could not find a reliable academic source for this figure, so I no longer use it.

Even so, procrastination is clearly a common issue in working life. We may delay sending an email, having a difficult conversation, starting a report or making a decision. The subject also comes up frequently in my coaching work.

It Is Not Only About Managing Time

For many years, procrastination was treated as a planning or time management problem. Research shows that emotion regulation also plays an important role in this behaviour.

A task may feel boring, difficult, unclear or worrying. We may fear failure, criticism or making the wrong decision. When we delay the task, we briefly escape this discomfort.

We feel a little better at that moment, but the task does not disappear. Its consequences are left for our future selves.

As the deadline approaches, stress, guilt and anxiety may increase. Research shows a relationship between procrastination, stress and negative emotions. However, this does not mean that procrastination directly causes physical or mental illness in everyone.

Procrastination can be described as a form of self-sabotage. However, this term should be used carefully. Blaming ourselves may make it more difficult to understand the reasons behind the behaviour.

How I Work with a Task I Have Been Delaying

When I have delayed an important task, I ask myself several questions. This is a personal exercise that I use. I cannot say that it is a proven treatment. However, clearly defining the task, considering its possible consequences and dividing it into smaller steps are consistent with some cognitive behavioural approaches used for procrastination.

First, I clearly identify what I am delaying.

Instead of making a broad statement such as “I need to finish the report,” I say, “I need to write the first draft of the report’s introduction.”

I then consider what the task brings up for me.

Which part of this task feels difficult?

Is the task boring or unclear, or does it seem too large?

Am I afraid of failing, being criticised or making the wrong decision?

What do I gain in the short term by delaying this task?

What do I prefer to do instead?

My aim is not to pressure or judge myself. It is to understand more clearly what I am avoiding.

I then prepare two lists. On the first, I write the possible results of completing the task. On the second, I write the possible results of not completing it.

I do not consider only myself. I also try to assess what these results could mean for my family, friends, colleagues or managers.

I then decide whether I genuinely want to complete the task.

If the task is important and necessary, I decide when I will begin. If it is no longer meaningful or necessary, I consciously remove it from my list instead of continuing to carry it forward. Making a considered decision to remove a task is not the same as continuing to delay it without awareness.

Finally, I choose an easy and specific first step.

Opening the file, finding the necessary document, writing the first paragraph, requesting an appointment or spending only ten minutes on the task can all be starting points.

We cannot say that one small step will automatically start everything else. However, it may make beginning easier and turn a task that feels overwhelming into something more manageable.

When to Consider Support

Professional support may be considered if procrastination becomes persistent and causes significant problems in work, education, health, finances or relationships.

Research suggests that cognitive behavioural interventions, in particular, may help reduce problematic procrastination. However, research in this area is still limited, and each method may not produce the same result for everyone.

Coaching may help people clarify their goals, observe their behaviour, consider their options and follow through on their decisions.

However, if procrastination is accompanied by intense anxiety, depression, attention difficulties or significant problems in daily life, coaching is not a replacement for mental health support.

Perhaps the starting point is not to blame ourselves, but to ask ourselves two honest questions:

What discomfort am I avoiding at this moment?

What is the smallest step I can take today towards something that matters to me?

Sources

Piers Steel’s meta-analytic review of procrastination

Sirois and Pychyl’s study of procrastination and short-term emotion regulation

Sirois’s review of procrastination and stress

Rozental and colleagues’ systematic review of interventions for procrastination

Rozental and colleagues’ study of cognitive behavioural therapy