The Psychology of Procrastination

I’m sure many of you procrastinate. Why do we do it? It seems as if it’s human nature to put off things until the last minute, and in some ways it is. There is actually psychological evidence showing why we procrastinate, and it’s pretty simple.

Here are 4 reasons a person may procrastinate and how to avoid these mistakes:

Is this fun?/This is too hard.

Enjoyment factors a lot into why we do or don’t do something. We might think, “Oh writing that paper is going to be boring, so I’ll just do it later.” It will still be a boring paper to write later, so putting it off doesn’t do anything but make you even more stressed. We might also think, “These math problems look hard, so I don’t feel like doing them right now.” No matter when you do the math problems, they’re going to be just as hard. Time doesn’t change the enjoyment or difficulty of the assignment; it just changes how much you have to cram to finish it. This does nothing to help you, and you’re better off just completing the assignment right away.

How to combat this way of thinking:

Instead of thinking about how much you won’t like doing the assignment, think about how much more free time you will have when you finish. Once you get it done, you won’t have that weight on your shoulders anymore. It will also save you the stress later as it gets closer to the deadline. Less stress is automatically more fun. Rewarding yourself for completing tasks is another good way to combat this. For example, for every 3 math problems you finish, you can reply to a text. Or for every paragraph of an essay you write, you get a small piece of candy. Make it relevant to you and what type of reinforcements you would want to motivate yourself.

What’s the point?/What’s going to happen if I do it?

The most common question a person asks when doing a task they don’t want to do is: “Why am I even doing this?” Well, grades are pretty important. And complaining about having to do an assignment isn’t going to change the fact that you still have to do it. So honestly, it doesn’t matter when you do it. I’d personally rather get it over with. You probably spend as much time complaining as it would take to do the assignment anyway.

Or maybe you’re thinking, “I’m not going to do well anyway, so why do it?” This is what psychologists call “performance anxiety.” Students are so worried about what they’re going to get on a test or on an assignment, they would rather put it off until the last minute. That way if they do poorly, they can use that as an excuse.

How to combat this way of thinking:

Just do it! Like I said, by the time you finish complaining about the assignment, you could have it finished.

Also, believe in your own ability more. Don’t assume the worst. Put your heart into your assignment as much as you can. If you do that, the outcome won’t be bad.

I don’t think I can do this! (even when you plan ahead)

Time management. It seems as if no matter how much we plan and set goals for ourselves, deadlines always sneak up on us. Ask yourself this: do you follow your own study plan? The answer is probably “No.” When we set goals for ourselves to complete the assignment bit by bit, we often don’t adhere to them. We think, “Oh I don’t really have to do this tonight, I still have time.” This is what gets us into trouble. This is what we call “poor strategic study patterns.” This is the big problem among procrastinators that leads to cramming the night before something is due.

How to combat this way of thinking:

FOLLOW YOUR PLAN! When you set goals for yourself, the only person you’re letting down if you don’t follow them is you. If you aren’t setting goals for big projects or studying for tests a little each day, start. It’s a really helpful way to manage your time. It makes the big things seem a lot smaller and more doable.

What else could I be spending my time on…

Especially in this day and age, we thrive on instant gratification. Checking our text messages, scrolling through social media, etc. It makes sense, honestly. Why do homework when you can text your friend or watch T.V.? What happens here is called the “intention-action gap.” This is when we think a task will take less time to complete than it actually does. This is a very flawed way of thinking, but it is so common.

How to combat this way of thinking:

Instead of estimating the least amount of time it will take you to do something, be more realistic with yourself. Even if you think the assignment is easy and will only take half an hour, if you’re checking your phone and watching T.V. during that time it can turn into 2 or 3 hours. Help yourself by setting a time that is longer than you think the assignment will take you. Also, put away the distractions. You’re more likely to finish before the time you set which makes you feel more productive.

Hopefully by learning about these common mistakes people make that lead to procrastination, you can catch yourself making them. It may take time, but looking out for these signs will greatly improve your time management skills.