Practical Strategies to Help Break Through Procrastination

Procrastination affects students and professionals alike, often resulting in stress and missed opportunities. Understanding its psychological roots may help individuals adopt healthier strategies for productivity and focus.

Why People Procrastinate

Procrastination can be defined as self-defeating behavior pattern marked by short-term benefits and long-term costs. Many of us know it as putting off things that we need to get done, no matter the level of difficulty behind the task. This behavior is common, with research suggesting that up to 20-25% of adults worldwide are chronic procrastinators.¹

The PMC article "Procrastination and Stress: A Conceptual Review of Why Context Matters" explains that procrastination can be understood as the voluntary and unnecessary delay in the start of completion of important and intended tasks despite recognizing there will be harmful consequences for oneself and others for doing so. This often occurs because individuals seek short-term mood repair—choosing to avoid discomfort rather than addressing the task itself.²

James Clear also emphasizes that procrastination is when the present and future self are at odds with one another. "When you set goals for your future self it is your present self that has to take action.³ This disconnection can result in procrastination.

In short, procrastination is less about laziness and more about how individuals respond to internal discomfort.

Understanding the Emotional Cycle

When a task triggers anxiety, frustration, or boredom, avoidance can provide momentary relief. However, that temporary comfort often leads to guilt, which reinforces the cycle of delay.² The more a task is postponed, the stronger the avoidance response can become, creating a self-perpetuating loop.

This perspective aligns with findings from the PMC research article, suggesting that "there are clear benefits to using adaptive rather than maladaptive emotion regulation and coping strategies to reduce stress."²

Strategies That May Help Reduce Procrastination

1. Identify the Emotional Barrier

Recognizing the emotions behind avoidance can be the first step toward battling procrastination. Naming those feelings can allow for more productive self-reflection. Social anxiety or fear can trigger procrastination. For example, the fear of being judged can cause you to put off scheduling a meeting.¹

2. Break Work Into Specific Steps

Deconstructing Stigma suggests breaking large tasks into smaller, manageable steps and focusing on completing one at a time.¹ This structure helps reduce the perception of a task as insurmountable.

3. Practice Self-Compassion

The PMC article highlights that self-compassion may be an effective emotion regulation strategy to help reduce procrastination.² Rather than self-criticism, treating oneself with understanding can reduce shame and make it easier to reengage with tasks.

4. Create Task Associations That Feel Rewarding

James Clear recommends "temptation bundling," where a desirable activity is paired with a necessary task—for example, "only listen to podcasts you love while exercising."³ This makes starting the work more emotionally appealing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How can emotions influence procrastination?

A: Research published in PMC shows that procrastination is closely linked to emotion regulation—the process of managing feelings that arise when facing a task.²

Q: Can being kind to yourself really make a difference?

A: Yes, self-compassion can help reduce stress and avoidance by improving emotional regulation.²

Q: Are procrastination habits permanent?

A: Not necessarily. As James Clear notes, changing small daily behaviors and reframing emotions associated with tasks can help build more consistent productivity over time.³