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How to stop procrastinating: what actually works

By the Taskling teamNovember 14, 20267 min read

You procrastinate to escape a bad feeling about a task, not because you are lazy. The fix is to make starting feel smaller and safer: shrink the first step, set a short timer, and forgive yourself for yesterday so today is easier.

Key takeaways
  • Procrastination is mainly a way to avoid unpleasant feelings about a task.
  • Shrinking the first step lowers the feeling enough to start.
  • Forgiving yourself for past delays is linked to less delay next time.

Why we put things off

Most people treat procrastination as a time problem and buy another planner. Researchers who study it see it differently. When a task feels boring, scary or confusing, avoiding it gives instant relief. The relief is real, which is exactly why the habit is so hard to break.

That means the goal is not more discipline. The goal is to make the task feel less heavy at the moment you need to begin.

Seven ways to start today

  1. Name the feeling. Is the task boring, unclear or scary? Each one has a different fix.
  2. Make the first step tiny. Not "write the essay" but "open the document and type the title".
  3. Set a ten minute timer. Agree to stop when it rings. Most people keep going.
  4. Remove one obstacle. Put the phone in another room or close every tab you do not need.
  5. Decide when and where. "At 9 at the kitchen table" beats "later".
  6. Make it social. Work next to a friend or on a call.
  7. Forgive yesterday. Guilt about past delays makes the task feel worse, which feeds the next delay.

When it is more than a bad week

If putting things off is hurting your work, studies or health for months, it can help to talk to a doctor or therapist. Long term avoidance sometimes sits on top of stress, low mood or ADHD, and those deserve proper support.

Try it in Taskling

Type the task to Sprig and ask for a first step. Taskling shows only that tiny step, with no red overdue badges, and the focus timer gives you a ten minute start.

Quick answers

Is procrastination the same as laziness?

No. Lazy means not wanting to do anything. Procrastination means wanting to do the task but avoiding the feeling it brings.

What is the fastest way to stop procrastinating right now?

Pick the smallest physical action that moves the task forward and do it for ten minutes.

Sources
  1. Sirois and Pychyl (2013), Procrastination and the priority of short term mood regulation
  2. British Psychological Society: forgiving yourself and procrastination (Wohl, Pychyl and Bennett, 2010)
  3. American Psychological Association: Speaking of Psychology, why we procrastinate

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