Understanding and breaking the procrastination cycle

Procrastination works in a vicious cycle that is difficult to break. We all know that procrastination is bad for our health and our work. But do we know how it happens? In this post, I will walk you through the procrastination cycle and also provide a way to map your procrastination cycle.

If you are like me (or, in fact, most people), you will find the situation familiar. You start on a task that you have been delaying, but seeing an untidy desk, you think you will work better when you have tidied up a bit. While tidying, you come across your phone, which has notifications from Instagram and Facebook. An hour has passed before you know, and now it is too late to do the task. This is what happens, or instead, we think what happens with us, but the reality is a bit more complex. Using the procrastination cycle, we will explore these missing pieces of the puzzle and hopefully have a better plan next time. 

Components on a procrastination cycle

Let us examine each of the components of the procrastination cycle, and then we will put them all together.

Task or goal

By definition, to procrastinate is to put off a priority task or goal you have committed to. Approaching the task/goal, either just thinking about doing the task, planning to do the task, or actually attempting the task, and it could be from any area of your life: work, household, study, health, financial, social, family and relationships.

Unhelpful rules or assumptions

When you approach a task or goal, whether mentally or physically, one or more of your unhelpful rules and assumptions come into play. These rules/assumptions might be related to a need to be in charge, a desire for pleasure, a fear of failure or criticism, a fear of uncertainty or catastrophe, a lack of self-confidence, or a lack of energy. Once triggered, these rules/assumptions begin to control how you think and feel about performing the task, making it look unpleasant to you and hence causing some sort of discomfort. For example, if the task you want to do is write a blog post and the unhelpful rule is “I must write things perfectly,” then you are likely to spend too much time making sure it is done precisely right, double guessing yourself, overthinking…

Discomfort driven

If you notice discomfort when approaching or considering approaching a task or goal, you will be less likely to desire to complete that task or goal. Furthermore, if you can’t stand feeling uncomfortable, that is, you can’t tolerate distress and despise discomfort, you will have much more difficulty following through on the task. Finally, if you are both uncomfortable about doing the task and dislike these feelings of discomfort, you will feel compelled to avoid them. Putting all of these factors together implies that you will be discomfort-driven in general, which means that whether or not you complete a task will be significantly impacted by your desire to avoid any discomfort you are having about the task. 

Procrastination excuses 

In addition to being discomfort-driven, you begin to think of justifications that will excuse and make your procrastination acceptable in some manner. You usually extract some truth from the circumstances and determine that you would be better off executing the chore later. For example, “I am too fatigued; I will do it tomorrow when I am refreshed.”

Procrastination activities

The more discomfort-driven you are and the more compelling your excuses are, the more likely it is that you will procrastinate by engaging in activities that distract your attention away from the task/goal at hand. Pleasurable tasks, lower priority tasks, socializing, diversions, and daydreaming are all examples of procrastination activities.

Positive consequences of procrastination

Yes, there are positive consequences of procrastinating, we would not otherwise, but these are short-term. First, procrastination relieves the discomfort you had. You feel good about not breaking your rule even though it is unhelpful. Lastly, you derive satisfaction from having done your avoidant activities.  

Negative consequences of procrastination

The negative consequences of procrastination make you more inclined to procrastinate the next time since they make the task/goal even more distressing, making you want to avoid it even more. The negative consequences may include feeling more discomfort. After all, you haven’t completed the task, maintaining your unhelpful rules and assumptions because you haven’t challenged them, criticizing yourself as an attempt to persuade yourself, which backfires and, in fact, demotivates you. Then, the tasks start piling up, and with it, more demands and time pressures, and possibly some sort of punishment or loss for not completing the task.

The procrastination cycle

The above can be put together in a flowchart called the procrastination cycle. There are also downloadable PDF files in a zip with the procrastination cycle, an example, and a blank worksheet which you can print to chart your procrastination cycle.

Download https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O1Po5VQYW412PVoYC5Yp_SGfRMNpA0Lm/view?usp=sharing

What can break the procrastination cycle

There is no one ring to rule them all when it comes to breaking the procrastination cycle, but there are three domains where you can attack it. First, at the avoidant procrastination activities, At the procrastination excuses stage, and lastly at the distress intolerance stage.

Instead of avoidant activities, try these practical techniques.

Implement practical techniques to stop procrastination – do behavioral experiments to overcome the discomfort caused by procrastination.

1. Start the task to let motivation follow.
2. Break the task into smaller bits and pieces; start with the easier parts first.
3. Encourage yourself rather than criticize yourself.

Reach helpful conclusions to procrastination excuses

Dismissing procrastination excuses by:

1. Converting unhelpful rules and assumptions into helpful self-talk: E.g., “Can I get some parts of the task completed now even if the conditions are not ideal?”
2. Practice disputing your excuses. E.g., “I am tired. But I can still make a small start now and take a rest later.” “I have plenty of time, but I can start now to save on time later.”

Develop distress tolerance

Tolerate discomfort – be aware. Practice mindfulness – watch, observe without judgment. Let go.

Seek professional help

Procrastination could be a symptom rather than the main issue. A CBT therapist can help you with all the stages above. You can also try my professional online courses on overcoming procrastination and distress tolerance.

Conclusion

The following are the steps in the procrastination cycle: Approaching a task/goal causes unhelpful rules and assumptions to be activated. This causes discomfort about the task/goal, and if you dislike discomfort, your desire to avoid it by procrastinating will increase. Additionally, suppose you find good excuses for not doing the task. In that case, you will engage in procrastination activities as a substitute or diversion, which leads to both positive and negative consequences, increasing the likelihood that you will procrastinate the next time around.

You can break the procrastination cycle by 

• Using pragmatic techniques
• Reaching helpful conclusions to procrastination excuses.
• Tolerating distress
• Professional help