What is Procrastination?

Does this sound familiar?  It’s the end of the working week and knock off time is looming.  You’re flat-out trying to meet your deadline, while silently stewing over the fact that if you only started earlier – you’d be finished by now.  Why does this always happen to you?  What can’t you stay focussed on important tasks?  Too much time on social media and reading emails?  If any of this resonates with you, then you’re not alone.  You have what is thought to affect around 95% of people at some stage of their lives – procrastination!

Procrastination is the act of putting off an important job or task.  This is usually done by putting your attention on other less-pressing, easier and more enjoyable activities.  Often confused with laziness (which is the unwillingness to act), procrastination runs the risk of limiting your potential and hindering your career advancement – not to mention, interfere with the productive flow of teamwork and bring down work morale.  In extreme cases, chronic procrastination can lead to depression and loss of work.  Actively taking steps to overcome your tendency to procrastinate, is vital to your overall success and livelihood.

Tired of putting everything off to the last minute and falling behind at work? Contact the team at Brain Training Australia today.

What are the signs and symptoms of Procrastination?

When you procrastinate you’re essentially putting things off, despite expecting to be worse off as a result.  This is what differentiates procrastination from planning or scheduling.  While there is nothing wrong with putting off completing a job until later – so you can complete it more effectively, compulsively delaying is a different situation.  Signs that may indicate you are a chronic procrastinator include:

  • Lateness: Being constantly late is a bad habit and if it begins to affect your work it may be a problem. If your supervisors are becoming irritated because of your unpunctuality or if your partner has fought with you more than twice over delaying a movie or an important lunch, then your bad habit may be a sign of chronic procrastination
  • Difficulty getting started: If you can’t get started on new, challenging tasks or flip-flop between jobs without finishing anything you may have a procrastination issue.
  • Unable to keep promises: Constantly cancelling appointments both professionally and personally
  • Using procrastination as a form of resentment: You can’t say no to a request, but you also can’t do the work you just said yes to. As a result, you delay doing the task you undertook to show your hidden resentment. Keep a track of your commitments and if you don’t want to do it, just say no.
  • You’re easily distracted: Not being able to finish work deadlines due to spending too much time on social media, reading online articles or anything else you convince yourself is work-related.

While most people believe procrastination to be harmless, in extreme cases, it can be deadly.  Unnecessarily delaying medical tests or treatment – a common concern – can most definitely put a person in harm’s way.

How common is Procrastination?

It’s been estimated that up to 95% of people will procrastinate at some time or another, with no scientific evidence to suggest that one gender is more likely to be a chronic procrastinator than the other.

What are the causes of Procrastination?

Understanding why you procrastinate is vital to your success in overcoming it.  Some of the reasons people tend to develop chronic procrastination include:

  • Avoidance of tasks due to boredom or dislike
  • Having poor organisation skills
  • Having a fear of success
  • Being a perfectionist
  • Having poor decision-making skills

For a percentage of people, procrastination is much more than just a bad habit; it’s an indication of a serious underlying health issue.  Disorders such as anxiety, depression, ADHD and OCD are associated with procrastination, with research suggesting chronic procrastination can be a cause of a serious stress disorder and illness.

Help for Procrastination

At Brain Training Australia™ we use Neurofeedback Brain Training to help our clients struggling with Procrastination.

Let us help you. Here is how to get started.

Your first step is to get in contact with us.

All new clients receive a free, complementary and no obligation 15-minute face-to-face Complementary Assessment with a dedicated member of our team. If you’re on the fence, wondering if Neurofeedback Brain Training is right for you, then this is a really good place to start.

If you are ready to get started then you can just book in your First Appointment and get started straight away.

The team at Brain Training Australia™ recognise the unique qualities of all our clients and will work closely with you to personalise your Brain Training Program so that you can achieve your goals of optimal mental processes.

We look forward to helping you live a much richer, happier and healthier life.