What is procrastination?
Procrastination is the act of avoiding something through delay or postponement.
You might be procrastinating when:
There is a gap between your intention and action
You feel like avoiding something
You find yourself easily distracted
You feel overwhelmed by tasks at the last minute
You always feel rushed to complete a project
You’re hesitant to truthfully update someone on your progress
It usually brings about feelings of:
Shame
Guilty
Anxiety
Regret
Anger
Inauthenticity
Why do we procrastinate?
We procrastinate because our brains receive a reward for avoidance. Avoidance brings immediate relief from the distress associated with the task. Although we may experience discomfort in the final moments before a task is due, we rarely think about the past or future when procrastinating.
This creates a problematic cycle, one that erodes at our self-confidence. It also causes us to keep up a steady stream of “I should be…” in our subconscious minds.
The ingredients for procrastination Personal & System Based Factors of Procrastination
There are fixed factors related to procrastination, things that are innate to each of our different psychological experiences. For example, someone with ADHD is more likely to procrastinate.
The fixed personal factors are:
Higher Impulsivity
Lower conscientiousness—lower drive to be organized and accomplish.
Limited attention-span
Boredom / Low Interest
The variable personal factors are:
Willpower
Distress tolerance
Willingness to ask for help
Task-focused vs value-focused
Self-consciousness & anxiety
The variable task or system-based factors are:
Unclear goals & expectations
Unrealistic goals & expectations
Distractions
Lack of accountability or mentors
By listening to this episode, you can earn 0.75 Psychiatry CME Credits.
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