Everyone procrastinates at times. We’ve all said, “I’ll do it later.” However, some people delay doing things all the time. This delay has a name. It’s called procrastination.
In this instance, procrastination means we are delaying tasks that we know we need to do. The choice to delay feels small, but it builds into a habit over time.
Read more: Why Burnout Happens and How to Prevent It
Feels Good, for the Moment
The relief we feel when delaying a task leads to momentary comfort. It leads to short-term relief and alleviates stress.
Perhaps the task is boring or challenging. We might be motivated to scroll our phone or watch TV. We might clean something instead. Also, we seem to feel better with this level of “escape.”
Yet, we get further and further from finishing the task we were avoiding. As the deadline approaches, we feel stress increase. Guilt builds, anxiety increases, and the mind feels heavy.
Choosing Easy over Hard
The brain is meant to help us find rewards. As humans, we prefer ease to pressure. People pick easy tasks first and prefer comfort over pressure.
For example, studying a textbook takes work, but watching a video is much easier. Many people are hard-wired to choose the video, and they do this consistently. Consequently, the habit of procrastination is made stronger.
The more we pattern our habits along that ease, the weaker our ability to focus becomes. Hence, with time, we are too disengaged to motivate ourselves.
Fear Keeps Us From Starting
On certain occasions, we do not procrastinate because we are lazy or tired. We procrastinate because we are afraid. Fear of failing stops us from starting.
If we have anticipation that we won’t do well, we won’t even start. We fear making a mistake. Instead of starting, we plan, avoid, or escape.
Too Many Options Create A Stress Reaction
When we have too many things to do, we freeze. This freezes us because we don’t know what to do first. This leads to procrastination.
The brain gets confused when we have too many options. It simply wants to choose the best task. But when every option feels like the worst choice, we choose to do nothing. We are wasting our time trying to decide what to do.
These decisions overload and create more stress. They also lower our energy. When the options never feel right, we do something simple to not facing the harder choice.
Perfectionism Creates Delay
Some people give everything a perfection test. They are waiting for the perfect idea, time, or mood.
There is no such thing as perfect. Planning for perfection only wastes more time. The longer we wait, the more pressure mounts, then that pressure creates fear. The fear stops action.
Perfectionism and procrastination are best friends; they keep us stuck.
Psychology: Procrastination and Emotion
Psychologists say procrastination is an emotional problem, not a time problem. When we don’t want to experience discomfort, we can task-avoid.
Our brain protects us by delaying things that feel bad. However, this relief causes even more pain later. We procrastinate for a feeling, not to avoid work.
For example, the person who delays writing because of fear of judgement, the task feels scary, so the person runs from the task. This is fear-based procrastination as opposed to logical avoidance.
We Lie to Ourselves
Procrastination also includes self-deceit. We say to ourselves I work better under pressure. But we know the truth is that we feel scared and unmotivated, or we would do the work.
We say I will start tomorrow. Tomorrow comes, and we put the task off again. These little lies become habits.
The lies protect us temporarily by relieving us of guilt, but later, the consequences make us regret our lies. The cycle continues.
Small Tasks Seem Safer
Many people do small tasks first. They seem quick and safe. The desk is clean. There are a few emails to check. They made a list.
These tasks give a false sense of progress. They did not address the activity they were avoiding. It is still there. They feel busy but not productive.
The real activity is sitting there. Your stress has been building bit by bit.
The Connection Between Body and Mind
When we don’t sleep enough or don’t eat properly, we throw off our brains. We can’t think if we’re tired or hungry.
This is how we lose brain power. Things feel much bigger than they are. And we procrastinate. We can’t even create baby steps to take.
Taking care of our body in turn takes care of our mind. Good food and sleep help motivate us. Motivation follows energy, and energy follows action.
Avoiding Tasks and Mental Health
Avoiding tasks for too long can negatively affect our mental health. Psychologists have strongly correlated procrastination with contextual anxiety and low self-worth.
The longer we avoid, the less faithful we become to ourselves. As our self-doubt grows heavier, our bodies become stuck, and our distracted mind will allow our fear to grow bigger than the task at hand.
This is how we wind up in sadness or shame. Eventually, we create personal narratives that spin us into believing that there is a hint of truth to three pervasive stories: “I am lazy”, “I am weak”, and “I will fail”. In essence, we may have simply become overworked. Knowing is the first step in helping us move through.
How to Stop Procrastinating
Take small steps. Please do one thing. Please don’t think about the whole job- just start.
Break down any task into as many small pieces as possible. One page, one paragraph, one sentence. Each small action will add momentum.
Use Timers: you work in 10-15 minutes of focus on purpose with a maximal brief rest interval immediately thereafter. This method of Timer use is often called the Pomodoro Technique and helps many people clarify their focus at a maximum activity level.
Make Deadlines Obvious
Open-ended tasks are no good. They don’t make us go. We delay. Or don’t do it.
Set deadlines that feel meaningful—even if they are half made up.
Tell a friend or family member. Ask them to check in with you. This creates gentle accountability.
Celebrate small wins. A treat. A walk. A smile. Spots of joy in your day.
Create the Right Environment
You can take away distractions. Turn off notifications. Put the phone away. Create a clean space.
You want to sit where your brain knows, “this is for work.” This familiarity develops over time.
You can play back quiet music, if it helps. Use light and air. Make your brain’s space a tool and not a trap.
Be Gentle on Yourself
Procrastination is normal. We all procrastinate sometimes. Do not call yourself lazy. No negative self-definition.
Instead, consider what you are avoiding. Are you scared? Is there pressure? Doubt? Identify the cause.
Once you identify the cause, sit with the cause, and be gentle. Be gentle with our minds. Forgive yourself for past procrastination. Start again!
Wrapping Up
Procrastination is not about time, but rather feelings, fear, and focus. Everyone deals with it, and we can all beat it.
Psychology teaches us that avoidance is emotional, not laziness. It encourages us to look inside ourselves.
The next time you say “I will do it later,” stop. Take one big breath. Then take one tiny step. That one step could change everything.
