Are you one of those people who always puts off doing things until the very last minute? Then you might be a procrastinator.

I know I can be like that with certain tasks such as starting assignments for courses late and wishing I had started earlier. Then there are other tasks I will do right away so I don’t forget to complete them. 

Why do we procrastinate? 

It is believed that we do it to avoid the way that working makes us feel and we are trying to run away from that feeling. Obviously we are all different here. 

So what do we turn to when we are procrastinating and how can we get out of our procrastination habit? Psychologists believe we turn to doing the things that make us feel like we are having fun. 

There are several ways we can try to avoid procrastinating and these include: 

1. Break the habit by starting small. Do a small task for a few minutes that gets you part of the way to completing the job you need to do. Then feel happy with yourself for completing that task and starting to change your habit. 

2. Stay calm. When things are difficult or go wrong it can put us off doing them. Stay calm and say to yourself that you will try again and resist the urge to panic. 

3. Try undertaking the task in hand for just three minutes. Dr Jennifer Wild, a psychologist, believes that this can snap you out of an avoidance mindset and can help you to get the task done as you may want to finish the task rather than leave it uncompleted. Trails have shown that three minutes is the optimal time, with 98 per cent of the participants going on to complete the task. 

If you try the tips above then it might help you break out of your procrastination habit, which can be a source of stress, and help you to feel what is termed the ‘success experience’. As a result the task which seemed daunting will hopefully soon become more achievable.  

Lesley Pallett, Zenara Therapeutics