Procrastination
Why we do it and what can we do to stop?
Procrastination the action of delaying or postponing something, is derived from the ancient Greek word akrasia – ““the state of mind in which someone acts against their better judgment through weakness of will”. We all procrastinate from time to time. For some of us procrastination is more of an issue than for others, but it touches most of us at some point in our lives and can have a huge impact on your academic achievements and your general wellbeing. The information that follows will explore why we do it, when procrastination is a good thing, when it definitely is not a good thing, and finally some proven simple actions we can take to overcome it.
Jamil Rhajiak / UBC Brand & Marketing
Why do we procrastinate?
There has been much research conducted on why we procrastinate. James Clear, author of the bestselling book Atomic Habits, boils down the science for us in an engaging article. He explains that essentially, Behavioral Psychology research has helped to reveal that “time inconsistency” explains much of our procrastination. Time inconsistency is tied to the fact that we are hardwired to value immediate rewards over future rewards. For example, we all know we should eat well for our long term health goals, however that doesn’t always matter to us when we are given options of chocolate cake or kale salad for lunch! Presuming we are currently healthy, we can “have our cake, and eat it too” and still remain healthy for the time being, so why worry too much about the future? That’s essentially what “time inconsistency” is.
In a great podcast between host and coach, Jay Shetty and bestselling author Daniel Pink they talk about the fact that procrastination is also an “emotion regulation problem.” Negative procrastination can occur when something, like the pain of possible failure, is so disturbing to you that you would rather sabotage yourself than confront it. The pain can stem from confronting the question “can I actually do this?” and that pain is greater than the pain or actually doing it.
In the podcast Pink goes on to make the important point that procrastination isn’t always bad. Sometimes you are procrastinating because you haven’t yet worked out a problem and/or are still incubating an idea. You know yourself best. You know when you are employing positive or negative procrastination. If you just need to mull over something for a bit longer to let the idea grow, do so! However, if you find yourself trapped in negative procrastination, try some of the ideas that follow.
Paul H. Joseph / UBC Brand & Marketing
What strategies can I employ to stop procrastinating?
You are trapped in a negative pattern of procrastination. What do you do? Well, quite simply, you trick yourself into taking action. You trick yourself into confronting what you are afraid to confront, or valuing something that you don’t see an immediate pay off for. You focus on small wins that will eventually lead to other small wins, which will cascade into something larger.
Just Five More
Daniel Pink describes a method that he uses when his motivation is lagging or he feels like quitting. He engages in a classic strategy he calls J5M, Just Five More. Yes, it is one of those tricks we are talking about, and a small, simple thing you can do to move yourself forward on any task you are procrastinating on. If you are out running and it’s hot and you want to quit, tell yourself you can quit after just 5 more minutes. You are studying something that you aren’t that interested in, you tell yourself “just five more pages”. Many times you will find that you end up going beyond 5 to 10, 15 or 20, but even if that does not happen, you have still accomplished the 5. You have taken action.
The Pomodoro Technique
Many of you may already know about the Pomodoro Technique, a productivity system which helps you to break up a task into work intervals and break intervals. Essentially the technique is to break down larger tasks into smaller units of work time with consistent breaks to compensate for the fact that our brains have limited attentions spans. It is a great strategy to use when you are procrastinating on something.
All you really need to engage in this is a timer, which can be an “old fashioned” timer or you can use an app on your phone.
The Steps:
1) Choose a task(s)
2) Set the timer to 25 minutes
3) Work, work, work for those 25 minutes. No checking the timer!
4) Once the timer goes off, take a short break for 5 minutes away from your study area.
5) After four Pomodoro Cycles, take a longer break of 20 minutes.
6) Repeat
The trick is to avoid distractions during your 25 minute work periods. Put your phone on airplane mode if you need to. If someone disturbs you, let them know that you are working and will contact them at a later time that is mutually convenient. Start out telling yourself you will take action and do just one 25 minute interval and go from there. As with the J5M technique above, often you will end up doing more, and if you don’t at least you have done 25 minutes. This method is there to serve you. Do not take a break if you are in a groove and don’t want to, but know that it is there if you need it. Some breaks are recommended as it helps to prevent burn out.
Paul H. Joseph / UBC Brand & Marketing
Increase Productivity Using the Ivy Lee Method
James Clear outlines the steps for this simple method that we can take to help us to stop procrastinating and become more productive.
- At the end of each day, write down the six most important things you need to accomplish tomorrow. Do not write down more than six tasks.
- Prioritize those six items in order of their true importance.
- The next day, concentrate only on the first task. Work until the first task is finished before moving on to the second task.
- Approach the rest of your list in the same fashion. At the end of the day, move any unfinished items to a new list of six tasks for the following day.
- Repeat this process every working day.
People engage in these processes when they want to be more productive at work. And your academics are your work right now. The same principles apply. Prioritize your tasks that you need to accomplish for your studies and focus on a finite amount for the day, then re-prioritize at the end of each day for the next. Simple and effective.
Track Your Progress
It is common that most of us do not realize how much progress we are making and that can be de-motivating, which can lead to the negative feelings that then lead to procrastination. Teresa Amabile and Stephen Kramer, in an article entitled “The Power of Small Wins” published in the Harvard Business Review note that “nothing contributed more to a positive inner work life (the mix of emotions, motivations, and perceptions that is critical to performance) than making progress in meaningful work”. The same principles apply for your experience as a student. Daniel Pink suggests creating a simple ritual of writing down everything you accomplished in a day at the end of each day. It is very easy to feel like we aren’t accomplishing anything during the day, even if we are. The act of writing it down in and of itself can be motivating.
Martin Dee / UBC Brand & Marketing
The Humorous Side of Procrastination
If you have a bit of time (while taking your longer break while using your Pomodoro Technique to work towards your goals!) you can share a laugh along with a fellow procrastinator Tim Urban by watching his humorous TEDtalk Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator. You are not alone, and the Panic Monster can be a great motivator!
Stop Procrastinating to Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Reducing procrastination will definitely help to reduce stress and anxiety and improve your general wellbeing, but if you want more help please make sure to check out the various wellness supports available to you at UBC. If you would like to speak with an Engineering Academic Services Advisor we are here to help. Please don’t hesitate to book an appointment time with one of us via the PD portal.
Claudia Buffone
Associate Academic Advisor
Posted on: March 11, 2021