Digging Out the Roots of Procrastination

So, procrastination. I’ve wanted to talk about it for some time already. It’s a painful topic: there’s always stuff to do, and procrastination seems to be a new buzzword — or buzzmeh, if you will.

Lots of people suppose that since we can beat procrastination or force ourselves to do something occasionally, it means we’re lazy. Because why can we do it one day and not push ourselves to do the other one? As if! I don’t think there’s such a thing as lazy people. Only the overwhelmed ones.

Procrastination isn’t your enemy — it’s just a signal, like an echo from pain when you hit your finger. Unfortunately, sometimes, the causes can be more pressing. So once we learn how it works and what triggers it, we get the chance to untangle this mechanism.

What Procrastination Says About Our Mental Well-Being

You know we are complex creatures, don’t you? Even if some things seem illogical, our bodies and minds develop all sorts of ways to cope with what’s hurting us. And procrastination is often just that — a strategy that saves us from some kind of mental struggle.

Usually, it’s our emotional regulation that doesn’t quite work. Something affects us so much in the task ahead that we hide from it, like snails in our shells. We hope that it’ll pass and we won’t have these exhausting feelings anymore.

These emotions may stem from a deep-seated inner belief. For example, you may consider yourself a bad public speaker. And if your friend asks you to help them with a project and stand in front of the audience, you accept. But whenever you start, you keep looking away. There’s always stuff to do instead of preparing for the speech — or so we believe. We don’t want to think about it and feel the underlying anxieties.

There may be simpler factors, such as being tired or not liking the task you cannot change. But what if there’s something else, something more serious, like anxiety or depression, that makes us procrastinate? Today, many scientists agree on that front; these mental health disorders are so taxing that some people don’t have the energy to focus on their responsibilities.

Before helping my clients address their procrastination, I examine their emotional and cognitive states. And I’ve learned that the toughest moment is getting through the veil of short-term comfort that procrastination gives us. Ignoring it (or, as you might say, procrastinating on it) can lead to much more difficult long-term outcomes. We think that we’re a failure. That we were never meant to achieve much. Don’t trust this tiny voice. Stick with the reality of you.

Anxiety Makes Us Drown In the What-Ifs

Anxiety is hard, girl, I know. I’m a sad owner of anxiety myself. When we envision something nerve-wrecking, we just retreat and don’t want to imagine it. Avoidance and procrastination as a result are also common mechanisms in people with generalized anxiety disorder. Plus, we sleep less and worse, get irritable, and cannot maintain the same level of physical wellness. Tough luck.

Maybe you have noticed that avoiding a particular chore or responsibility doesn’t do much to save you from being anxious. It’s because after we procrastinate, we feel guilty and nervous, worries us even more. And this cycle continues. When this becomes a habit, our jumpy mind cannot focus and process the challenges that come its way.

In us anxious folks, procrastination shows up as:

Decision paralysis. When every choice is scary, we don’t know which is better.

Overthinking. That famous “What if?” turns into our secret life motto.

Perfectionism. It’s either perfect or there’s no way out.

Just as you would try to soothe a scared child, start treating yourself with kindness before trying to fix things. Anxiety is what facilitates your procrastination, so look into what causes this state.

Why Is It So Tough With Depression?

I sometimes imagine that depression affects the gravity around us. It’s the bubble around our bodies that makes all of it heavier, and every step turns into an exhaustive struggle.

For a lot of people with depression, procrastination becomes a natural response. If you have ever been depressed, you know that it often causes you to feel like you’re failing or doing something wrong. That’s why procrastination serves as a way for you to preserve your energy. It tells you “Not now!” and you say yes to it. Yeah, you’re tired. But because procrastination stops you from moving forward, it also contributes to your depression.

Depression influences how your brain works. Those moments when it seems like your willpower is nowhere to be seen? Why? The prefrontal cortex, the reward system, and the like were changed due to this condition. So don’t listen to those telling you it’s all your fault. You are doing a lot, but everyone has their limits.

The key difference between depression-caused procrastination and what you might call “laziness” is the attitude. If you’re depressed, nothing makes you happy. So you don’t wish to even procrastinate with a fun task. If you’re just going through the phase of “Don’t Want, Won’t,” you can find things that bring you joy.

What To Do About It?

Any solution begins with understanding what causes your procrastination. Is it your anxiety? Depression? A mix of them? This will tell you why you are delaying finishing your tasks.

Regardless of what type of emotion there is, you can learn how to handle it. It’s like looking at a barrier that stops you from going forth and destroying it.

If you are afraid of doing something new, remind yourself that it’s a great learning opportunity. If you feel the task is too much, either divide it into smaller ones or reframe how you see it — maybe it’s pretty fun!

Even online courses and small self-educational efforts can teach you to manage your emotions better. And if you have such mental health conditions as anxiety and depression, this skill becomes even more critical.

In addition, procrastination makes us think about the future events that we don’t want to face. Instead, practicing mindfulness and meditation can help you ground yourself in the moment, reminding you that, despite any discomfort, you are in control of the present.

I’d like to emphasize the importance of therapy and professional assistance. You know yourself. You’ve been with yourself for all your life, yep? So you recognize the time when you need someone and cannot cope on your own — trust this sensation. There’s nothing wrong with asking for support. Quite often, it’s the bravest thing you can do.

Kindness Is the Result

You haven’t learned to procrastinate over one day, and you will need to be patient as you rewire your body into believing that it’s safe to try. But you’ve done so much, coped with so many things. I know you can do that again, and even take a step more. Prove me right!