March 2024: Procrastination- A Breakdown
- Anoushka Majumder
- Mar 11, 2024
- 2 min read
“I need to stop procrastinating.”
I bet I’m not the only one who’s said that recently. Some form of procrastination- or putting things off until ‘later’- is almost an everyday occurrence. But while some of us attribute it to laziness, the real reasons for procrastination take root in hardcore psychology.
So why do we procrastinate? Well, there are several reasons. Today, let’s take a look at a few.
Catastrophizing. When your internal monologue sounds a lot like, “This is going to be really hard,” or, “I’m going to struggle with this,” you create an aversion to the task (and quite a bit of stress in the bargain).
Really, nothing can’t be handled with hard work and patience- but fearing the work that lies ahead does much more harm than good. Every time you find yourself expecting the worst, reevaluate the situation.
2. Perfectionism. As much as perfectionism promotes high-quality work, it can be an unhealthy outlook and lead to procrastination. Perfectionism can foster an all-or-nothing mentality, which in turn, hinders progress. So whenever you end up stuck in a perfectionistic loop, remember- progress over perfection.
3. Not being realistic. Chances are, you won’t be able to write and edit that essay in 30 minutes- so expecting that to happen is setting yourself up for disappointment and frustration. Larger assignments often take longer than you anticipate, so understand what your work style is and set realistic deadlines.
4. Distractions. We’ve all been there- chugging through that assignment when a text message or notification shows up. A distracting environment hinders productivity and keeps us from making good use of our time. So, next time you sit down to complete a task, eliminate what you identify as your distractions.
5. Organization. Sure, it can be difficult to stay on top of multiple assignments. However, one of the best ways to handle overwhelm and procrastination is to stay organized, using whatever strategy works for you. If a task is too daunting, split it up. If an assignment is strenuous, take a break. Remember- keeping and maintaining an agenda is one of the best ways to beat procrastination.
We all put things off once in a while- eliminating procrastinating is not the idea. Instead, you should work to ensure that it doesn’t significantly impact your progress and keep you from reaching your potential.
For more information, read the full article from Psychology Today at:
Questions, comments, or suggestions? Email me at:
Until next time!
Anoushka Majumder
Curriculum Director of English
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