Procrastination and ways to manage it

Understanding procrastination

-it is essentially a strategy that involves waiting until the last moment to solve a problem. This is why it is so common and hard to resolve, as it’s not a problem but an unintentional problematic strategy utilized by our brains.

-Our brains are efficient in developing solutions for problems that will minimize irritation; an example is being assigned a project due in a month but leaving it all to the last week as it is better to relax the whole month and deal with the project’s troubles for a week than the entire month.

-Procrastination can also be hard to resolve because there are many procrastination types, and each type has a different solution.

Evasion procrastination

-Not doing a certain task due to fear of failure or undesired outcomes (mostly emotion-based).

This type of procrastination is usually the brain being defensive to avoid certain emotions with the idea that as long as this task isn’t completed, we won’t experience the damaging emotions/outcome.

Solution: Since this is an emotional issue, reason with yourself emotionally rather than logically or evidently. This can include identifying the emotion being felt or trying to avoid as well as the consequences. And then ask yourself, if my friend was feeling this way, what would I tell them? And then say that to yourself.

Idealistic procrastination

-based on fantasies (wanting this task to turn out in an ideal and specific way), And until you figure out how to achieve this specific outcome, you won't do it.

Ex: avoiding starting a writing project until you improve your handwriting more

-This type of procrastination can make you attached to an ideal outcome instead of any other result. so you won’t settle for less, which can make you feel trapped (procrastinating for an A rather than study and settle for a B, meaning being attached to the A grade is making you stuck)

Solution: it is best not to give up, but rather lower expectations and detach from that fantasy. by detaching from that ideal A+, you are no longer trapped, it doesn’t mean that you won’t achieve the A grade, but it means you are no longer stuck. It is also critical to recognize that most undesirable outcomes aren’t necessarily bad but instead perceived as bad as they aren’t the ideal outcome. And this recognition can be achieved by detaching from idealization.

Operational procrastination

-The brain’s difficulty in doing unclear tasks (taking on a task so abstract you don’t know where to begin)

-most abstract tasks aren’t necessarily difficult but are just unclear on where to begin. (making a resume, finding a passion or interest, etc.)

-solution: chopping up the task into as many sub-parts as possible, like writing down the steps and crossing them out when completed.

It is also important to try seeing the task from a different perspective to avoid being stuck, such as listing down the steps starting from the last step rather than the first one. (step 10, step 9 rather than step 1, step 2)

Overall, these are the most common types of procrastination that people may face, and I hope these helped in some way!