By Psychologist Wendolyn Vázquez Marín
I’ll do it tomorrow … Maybe later … I just need to get organized; then I’ll get started … It might be common to hear phrases like these from friends, relatives, and partners, but when they’re constant, almost permanent, responses, they can signal a bigger problem that could impact mental and emotional health, not to mention the ability to get things done.
Putting things off often isn’t merely an issue of laziness or lack of will; it’s procrastination.
Derived from the Latin word procrastinare, from the prefix pro (forward) and crastinus (tomorrow)—or “put off until tomorrow”—the word “procrastination” dates back to the late 1500s, but the percentage of people reporting that they procrastinate has grown considerably in recent years, with one study citing an increase from 5 percent in 1978 to 20-25 percent today.
While the world’s limitless distractions, such as social media and other internet-based diversions, contribute, no doubt, to people putting things off, procrastination is more a means to cope with challenging emotions and negative moods induced by certain tasks—boredom, anxiety, insecurity, frustration, resentment, self-doubt—than it is the result poor time management. In other words, it’s a problem of emotion management, not time management.
Think about the following symptoms that you might be procrastinating:
- Never-ending preparation. Say that someone’s stated purpose is to send an email, but instead of just writing and sending it, he opens an email window but then pauses to make a cup of coffee, clean the workspace, fix a chair, organize a drawer, look for a favorite pen … Meanwhile, an hour or two has passed, and the email still hasn’t been sent.
- A focus on minor tasks or trivialities. Take, for example, someone whose purpose is to update her resume, but she starts the day by making calls to friends to talk about yesterday’s dinner, then realizes that her nails look bad, starts to paint them, and then decides it’s important to brush the cat—all actions that have no relevance to the stated goal.
- Multiple distractions. Say that your goal is to begin a new gym routine, but instead of getting started, you decide to first check Facebook and Instagram, post and make comments, see what’s happening on TikTok, and play some FIFA video. Almost 30 minutes have gone by, and your gym goal is still just a dream.
While delaying a task may be linked to something inherently unpleasant about the task itself, it may also result from emotional feelings related to the task such as low self-esteem, insecurity, anxiety, or self-doubt. Staring at a computer screen, you might consciously or subconsciously think, “Writing this email is very difficult. What if I do a bad job? What if my boss doesn’t like it or it makes me look inadequate?” Feelings like that can lead us to put the stated task on hold and do something else instead that makes us feel more emotionally gratified, safer, less anxious, or more capable. It’s about seeking immediate gratification as a defense mechanism against emotions you are trying to flee.
A recognized author on the subject is Laureano David Angarita, who says there are three causes or reasons why people procrastinate:
- Fear of failure, often experienced by people with low self-esteem and a low tolerance for frustration.
- Frustration, wherein the tasks to be carried out seem unattractive, unproductive, and perhaps unnecessary.
- Indecision, which often occurs in people striving for perfection whose doubts about being unable to achieve perfection result in constant postponements.
During the most acute part of the pandemic two years ago, I had two young patients who self-identified as procrastinators, one a 23-year-old professional and the other an 18-year-old university student. Both were experiencing guilt, as well as school and work problems. The intervention was in the emotional area, with a goal of reaffirming confidence, developing self-knowledge, recognizing limits, and coping with anger and frustration.
An English writer once said that procrastination is the thief of time in that postponing things unnecessarily causes people to waste a lot of their time. To act in a timely matter instead of delaying the achievement of your goals, let’s take good care of our treasures such as confidence, perseverance, initiative, and planning. Some ways to keep procrastination in check so people can on track to achieve their goals include:
- Break tasks into small parts that result in small achievements
- Keep distractions away
- Organize your day
- Set goals
What do you want from your life? Don’t let the thief of time come into your life and attack your dreams, your desires, your life, your family, your work, and your profession. Would you like to know more about this topic, or do you know someone who dealing with the challenges of procrastination? We will gladly assist you at The Clinic SMA or contact me at 415 113 9961.
Psychologist Wendolyn Vázquez Marín is a member of the Mexican Federation of Psychologists
