You’re Not Lazy, You Just Love to Procrastinate!
Picture this: You have an assignment that’s due in 10 hours. At first, 10 hours seems like a lot of time, so you let yourself scroll on TikTok for an hour—you know, just one hour of innocent scrolling won’t hurt. But, wait! 4 hours have gone by, miraculously! Then you suddenly remember the assignment and think, “I still have 6 hours left—plenty of time!” Then, you scroll some more, chat with friends, watch your favorite show and suddenly, you’re down to just 1 hour left, the FINAL HOUR!
This, my friend, is the DOOM OF PROCRASTINATION!
This Post is divided into 4 Chapters for easy navigation:
- What is Procrastination (which I just cleared)
- Why We Procrastinate
- What Procrastination Causes
- How to Beat Procrastination
Feel free to jump to any section that interests you!
If you'd love a more DETAILED form of this topic, I have a full 20 minute+ video on it over on YouTube, so you can click below to take you there:
Chapter 1: What Is Procrastination?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, procrastination means delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring.
And as defined by the University of Melbourne, it means putting off a task or goal and doing something that’s less important instead.
Chapter 2: Why Do We Procrastinate?
Our brains see procrastination as a form of protection from that seemingly stressful, boring, self-doubting event or deadline.
From a neurological perspective, procrastination happens when the brain’s limbic system—responsible for emotions and immediate gratification—overrides the prefrontal cortex, which manages planning and decision-making. This results in prioritizing short-term pleasure over long-term goals and leads to putting off tasks for later gratification.
The primary conflict happens between the limbic system (seeking immediate pleasure) and the prefrontal cortex (responsible for executive function and planning).
Dopamine, often associated with reward, can contribute to procrastination by making us seek immediate gratification instead of completing tasks that might require sustained effort.
Procrastination can also sometimes be a manifestation of the body’s “fight or flight” response, where the brain prioritizes avoiding stress by delaying a task. Anxiety and fear of failure can also contribute, as the brain may choose to avoid a potentially stressful task by delaying it.
Chapter 3: What Procrastination Causes
There are both 'positive' and negative results of procrastination. On one hand, procrastination can temporarily relieve your body of stress. On the other hand, while it might seem like it’s reducing your stress levels at the moment, it’s actually really dangerous in the long run—resulting in shame, high stress, more anxiety, worrying, and even depression. Research papers have proven that this is true, I'd link some at the end of this post so you geniuses can go and check them out!
The more you put off a task, the more difficult it seems to complete. It becomes so daunting that you eventually don’t end up doing it at all.
Chapter 4: How to Beat Procrastination!
It might seem logical that the cure to procrastinating is setting strict timetables and alarms, but sometimes that approach does the opposite. It can make you procrastinate even more, feel more stressed, and more afraid, trapping you in a vicious cycle.
Here are a few scientifically backed ways that have helped me beat procrastination:
💡Tip 1: JUST DO IT!
The single most helpful tip is to just start! Most procrastinators tend to overthink, which stops them from beginning the task. Just doing it—regardless of how you feel or how others might perceive your activity—helps silence that inner voice of self-doubt and fear. This approach empowers your prefrontal cortex to take charge over the limbic system.
💡Tip 2: Be Precise on what Exactly You want to Do!
Avoid vague goals like “I want to study” which can feel overwhelming. Instead, be specific: “I want to study biochemistry.” Then, break it down further: “I want to study amino acids in biochemistry.” Asking yourself these precise questions sets you up for success rather than rushing into a task only to fumble at the end.
💡Tip 3: Break Your Task into Tiny, Achievable Bits
For example, if you want to arrange your room, break down the process: put away dirty clothes, arrange your table, clean your table, mop the floor, etc. Coming from the biochemistry example, you might say, “Pick up the textbook, get your writing materials together, and go to your study desk.”
💡Tip 4: Reduce Your Distractions
While you might never be completely free from distractions, you can create an environment that minimizes them. If you get distracted by your phone, put it out of sight or in another room. Trust me, this works magic!
💡Tip 5: Have Accountability Partners
Doing an activity with others rather than alone can significantly boost your seriousness about the task. This concept, known as “social facilitation,” shows that people tend to perform better when working alongside peers compared to when working alone. (I’d link some research papers at the end of this post so you can read more about it.)
💡Final Tip: Learn to Forgive Yourself When You Mess Up
We can’t always be perfect, and that’s what makes us human. If you were perfect, you literally wouldn’t be reading this post right now. Learning to forgive yourself reduces self-imposed pressure and helps you perform better the next time you need to work or study.
In Conclusion
Procrastination is just one of those things in life, that may seem like a stumbling block on your path to success. The choice is yours: work against it or let it keep walking all over you. Remember, you’re not lazy—you just love to procrastinate. Now it’s time to take that first step and conquer your tasks!
And remember that the plans that God has for you are those of good and NEVER of evil, to bring you to an expected end, and to give you a FUTURE & a HOPE! - The Holy Bible (Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11).
See you next week Saturday!
Thank you so much 🥰
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