How Anxiety is Often Behind Procrastination
Procrastination is often thought to be a display of laziness, poor time management, or a lack of motivation or drive. What many people tend to not realize is that it is often caused by high levels of stress and anxiety.
Anxiety, particularly related to fear of failure, perfectionism, or a feeling of being overwhelmed, can serve as a trigger for procrastination. Individuals may avoid starting or completing tasks as a coping mechanism to manage anxiety, fear of failure, or perfectionism. .
The Psychology Behind Procrastination
Fear of Failure
Anxiety about not performing a task well can lead to avoidance. The fear of being judged negatively by others such as teachers, parents, peers, or even oneself can make the prospect of completing a task even more daunting.
Perfectionism
Individuals who struggle with perfectionism often set unrealistically high standards for themselves. The anxiety of not achieving perfection can prevent them from starting a task at all.
Feeling Overwhelmed
Large projects can sometimes feel impossible to complete especially for kids who have a tendency to overestimate the work required for the task. This can be paralyzing, causing them to delay the work because it feels too difficult to tackle.
Negative Self-Talk
Children who are experiencing anxiety often engage in negative self-talk. There’s a voice in their head that doubts their abilities and fears the consequences of failure. These thoughts can result in procrastination.
Lack of Structure or Clear Goals
When tasks lack clear structure, defined deadlines, or a specific plan, individuals may struggle to complete them. Without clear guidance or a sense of direction, some people may experience anxiety, which makes procrastination more likely.
When Should Procrastination Be Addressed?
All of us have a tendency to procrastinate. This is normal. However, if you notice your child’s procrastination…
often makes them late or rush to complete tasks, affecting their overall performance in school;
affects their relationships with people, for example, being late to contribute to group projects, frustrating their classmates and teacher;
affects their mental health, increasing their stress/meltdowns;
then it’s worth looking into strategies to relieve your child’s anxiety and address their procrastination.
Here are some effective strategies to combat procrastination:
Identify the Task
This could be a work assignment, household chore, personal goal, or any other project.
Examine Reasons for Procrastination
Look into what is making your child anxious, as well as other factors like depression, other life problems, or just finding the task uninteresting
Choose a Strategy to Address Procrastination
Having a clear agenda makes it much easier to begin tasks. Utilize tools like a to-do list or planner to visually represent tasks. By seeing their tasks written down, your kid can free up mental energy that might otherwise be spent trying to remember everything. This prevents the feeling overwhelmed.
Break down the project into little tasks and set incremental deadlines. For example, instead of writing down “complete math assignment,” your child can instead put down “start solving question #1 (before dinner, 10 minutes), free time after shower, answer questions 2-3 (10-20 minutes).” This will be the most difficult to do so you might have to provide some support and supervision at this stage of the process.
Use time management techniques such as the Pomodoro Technique or time chunking. Use a timer and as much as possible, encourage your child to avoid using their phone to avoid distractions.
Seek accountability from a friend, family member, or colleague. You can encourage body doubling with a classmate/friend who is also doing their homework, or your child can sit with you in the kitchen while you’re working on your chores.
Implement environmental changes to minimize distractions. Encourage your child to put away their phone, turn off the TV, and if necessary to disconnect from wifi. You can also consider playing some lofi music.
Ensure your child has a tidy workspace with good lighting and ergonomic setup, and all their required items are within arms reach.
Use rewards and incentives to motivate progress. Encourage them to get themselves a little treat for every task they check off the list.
Practice good sleep hygiene. Factors such as fatigue, low energy levels, or disruptions in circadian rhythms can affect motivation and contribute to procrastination. If your child is well-rested, they will have more energy to take on tasks.
It’s often hard to accomplish this as a parent without outside help. Are you looking for support to help your child overcome procrastination? Habit Coach is here to help. We offer resources and expert advice to parents who want the best for their child. Contact us to learn more about what we do.
