7 ways to beat procrastination

Can I put this off until tomorrow?

That is the perennial question posed by college students (and people in general) around the world. Of course, many students are all too familiar with the consequences of postponing academic work until the last minute: increased stress, all-night work sessions, unfinished assignments and less-than-stellar grades.

And it’s not just students. Plenty of tasks on the job can fall into the “I’ll get to it later” category, even when you know better and resolve to not procrastinate.

So, why doesn’t the resolve stick? Rodney Luster, PhD, LPC, has a few ideas. As the chair for University of Phoenix’s Center of Leadership Studies and Organizational Research, and as a frequent contributor to Psychology Today, Luster is just the expert to explain the psychology behind why people procrastinate.

The good news is that putting off writing that economics paper is not the hallmark of laziness you feared. Piers Steel, PhD, author of the book “The Procrastination Equation,” believes procrastination is actually a subtle form of self-harm.

Luster explains: ““Self-harm through procrastination is the delay of the things that could end up hurting our career, our relationships or even ourselves. When Dr. Steel says ‘self-harm,’ he’s talking about the gradual aspects of how that ends up affecting our lives.”

Experts believe that our stalling is less about time management and more about managing emotions. In other words, we avoid starting specific tasks to control the negative feelings around that task. It’s a way to cope with stress, anxiety, frustration and other uncomfortable feelings.

Basically, when we procrastinate, our brains are trying to protect us, but at the cost of our future selves.

Has your to-do list ever triggered a feeling of panic? (Been there!) When there’s too much to get done, it can be tempting to give into distractions and put things off for just a little longer. Luster suggests a different strategy.

“Rather than eat the whole elephant, break it down. Handle a little bit now, and then maybe do something else. Then, you can come back to it later. Otherwise, it can look overwhelming,” he says. 

Focusing on immediate tasks, like finishing the next 10 pages in your textbook (compared to all 100 pages), can override your brain’s panic response and help you dig in rather than flee. If it helps, reward yourself when you complete a task. Receiving a reward, even a small one, for each accomplishment can motivate you to keep going. This could be a snack or a brief social media break. Just make sure your rewards aren’t more reasons to procrastinate. 

While trying to plan your career and life, not to mention what’s for dinner, it’s easy to lose track of what’s important right now. Part of prioritizing current tasks (our bite-size chunks, remember?) is learning to focus on the present.

“The funny thing about stress, anxiety and thinking about procrastination is that stress is a future state. When we’re lingering in the future, guess what happens? The mind fills in what it doesn’t have, and it can usually do a good job exaggerating things,” Luster explains.

Practicing mindfulness strategies, like breathing exercises, self-awareness and self-compassion, can be highly effective at overcoming the anxiety that often leads to procrastination.
 

Despite applying these strategies, you might still find yourself procrastinating on a task you dread. Remember, you are not alone in the procrastination struggle. In this fast-paced world, productivity apps and endless distraction tempt us daily. So, when you find yourself avoiding a to-do list or putting off an assignment until the last minute, don’t berate yourself. Instead, use it as an opportunity to tune in: Your brain is trying to communicate underlying stress or anxiety.

That is the first step toward empowering yourself on a more productive, less stressful academic and life journey.