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Procrastination? Challenge your Irrational Thoughts


Procrastination is putting off tasks for another day or doing unproductive things as an excuse for not doing what is essential. While some procrastinate in certain situations, it becomes a habit for others. They leave dishes in the sink, don’t respond to e-mails, don’t pay bills, put off completing paperwork, finish assignments just before the deadline, or ask for extensions. In the latter group, procrastination becomes a form of avoidance. Psychologists consider avoidance as a maladaptive coping style that relieves one from the mental and/or physical effort of doing a task, reinforcing this behavior. Procrastination can be driven by irrational thought patterns, and sometimes, these are associated with depression and anxiety. The common irrational thoughts that foster procrastination include:
  • “Nothing works.”
  • “This is boring.”
  • “I don’t know where to start.”
  • “I can’t do this.”
  • “This is too hard.”
  • "I am not cut out for this."
  • “I don’t have the time to do this.”
  • “I don’t have the energy to do this.”
  • "I will never be able to get this done. Why bother?"
  • “This may work, but…”
  • “I have to get this perfect, or…”
These thoughts are cognitive distortions, mostly from helplessness, hopelessness, self-doubt, inadequacy, fear of failure or rejection, or perfectionism. You can challenge these irrational thoughts using the following questions and techniques (Duggal, 2016).
  • What evidence do I have that supports the notion that “I can’t do this, or I am not cut out for this, or nothing works?”
  • How helpful is the thought, “I have no energy, or I am always tired,” to me? What will happen if I continue to believe this?
  • Is my fear of failing to hold me back from doing this activity?
  • Do I have enough evidence to say, “If I fail at this activity, then I am a total failure?”
  • What is the worst thing that could happen if I did what I am putting off right now?
  • Who says I must complete the whole task, and only then can I feel happy?
  • Am I defeating myself before I start?
  • Can I do this task if I am not feeling depressed?
  • What have I got to lose by trying?
  • Can I challenge myself beyond my comfort zone?
  • Am I self-sabotaging by giving myself irrational justifications? Am I using the “Yes, but…” excuse to avoid performing a task?
  • Replace “I can’t” with “It is impossible for me.” For example, “I can’t start walking again” will become “It is impossible for me to start walking.” This highlights the irrationality of your thinking in asking yourself whether this task is really impossible.
  • Substitute beliefs starting with “I wish,” “I hope,” or “Maybe” with “I will.” For example, “I wish I had time to start exercising again” becomes “I will find time to start exercising again.” Words like “hope,” “wish,” and “maybe” are harbingers of procrastination.
These questions and techniques will help you overcome the inertia of starting the tasks on your daily schedule. If you are still struggling with procrastination, then it would help to seek guidance from a mental health professional to see if underlying depression, anxiety, or ADHD may be contributing to this.

Check out Dr. Duggal’s Author Page to learn more about evidence-based self-management techniques that promote mental health and well-being.

HARPREET S. DUGGAL, MD, FAPA

REFERENCES

Duggal, H. S. (2016). The Complete guide to self-management of depression. Bloomington, IN: Archway Publishing.







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