Sometimes, what looks like procrastination may actually be a symptom of something more serious, such as depression, anxiety or attention problems, Ballard says. Write to Jamie Ducharme at jamie. By Jamie Ducharme. Related Stories. Already a print subscriber? Go here to link your subscription. Need help? Demotivating psychological factors, such as fear of failure or anxiety, outweigh self-control to get something done.
People would rather avoid a task altogether than risk the humiliation of getting it wrong or making mistakes. When people procrastinate, they know they should work on a certain task but actively choose to do something else. It is different from laziness, which suggests apathy, inactivity, and an unwillingness to act. Although everyone can occasionally procrastinate, chronic procrastination is a different problem.
People procrastinate for different reasons. Sometimes it results from too much pressure from family, maybe while growing up in a rigid household. For example, expectations for high performance from parents can make people put off projects out of fear of failure or criticisms. Others may avoid doing something as an act of rebellion.
Procrastination prevents you from reaching your full potential—in your relationships, career, and beyond. It impedes teamwork, decreases self-esteem, and even leads to depression and job loss. On top of that, people avoid important wellness habits like going to the doctor or regular exercise.
When you pinpoint the root causes, you can develop solutions and strategies to overcome procrastination. Perfectionism might seem like a desirable characteristic. Perfectionists strive for high standards and to be the best at everything. But perfection is impossible to achieve, and aiming for it sets unrealistic expectations. As a result, they develop a fear of failure.
This leaves you with no in between or gray area or middle ground. Making mistakes is far better than not doing something altogether. When you approach a passion project, whether writing your book, taking a dance class, or starting your own business, expect to make mistakes.
That process of trial and error will teach you important lessons. Learn how to set boundaries , so the first step will be less intimidating.
Statista reports that the average global internet user spends at least 2 hours on social media every day! Unpleasant or stressful tasks like finishing a large work project, preparing your taxes, or studying for a final exam cause unpleasant feelings like fear, stress, or inadequacy. Dragging your feet to do something and focusing on low-priority tasks is a form of unconscious avoidance.
Procrastinators tend to prefer pleasure over progress. They are task averse, putting off important tasks by doing something else that feels more productive, easier, and enjoyable. For example, they might want to eat the cake right now because it tastes so good. They give up the long-term gain of getting our sugar levels into a regulated pattern and eating healthy foods that fuel the body.
When faced with difficult emotions, someone may engage in self-destructive patterns that feel good at the time, like drinking too much alcohol, instead of working through problems and feeling painful emotions which ultimately leads to healing. So for many, procrastination results as a default defense mechanism in the form of avoidance.
It acts as a coping mechanism, to protect yourself from unpleasant feelings like guilt or anxiety. You become demotivated and disillusioned, or in extreme cases, develop depression or anxiety. Like other types of defense mechanisms, procrastination happens in the unconscious mind, so you may not even realize that you do it. You must figure out what causes procrastination before you can start changing those habits. For example, do you avoid a certain task because you find it boring or unpleasant?
If so, focus and get it out of the way quickly. Then take a break or move on to tasks that you find more enjoyable. You can also tackle the hardest tasks at your peak times. If you notice that you avoid tasks because you feel incompetent when you do them — get help, outsource, or find a workaround. Letting go of some hated tasks, you will not only stop feeling guilty, but the necessary work will get done.
These are key leadership characteristics — collaboration and problem solving. It starts with a brain dump into your Daily Planner.
And you can get your planner for free. Drop your email below for instant access. The research shows that people who procrastinate suffer from lower well being and higher levels of stress and anxiety, which can reduce self-esteem and lead to depression. They're called chronic procrastinators. And it turns out, this behavior does a lot more damage than you might think. But when you choose to watch TV over doing laundry or washing the dishes you've just launched an all-out battle in your brain.
On one side is your prefrontal cortex. That's the part of your brain that sets long-term goals and regulates self-control. It's telling you that those dishes aren't going to clean themselves. And it's telling you that washing dishes is no fun, and you'll have a better time doing something else. So, procrastination essentially puts your brain in its happy place. It feels good. That's why you do it. But just because it feels good doesn't necessarily mean it's good for you. For example, several studies have found that undergraduate college students who procrastinated had a lower GPA in the latter half of the semester compared to non-procrastinators.
Moreover, other studies have found that procrastinators report higher levels of guilt and anxiety when they choose to procrastinate in the first place. And if you keep it up, researchers have found that chronic procrastination is linked to: low self-confidence, Low energy, And depression. Overall, your quality of life will probably be worse, than if you just listened to your prefrontal cortex.
0コメント