Tips for Effective Procrastination

Tips to Procrastinate Effectively

Most of us were taught that procrastination is not an effective strategy for getting things done. The common belief is that we shouldn’t put off assignments or projects until the last minute. The implication is that completing a task at the last second would mean being doomed to stress, chaos, and maybe even total failure if things didn’t come together as planned. But is it possible that procrastination may actually be an efficient strategy for some?

The Psychology Behind Procrastination

Some individuals are happier when completing a task immediately because they derive satisfaction from completing the task. As soon as the task has been completed, they feel relieved and are able to easily let it go. We’ll call these people “non-procrastinators.”

In contrast, procrastinators don’t experience that relief in the same way. They are perfectionists and therefore, even once the task is complete they continue to worry, ruminate, and work towards improving it. Because of this struggle, they only feel satisfied once they have achieved closure through meeting the deadline. If a project is due on Friday and they expect it to take about a day or two to complete, they prefer to begin working on the project on Wednesday and meet the deadline, rather than starting it sooner and still worrying about it for just as long.

Procrastinators also work more efficiently under time pressure. Therefore, they tend to get more done under less time. You may wonder, why not just begin the project on Monday and get it done faster? For people who are natural procrastinators, if they were to begin work on Monday, it’s likely that the project would still stretch out until Friday as they continue tweaking and correcting the work until the deadline. For procrastinators, it can actually be more productive to wait until Wednesday to begin the project.

We know now that procrastination can actually work more effectively and efficiently for some people depending their style of accomplishing goals.

Are Some People Wired to Procrastinate?

The intriguing idea that some individuals might be naturally inclined to procrastinate, or even thrive under the pressure it creates, has garnered attention in both psychological and neuroscientific circles. This notion challenges the traditional view of procrastination as a universally negative habit, suggesting instead that for some, it may be a reflection of their underlying neural and psychological makeup. Let’s delve into the factors that contribute to this phenomenon.

The Role of Personality Traits

Personality traits, particularly those identified in the Big Five personality model—openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism—play a significant role in procrastination. Individuals with lower levels of conscientiousness and higher levels of impulsivity, a facet related to neuroticism, tend to procrastinate more. This correlation suggests that inherent personality differences may predispose some people to procrastinate more than others.

Brain Structure and Function

Neuroscientific research has revealed that the structure and function of certain brain areas might influence procrastination. For instance, a study published in the journal “Psychological Science” found that individuals with a larger amygdala, an area of the brain associated with processing emotions, are more prone to procrastination. The amygdala’s size and connectivity with the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (DACC), which plays a role in control and decision-making, suggest that emotional regulation and the ability to manage fear and anxiety about future tasks could contribute to procrastination tendencies.

The Thrill of the Deadline

For some procrastinators, working closer to a deadline provides a rush of adrenaline that can enhance focus and productivity. This phenomenon is often related to arousal procrastination, where individuals delay tasks to seek the arousal that comes from the last-minute rush. The heightened pressure and reduced time frame can force a hyper-focused state, leading to surprisingly effective and efficient work sessions.

Environmental Factors

External factors, including upbringing, educational experiences, and workplace culture, can also influence procrastination habits. People raised or educated in environments where procrastination was either implicitly encouraged or not adequately addressed may develop a tendency to procrastinate as a learned behavior. Additionally, work environments that prioritize deadlines over steady progress can inadvertently reward procrastination.

Adaptive Procrastination

In some contexts, what appears to be procrastination may actually be an adaptive strategy. Decisional procrastination, for example, involves delaying decisions until more information is available, which can sometimes lead to better outcomes. Similarly, some individuals may delay tasks not out of avoidance, but to prioritize more urgent or important tasks, a process known as priority-based procrastination.

A new perspective on procrastination

When our teachers warned us against procrastinating, they assumed that all procrastination is detrimental and leads to failure. However, some people are inherently inclined to complete work immediately prior to the deadline and are just as successful in doing so.

In fact, research has shown that people who procrastinate can be highly effective. It’s important to distinguish between ineffective procrastination, which causes missed deadlines and doesn’t result in work getting done, versus effective procrastination in which the work happens close to the deadline without sacrificing quality.

If you feel naturally oriented towards procrastinating, you can choose to stop beating yourself up about it and instead actively and mindfully practice effective procrastination. Rather than struggling to change your natural inclination, focus on learning effective procrastination. Below Dr. Lev provides 8 techniques to practice mindful procrastination:

Eight Tips for Procrastinating Effectively

Procrastination doesn’t always have to be your enemy; with the right approach, it can be harnessed as a powerful tool for productivity. Here are 8 tips to help you procrastinate effectively and make the most out of your natural tendencies to delay.

1. Use “structured procrastination” to your advantage.

Also called “active procrastination,” this phrase means that if you’re avoiding one thing on your to-due list, you use that time to accomplish something less imminent on the list instead. For example, if you are procrastinating on finishing your paperwork, rather than using that time to look at Facebook, you could make several phone calls, clean the dishes, or return emails and check those off the list.

2. Find ways to create external deadlines or consequences.

Involving other people can be a good way to keep yourself accountable. Create a deadline by letting another person know that you’ll give them something by a specific date. As an example, if you’re procrastinating on tidying up your guest room, inviting a friend for dinner will motivate you to accomplish this task before your friend arrives.

3. Learn the skill of time allocation.