Procrastination Types & How To Overcome It With Ease - Tips

Procrastination Types & How To Overcome It With Ease.

How to overcome procrastination? Are you the person that leaves the deadlines to the last-minute, delays paying that dreaded parking ticket, or worse constantly checking your phone? Well, it sounds like you're a procrastinator or as a joke goes maybe you have it all figured out, the longer you wait the older you get, and the wiser you must be, right? Well, sorry to say that's not the case but if it helps you're not the only one. A fifth of the adult population and half of the student population are what we call chronic procrastinators. 

I asked certain people what came to mind when they thought of the stereotypical procrastinator they said, laziness, lack of priority, not knowing where to begin, lack of motivation, and indecisiveness but what is a procrastinator really? Procrastination is a self-regulatory failure defined as the voluntary delay of an intended course of action that may result in regret and guilt, with that in mind, why do we do it?

Interestingly enough, there is a science behind this, at the neurobiological level procrastination appears to be the result of a battle between the limbic system which drives our emotions and the prefrontal cortex which helps us make decisions. Broadly speaking, there are three different types of procrastinators.

The Thrill-Seekers

These people have a disproportionate preference for immediate gratification over the more beneficial long-term rewards. These people are often impulsive and lack self-control whilst working towards their long-term goals these procrastinators are often in a negative mode. To help themselves temporarily feel better they engage in irrational task avoidance to induce a quick dopamine release by pursuing other immediately tempting activities and discounting the future.

The Avoiders

These people have an internal desire to protect themselves from the negative feelings associated with fear of failure. Researchers have shown that the fear center in a procrastinator's brain is larger than in a doer (people that don't procrastinate). People with a larger amygdala that is the center of fear and anxiety in the brain hesitate to initiate tasks and thereby cause a delay, in other words, procrastinators are not necessarily lazy and unmotivated but may rather be immobilized by the fear of initiating the new task. 

Let's dive into this when we feel emotionally overwhelmed by a challenging project or even the accumulation of several smaller projects, the amygdala induces a fight-or-flight response and the hormone adrenaline is released, on the other hand, engaging in a different activity that induces short-term gratification leads to the release of the neurotransmitter called dopamine. These both relaxes us and improves our mood, the brain stimulates the procrastinator to repeat this pleasure-inducing activity. For example, the procrastinator might check his phone and see a message that induces a dopamine release, next time he's feeling uncomfortable there's a higher chance that he'll look at his phone again.

The Indecisive 

These people have a hard time deciding when or where to start. Researchers have found that the activity or volume of a part of the prefrontal cortex may be lower in some procrastinators. This region normally reflects the ability to exert cognitive control to maximize long-term goals. In a battle between the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system, the limbic system may win and in turn, lead to procrastination. Researchers have shown that different levels of procrastination are not only associated with academic or occupational performance but also physical and mental health.

Also Read: How to manage stress and overcome problems in Life - 5 Tips

So, what can we do to reduce it and overcome procrastination?

Control your stimuli (Overcome Procrastination)

Create a work environment that is free from distractions or sources of instant gratification, or create cues that get you started. For example, only work in a library or the office, separating your environment makes the decision effortless. Come out of your comfort zone and expose yourself to the new environment, control your stimuli around. 

If you're lying on your bed all the time, that will definitely trigger procrastination. Your mind will keep spinning around things, instead, get up and take action, that's how you overcome procrastination. There's no way someone has achieved something without putting the action behind it. Make an environment where you have fewer stimuli that trigger you into procrastinating, rather, fill your environment with all the things which make you want to put effort.

Create good habits and plan efficiently (Overcome Procrastination)

We're creatures of habit and if your tasks are part of your routine it'll be easier to stick to them. Inhibit procrastination by pre-determining what you're going to do, this reduces the decision-making and emotional interference and leaves you with a larger mental reserve to complete your tasks. Also, set specific goals, by breaking your tasks into smaller steps they become more tangible. When you plan things ahead and don't beat your head around the same thing, you save yourself some mental strength which later helps you in doing the task and overcome procrastination. 

If you keep procrastinating about the same thing over and over, the brain will make up endless possibilities of what could go wrong and all the wrong things which come with procrastination. So, to overcome procrastination, just start planning things and be spontaneous, don't have doubts about your decision. Believe in your abilities and will power, that's the root of overcoming procrastination.

Exposure (Overcome Procrastination)

Just get started, by exposing yourself to the task you're trying to avoid, you will reduce the unpleasant feelings you associate with the task. Sometimes just getting started, that's the hardest step. Getting started makes you overcome procrastination as you have now less time to think about it and since you have actually started doing the task, your brain tricks you into thinking of the task rather than thinking what could go wrong at the task. Just getting started without giving it multiple thoughts makes you believe in your abilities to do things and overcoming procrastination.

Also Read: 5 Self-Improvement tips that will change your life!

Get up and go out there, achieve everything you ever dreamed for. Share this with someone who needs to see this and your thoughts below in the comments. Lots of love!