We have all had times where we have allowed our work to pile up, we haven’t cleaned the house, the shopping needs doing, and endless other tasks have been left unfinished. But rather than tackling the to-do list, we end up watching tv, scrolling through social media, filling up online shopping baskets… anything to avoid what needs to get done.
Putting off tasks until the last minute is something we are all guilty of, and procrastination can stem from many places. It can be centered around a fear of failure, lack of motivation, a belief that work will be done better under pressure, or the idea that the right frame of mind is needed in order to start a task. These often mean tasks never get done.
But chronic or panic-related procrastination can be a result of deeper problems. For people with depression, feeling hopeless and having a lack of energy can make it hard to get started on tasks, which also leads to self doubt and further avoidance of what needs to be done.
Panic-related procrastination can have serious impacts on mental health and well-being and for people with anxiety it can increase levels of stress, making it hard to focus on activities.
“I would delay revision because of a fear of failure. It’s an exhausting habit because you always end up squishing all the work in at the last minute” explains Hannah Shewan Stevens, a journalist and sex columnist, who has been a panic-related procrastinator since high school.
For Hannah, the biggest struggle with procrastination is starting a new project “I literally can’t make myself sit down and work. I’ll be literally shaking while trying to calm down and put pen to paper, but the panic freezes me.”
“It’s really frustrating because it also ties into my health issues and the tension ends up making my chronic pain worse, which further delays work time.” Hannah has fibromyalgia, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and auto-immune problems so extra time off for health-related issues can increase her anxiety about getting work done.
Yoga teacher, children’s author and actress Natasha Rose Mills has experienced panic related procrastination since childhood. “It was the fear which led to procrastination. When I studied at college I found social situations difficult due to my anxiety, this prevented me from taking risks. Then I began procrastinating important tasks and assignments due to a fear of failure.”
The COVID-19 pandemic brings a sense of uncertainty and more time inside to think and dwell on things with little distraction. This can also have massive implications for people’s mental health.
For Hannah, the pandemic has made her experiences worse due to increased anxiety throughout society in general. “I feel like my panic-related procrastination feeds off the heightened anxiety. My fear of failure is stronger than ever before and my inner procrastinator thrives off of that”.
For Natasha, the time away from others has been particularly challenging: “I definitely feel the pandemic has made us more isolated which has an effect on mental health . This lack of connection with other people can have an impact on our wellbeing and the ability to focus, leading to procrastination.”
The immediate aim of procrastination is to bring a temporary sense of relief, however over time this will be replaced with anxiety as tasks do not get done. As this pattern continues it will begin to impact upon daily life.
Hannah realises that leaving work until the last minute isn’t helpful but it is hard to stop. “At work, I’ve ended up writing many pieces the night before and, while I still love them, a part of me knows they could’ve been even better if I didn’t procrastinate but my panic takes over and I just can’t seem to start working before the deadline begins to add pressure.”
So what can be done?
There are a number of tips and techniques that you can do to help reduce the time spent procrastinating-
Make a to-do list
We all love making lists of our tasks and ticking them off, but it can be a good way to visualise what needs to get done, and help in prioritizing what is important.
Break tasks into small steps
Break down each item on the list into even smaller and more manageable steps to ensure you don’t overwhelm yourself. Make sure to reward yourself with a treat or break after each task is completed to give yourself something to look forward to.
Set times for tasks
This has been really beneficial for Hannah. “I mostly try to manage my procrastination by keeping to a strict schedule, so I can focus on one task at a time and work within a specific time frame.”
Get rid of distractions
It may be hard to leave your phone in another room but it will be so beneficial in allowing you to be more productive and get your work done quicker. Scrolling through social media can waste hours of our day that could have been spent relaxing after completing work.
Communicate
If you are struggling with a task, talk to your boss or managers, being open will allow them to, hopefully, work with you to find a solution. Being open about how you are feeling is the only way others will know what is happening.
Positive mindset/mindfulness
Try to be kind to yourself whilst you are getting the work done. The more negative self talk you engage in, the more resistant you will feel towards the task at hand. Being kind to yourself can take the pressure off and help you to stop placing your self-worth onto work and success.
Natasha discovered yoga in her thirties and has found it helpful in connecting her body and mind. Breathing meditation and yoga has given her a positive sense of awareness to her emotions which has helped with her panic related procrastination.
Therapy
If you find your procrastination is becoming debilitating it may be beneficial to seek help. Reframing ways of thinking can be so beneficial in overcoming self doubt. It can help to notice the ways in which you speak to yourself, and catch yourself if you start to spiral back into a negative headspace.
It can be hard to let go of procrastination and move forwards. Try to allow yourself to make mistakes and realise that it is normal, everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect. Lowering expectations may allow you to get tasks done faster, giving you more time to enjoy time off.
