What can you do about procrastination?

Postponing strenuous tasks has nothing to do with hanging around. On the contrary, it is often a great source of stress. Why then do we delay so much? And what can we do about it?

I file my tax return every other evening of the quarter. At the last minute. And every time I think, “Why didn’t I start early?” And I’m not alone in this. An entire field concerned with the phenomenon of procrastination. Procrastination is the scientific term – forefront (Before and Tomorrow (Tomorrow) – It means something like paying for chores that you fear. Until now, he couldn’t really anymore – or after that.

It’s a well-known phenomenon among students: 20 to 50 percent suffer from procrastination so much that it affects their results, says educational scientist Lennart Weser. Why do we procrastinate so much? One common misconception, Veser says, is that procrastination is a time management problem. “The problem is usually not planning, but implementation.” Another misconception: Procrastination is in my nature. Visser: “It is often said that procrastinators are lazy, but that is not the case. If you procrastinate, you want to do something, and the intention is there, but it is not working.”

The key lies in the cause of procrastination. This often depends on your experiences. Kinge Siljee, author Master the study avoidance behavior!A person who had to work hard in high school and hard-earned his degree could begin to doubt in higher education whether he belonged there. He learned this kind of ‘tense procrastination’ to start on time, but stop as soon as he He wants to get something done, for fear of falling into the basket. Instead, he keeps reading articles endlessly or cleaning the house.

It’s the opposite behavior of what Celje calls the “comfortable procrastinator.” “They often have a lot to offer and they have experience completing the task with relatively little work. Deadline is 5 AM? Then they just go and meet someone in the afternoon.” It sounds worry-free, but these procrastinators are stressful. “They ended up short two days and wondering why they didn’t start sooner. They often feel they could have given up on something better.”

This image matches a startling research finding by Veser: Many procrastinators have a high degree of self-esteem. “They are confident that he will succeed. Or the opposite: they are afraid that they will find studying difficult, but they do not want to face it and then do other things. If the exam fails, they can tell themselves that this is not their ability, but they start too late.”

And what can be done about it? “I try to show students that they have“ procrastinate, ”but also“ guide me. ”Because in other cases it is possible to get things done. I always give an example of leave. Are you able to book something? Pack your bag? Catch up with the plane? Most can. So you have qualities to deal with procrastination. ”