Guide Note

Sometimes referred to as stalling or dilly-dallying, procrastination is the act of needlessly putting off tasks. Procrastinators tend to underestimate the time it will take to do a task and often mistakenly believe they will be more interested in doing the task at some other time.¹

Fast Facts

1. Word origin: Latin pro (forward) + crastinus (of tomorrow)
2. Usually causes stress rather than lessening it²
3. As many as 20% of people are habitual procrastinators³
4. Procrastination among students is common¹
5. Procrastinators who drink alcoholic beverages tend to over consume⁴

A common cause of procrastination is anxiety. When a person fears they will not be able to complete a task adequately, they may avoid it in favor of work they can tackle more confidently. Perfectionism can contribute to this kind of procrastination.^{4 5}

Some procrastinate for the adrenaline rush of working at the last minute, others to rebel against demands imposed by others.⁴ In some cases, procrastination is simply a matter of poor impulse control — choosing what is easier and more rewarding in the present over what is difficult or less immediately beneficial.^{4 6}

1. Write down the reasons for putting off the task, and come up with arguments against them.⁷
2. Break down large jobs into small steps. Plans to clean the garage may seem overwhelming, but a decision to clean out one box in the garage may be doable.
3. Agree to work on the task today for five minutes. At the end of that time feel free to do something else. Sometimes that's all it takes to get going.⁷
4. Take the work somewhere else to get away from distractions.
5. Create rewards for getting things done on time.⁵