How to stop procrastinating
<p>Ian Wilson, organisational psychologist and human resources specialist with the Council of Europe, said his colleagues laughed when he pitched his thesis on procrastination.</p>
<p>"It's something we all recognise, often laugh about, but perhaps don't take as seriously as we should, given the negative consequences of it," he said.</p>
<p>"There's not a lot of research out there, but it's very costly for organisations."</p>
<p>Procrastination has been labelled the most expensive invisible cost in modern business, with the average worker admitting to wasting more than two hours each day on non-job-related activities.</p>
<p>Of course, some people are worse than others when it comes to last-minutism, which is largely dictated by personality traits along with the nature of the task, Wilson said.</p>
<p>The American Psychological Association (APA) estimates one in five people are chronic procrastinators – producing symptoms of depression, obsessive compulsive behaviour, stress, anxiety, and disturbed sleep patterns.</p>
<p>Studies show procrastination is associated with high stress and poor emotional and physical wellbeing.</p>
<p>Self-regulation, or the ability to control and regulate one's behaviours, thoughts, and emotions, has been described as the "quintessential characteristic of human beings". In contrast, procrastination is regarded the "quintessence of self-regulatory failure".</p>
<p>In 1952, in the APA's first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, it was listed as a symptom of mental illness. It was dropped several editions later, but the stigma remains.</p>
<p>"What's clear is procrastination is something that's perceived very negatively by everybody, even though we're all guilty of doing it," Wilson said. "People who do it are seen as lazy, or ill-disciplined. There's a loss of productivity, a lot of negative consequences."</p>
<p>It's important for an individual to recognise when they are procrastinating, and ask themselves why they're doing it, he said.</p>
<p>His research has shown there are three main characteristics to the tasks people put off, and different ways to overcome each:</p>
<p>1. An unpleasant task: This is the type of task we procrastinate the most – we push it aside as a coping mechanism – and this in turn provokes anxiety and stress.</p>
<p>How to overcome it: You could make a to-do list in order of the most unpleasant task to the least. Starting at the most unpleasant end, it should get easier as you go along. Promise yourself a reward when you get to the end, it doesn't have to be much. If there isn't a deadline for the task, you could set one yourself, and make sure you tell people about it -- you're more likely to follow through with a social commitment.</p>
<p>2. An ambiguous task: We tend to put off tasks that are a bit ambiguous, thinking that time will make them clearer. This is especially the case if the consequences are a long way off.</p>
<p>How to overcome it: Clarify it, ASAP. The quicker you get help or clarify the task, the better. It will only get more embarrassing the longer you leave it.</p>
<p>3. An overwhelming task: There's a tendency to wait until the last minute before addressing those overwhelming tasks. Perfectionists may be hesitating, worried they'll look bad if it goes wrong, but this only adds to the anxiety they're already feeling. Others, with lower energy levels (more often known as lazy…) don't suffer such anxiety, and may require external pressure to get them moving.</p>
<p>How to overcome it: Break it down into smaller tasks, and knock them off one by one. Keep it simple.</p>
<p><em>Written by Kate Kenny. First appeared on</em> <em><strong><a href="http://stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz.</span></a></strong></em></p>
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