Procrastination is the act of putting off tasks until the last minute. This also might be called a self-regulation failure when we are delaying the tasks irrationally despite potentially negative outcomes.
Negative consequences are usually related to stress and anxiety. Procrastination as an act can cause anxiety and vice versa – anxiety might cause procrastination. So, the association between anxiety and procrastination is complex. We will try to analyze how these two factors are connected and how to deal with anxiety-related procrastination.
Why do people procrastinate?
There are many reasons why people procrastinate. Some of them could cause anxiety as a result.
- Being not able to manage the feelings around the task (insecurity, resentment, frustration, etc.) These negative feelings might be one of the main reasons why we avoid completing tasks. Naturally, we do everything in our power to avoid that feeling that is not pleasant for us.
- Putting off a task gives us relief in the immediate present. So, we tend to do an activity that we enjoy instead.
- We have very little concern for our future selves. That means we do not take time to understand how our decisions will influence the future later on.
- Seeing a task as one big project. So, that might be too overwhelming. If we’d analyze how to break down the task into smaller parts, it might help to make the whole process simpler and easier to deliver.
- Not being able to control the bad outcomes. So, if we put things off there is no way it can go wrong. Unfortunately, time restricts an ability to make good decisions unlimitedly.
- Being a Perfectionist. Some of us tend to worry about the outcome being less than perfect – that also might cause procrastination as a result.
The Connection Between Anxiety and Procrastination
Many people with procrastination can also struggle with anxiety. These two factors can be strongly related and anxiety-based procrastination is a vicious cycle. The task itself might make people anxious because of the mentioned reasons above. On the other hand, putting the task off makes them more anxious in the long run. So, anxiety is not only a potential cause of procrastination but also a potential consequence of it.
Procrastination might cause insomnia, tiredness, worsen the cycle of procrastination while increasing anxiety symptoms. While entering the anxiety-procrastination cycle people increase the possibility of other issues that might cause interpersonal conflicts, missed opportunities, bad performances, or even mental issues, such as depression, eating disorders, etc.
Large tasks might take a big role there. People might have difficulty beginning the task and even if they do begin it they might be afraid it won’t be done right, or not perfect enough. Also, some of us have a fear of negative feelings around the task as well and anxiety is one of them.
On the contrary, not everyone who has anxiety necessarily procrastinates. There are cases where anxiety even decreases the likelihood of procrastination. Some people are worried about a task in a way that makes them get started on it early. But if you have faced a case that makes you put off the tasks there are certain ways to overcome it.
How to avoid the negative effects of anxiety-based procrastination cycle
There are some anti-procrastination techniques that might help you to overcome anxiety with apps like Calm, Virtue Map or Happify. So, as mentioned before, it’s important to break down large tasks into smaller pieces, be specific about your goals and create an action plan, use time management techniques, and remind yourself that everyone makes mistakes.
Also, you can always help others using similar approaches as intervention tools. Furthermore, it might be inspiring to do it together with people facing similar problems as yours and setting goals together.
