Why We Procrastinate and How To Stop

By AnnaMarie Harper, ah484@uakron.edu

You fall into an endless cycle of “later,” only to continuously push it off to the last second. It becomes a part of your daily routine, and you try to figure out why it is that you continue to procrastinate and how to stop it.

Maybe you’re convinced that the stress is what helps you work efficiently, but if you really want to know why it feels like you can’t stop, here are some reasons why: 

One of the biggest reasons for procrastination isn’t actually because of laziness, but rather avoidance. Sometimes, starting an assignment or task feels overwhelming, boring, or too much to handle, and consequently, you put off that task or assignment so you won't have to deal with those feelings. Another reason why you might procrastinate is due to fear. This fear can be derived from not wanting to fail or overthinking in general; it might feel easier to avoid the task overall rather than risk messing it up. We also have a habit of choosing the things that give us instant dopamine, often prioritizing entertainment over our tasks. In relation to all of this, constantly putting things off for those reasons turns into a habit. The more you do it, the harder it is to break out of that cycle.

So how do you actually stop?

Truthfully, you can’t fix this problem in one day. One of the best ways to overcome procrastination is to make things feel less overwhelming. Instead of thinking about everything you have to do, start small; it doesn’t have to be perfect. Most of the time, starting is the hardest part, so once you begin, it’ll be easier to keep going. Breaking tasks into smaller pieces can also help. It’ll feel less overwhelming to do one small part, and more manageable than doing everything at once. If you find it hard to continue a task, try taking five minute breaks in between each work session. It might also help to remove distractions, like putting your phone somewhere out of reach so you’re not tempted to check it every few seconds. The biggest suggestion for combating procrastination would be to stop waiting until you feel “ready” or motivated because that just leads to more stress: the stress of how to get it done, when you’ll get it done, and if it’ll ever get done. Procrastination can be difficult to deal with, but once you take the first step, it’ll make a huge difference.