What type of procrastinator are you – and how to fix it now (not later)
The nine types of stalling that researchers say can reveal something deeper about us and why it’s not always bad.
I’ll just do that later, this thing can wait, maybe a short break first… We’ve all been there: putting off certain tasks then being left with essays up to the wire, loads of messages unread and that bedroom sort-out that just never happens.
A fifth of us are guilty of regularly procrastinating but the type of procastinator we are can reveal something deeper about us, say researchers.
Are you a dreamer or rebel? Hedonist or a thrill-seeker? What does it all mean, and can you fix it?
Why we procrastinate
The cause can be hidden or buried, says Dr Itamar Shatz, a lecturer at Cambridge University who is publishing a book on the subject this week.
Understanding what procrastinator you are can really help, he says.
According to Shatz, people can be any of nine types, sometimes simultaneously.
Dreamers, for example, fantasise about the future too much, while rebels feel a lack of control and so procrastinate in protest.
Hedonists care too much about immediate pleasure, thrill-seekers enjoy a deadline at their own peril and zigzaggers switch too often between tasks.
The other types also embody their names – worriers, pessimists, perfectionists and burnouts who are tired from working too hard.
Workplace psychologist Ian MacRae, from the British Psychological Society, says labels are fine, as long as people understand these are not permanent character traits.
“I would recommend people think more in terms of ‘oh, I’m acting like a perfectionist today’ instead of thinking ‘I am a perfectionist’.
Prof Fuschia Sirois, a renowned expert in the field at Durham University, rejects categories, and says the main reason for procrastinating is usually the same – to dodge bad feelings.
“We are not procrastinating the task, we are avoiding the unpleasant emotions associated with it,” Sirois explains.
Brain activity studies with procrastinators reveal noticeable differences in areas involved with emotion regulation, she says.
“As soon as we sense a threat the amygdala gets activated, and that threat-sensor is faster than the response time to the rational part of our brain – the prefrontal cortex – that tells us it won’t be so bad.”
How to fix it
Sirois and Shatz have these suggestions:
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The first step is to recognise and name the bad emotion, then seek the source(s). Is it coming from a perfectionist mindset or because you are very self-critical? A classic one – are you anticipating that doing this task is going to be very difficult, challenging or stressful?
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Next, learn how to shut down the anxious cycle, using techniques like breathing and mindfulness to relax
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There’s no one size fits all, but strategies such as managing guilt and being kinder to yourself can help
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Get rid of distractions and unpack overwhelming tasks into manageable steps as well as starting with “easy wins”
But MacRae says procrastinating can, at times, be a good thing – some problems solve themselves, without us rushing to act.
And for those onerous must-do tasks? The biggest hurdle is usually just getting started. Focus on taking action instead of searching for motivation.
Motivation will follow, he says, adding: “The momentum of starting and continuing may be what you need.”
