How to Overcome Procrastination

Documents on desk stack up high waiting to be managed.

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Have you ever procrastinated? Don’t worry – we all have. Procrastination is not laziness – it’s stress! Putting off tackling a project has long been known to cause stress, but more recent studies show that stress itself is a cause of procrastination [reviewed in Sirois 2023].

Often when I start a project, everything seems to be swirling around me, and I find myself in the midst of a sort of chaos that stops me in my tracks. Chaos is stressful and while stress and your stress response can be energizing, they can also prevent you from moving forward. That stress-induced inertia can make you procrastinate, and that feeds into a vicious cycle that makes you feel more stressed and anxious and stalls you even more.

Stressful day at the office.

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So, what can you do if you feel that way? First, be kind to yourself – realize that you’re not a bad person, purposefully being lazy – it's your stress response that's holding you back.

Now, take a step back and think about the reasons for your stress. These may be obvious, like being a caregiver to a chronically ill loved one, being ill yourself, going through a divorce, or being in a toxic work environment where bullying is rampant. Or, the sources of stress may be less obvious.

Recent studies using COVID-19 as a model, show that context matters in the risk for procrastination [Sirois]. The ubiquitous stressors during COVID-19 of financial insecurity, social isolation, remote work, and health threats all created a context for increased vulnerability to procrastination. Such ongoing stressors deplete people’s coping mechanisms and make them more likely to procrastinate, because avoidance is the brain’s most efficient way of reducing stress when resources are depleted.

Forest path.

Source: Esther Sternberg M.D.

In the face of such stressors, it may be difficult to be kind to yourself. That’s where self-compassion programs can help [Germer]. Another way to reduce stress and reduce procrastination is through mindfulness meditation [Eckert et al; Rad et al; Kabat-Zinn]. Both of these approaches include taking a break, going offline, getting out into nature and savoring the moment.

If your work environment is stressing you, think about ways to improve it [Sternberg]. Do you have access to the outdoors and nature? If you do, take a walk outside. Are there spaces where you can take a quiet break and meditate or contemplate? If so, head to them for a few minutes when you’re stuck. Even 15 minutes a day in an immersive nature reality space has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety [Putrino et al]. Are there spaces to help you get up and move about more during the day? If so, do it – if not, stand at your desk and do a little jig to your favorite music, or climb the stairs a couple of times instead of taking the elevator. Our research shows that the more you move during the day at work, the less stressed you will be in the evening [Lindberg et al]. Are there gathering spaces for sharing a break with a few co-workers? Ask a co-worker to join you in a cup of tea and a snack when you’re bogged down in your project.

Co-workers sharing a cup of tea and a chat.

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Connecting with friends enhances social support and buffers stress [Cohen & McKay]. All these activities will help reduce that stress block and get you energized to begin to tackle your daunting task.

Just beginning a task, no matter how tiny the bite, will get you over the inertia hump and get you going. That tiny bit helps you get in control and reduces the paralyzing stress that stops you from moving forward.

So, break the situation down into its smallest controllable parts. Set a do-able goal for yourself. Set the bar as low as you can. If it’s your files that are worrying you, start by choosing one drawer, or even half a drawer to re-organize. When you’ve accomplished your goal for the day, stop – you will feel energized simply because you’ve begun!

Messt closet.

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If it’s your closets, add an ingredient of altruism and self-compassion to the mix. As you take out every item, imagine it being worn by someone less fortunate than you. The combination of knowing that you are helping someone will make you feel good about yourself at the same time as you’re taming that chaos. This adds a double whammy to reducing your stress response through self-compassion and altruism that trigger the brain’s positive reward pathways.

Is starting a writing project or a report your problem? A wise mentor once told me to start by creating the title page of a paper. That alone feels like an accomplishment that reduces your stress and helps dissolve the writer’s block.

So, the name of the game is to take baby steps towards whatever your goal is. The same applies to exercise. If you’ve been a couch potato for months, perhaps due to excessive work or having been ill, don’t try to run a marathon — start small. Do some marching steps while watching an old movie, or dance to a favorite tune. Do some kicks while sitting in a chair. You’ll feel energized from the exercise and from the fact that you’ve actually gotten off that couch!

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Finally let it marinate — do something completely different and come back to the project after you take a break. Take a walk, preferably in nature, and mindfully savor all the things you see and hear and smell. Go for a swim. Try a micro-meditation. Gaze out the window. Cook something for yourself or loved ones (there’s altruism and self-compassion again). Do it all with a friend or buddy, or in a program designed to help — sharing the burden makes it easier to take the first step.