OSF HealthCare released information on May 18 about the reasons behind procrastination and ways to address it, featuring insights from Ari Lakritz, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at OSF HealthCare.
The topic of procrastination is relevant as it can impact mental health and lead to missed opportunities in both academic and professional settings. Understanding why people delay tasks may help individuals find better strategies to manage their time and responsibilities.
Lakritz defines procrastination as wanting to do an important task but pushing it off or finding something else to do. “Despite my best efforts, I just can’t help myself,” Dr. Lakritz says, putting himself in the mind of a procrastinator. He explains that delaying tasks provides a sense of relief in the brain: “All those aversive stimuli in the brain settle and go back to their baseline. Then it’s smooth sailing until at least the next time the issue comes up.” However, he warns not to confuse working well under pressure with true procrastination. “Procrastination is accompanied by a sense of shame,” he says. “A sense of ‘I know deep down what I’m doing is not the most productive way of working. It’s not the most responsible way of working’.”
Dr. Lakritz says that for many people, procrastination stems from how our brains interpret scenarios, sometimes misreading situations or being overly optimistic about what can be accomplished in a given timeframe. For individuals with attention deficit disorder, anxiety or depression, these challenges may be more pronounced: “They’re not so good at understanding or feeling the consequences of what’s going to happen when they come to that big meeting or big test unprepared,” Dr. Lakritz says.
To address severe procrastination, Dr. Lakritz recommends breaking projects into small chunks that match one’s attention span and taking breaks between them: “Take a nice little break to revitalize yourself between those small chunks, then get right back at it,” he suggests. He also advises pairing rewards like food or music with productive work instead of after finishing tasks: “Come up with a contract or rule. You’re only allowed to eat that ice cream or candy bar when you’re working actively,” Dr. Lakritz says.
OSF HealthCare offers behavioral and mental health resources through its website as part of its broader commitment to community well-being by providing health guidance and expert insights on preventive care according to its official website. The organization operates an integrated network across Illinois and Michigan with hospitals, clinics and various outpatient facilities serving both urban and rural areas under a unified nonprofit ministry.
