What I didn't do on my summer vacation: fighting procrastination
By Lindsey Rivait
Editor at Large
September 12, 2007
 In an ideal world, I would have a productive summer. I would read 20 books, and finish the first draft of my novel and my poetry manuscript. I would clean out my closet and refrigerator, and finally take driving lessons. What did I really end up doing during my summer vacation? I played video games and took the bus everywhere. I also made friends with what was living in my fridge. I procrastinated and did nothing, and now it’s September. We’re all guilty of procrastination. It’s when the procrastination becomes chronic and debilitating that a problem arises.
Procrastinators put off doing certain tasks for various reasons, but it’s mainly a coping mechanism for dealing with anxiety. When procrastination takes over a person’s life, it may be a sign of a more severe underlying psychological disorder.
“Everyone procrastinates at some point in their life, whether it’s cleaning the bathroom or writing a major paper. There are small things and big things that people can procrastinate on,” says Dr. Rosemary Plastow of the Student Counselling Centre. “There are different levels of procrastination. It’s one thing to not clean your bathtub, it’s another thing to be failing out of school,” explains Plastow.
Two types of procrastinators
There are two main types of procrastinators: the relaxed type and the tense-afraid type. The relaxed type avoids tasks because they view the tasks negatively. Their energies are directed toward other activities where they enjoy the immediate benefits of the tasks they complete. The relaxed type of procrastinator avoids any task where they would encounter displeasure, so blowing off school responsibilities for one’s friends is fairly common in this group of people.
The tense-afraid type has unrealistic goals and poor time management skills, often feeling overwhelmed with the tasks ahead of them. These individuals feel the need to relax and unwind before being able to perform their work. This relaxation gets out of hand and turns stressful as deadlines quickly approach, resulting in guilty feelings for the procrastinator. When one task is not completed, it is simply moved to the next day’s list over and over again. Tense-afraid types are uncertain about their goals, which can cause them more anxiety and depression.
Perfectionism
 Perfectionism is very dangerous as there is no such thing as perfection. Perfectionists believe they’re never good enough and that they will fail at any given task if they cannot achieve perfection. Instead of recognizing a middle-ground, perfectionists view their achievements as black or white.
“One thing that triggers procrastination is setting unrealistically high standards for yourself. Having standards that are too high can lead to beliefs that are harmful for getting things done,” explains Plastow. These individuals may also be afraid that the outcome of their work will create more problems than they solve.
Procrastinators view avoidance of a task as a way to have their feelings spared. “One theory about procrastination is that if you avoid completing the task, then you don’t have to face any potential negative feedback. It’s almost a way of maintaining your self esteem, because if you don’t have to hear a negative comment, you don’t have to deal with it,” says Plastow. If a perfectionist never completes a task, then no one can judge them or their ability to perform. To them, it is better to say that they lacked effort rather than that they lacked ability. Some procrastinators even go so far as to hide their talents and abilities so nothing is expected of them.
Student life
In an online poll by the Procrastination Research Group at Carleton University, 5,402 of 10,400 respondents said that procrastination causes “somewhat” to “quite a bit” of unhappiness in their lives. An additional 4,357 respondents said procrastination had “very much” to an “extreme negative effect” on their happiness.
Procrastination can negatively affect all areas of a student’s life, including their schoolwork and their health. According to a study from the November 1997 issue of Psychological Science, procrastinators often turned in their papers later than most students, resulting lower grades. As deadlines approached later on in the semester, these people were more susceptible to sickness than those who did not procrastinate. “There is an association between procrastination and not having a healthy lifestyle. Procrastinators may also have more health problems partially because there’s more stress because they’re not getting things done, and also partly because the procrastination is leading them to not get help when they need it,” says Plastow.
Electronic distractions
 Distractions like television, the internet and video games, can be a detriment to procrastinators. It’s very easy to become lost in a game or on the internet and lose hours of your life. “If you’re already vulnerable to not paying attention, then technology can definitely contribute,” warns Plastow. “Sometimes people get stuck doing busy work when they’re surfing on the net looking up something for their paper, but it doesn’t really have to do with their main goal. People can get confused and think they’re doing work toward their goal, but it’s really just busy work” says Plastow.
Breaking it down
It’s much easier to complete smaller, easy tasks than it is to complete a large, difficult task. Becoming motivated enough to tackle a larger overwhelming task is a big problem. Most people do not have the opportunity to work in large block of time, so they are forced to break tasks up. The individual feels more motivated when they can cross small items off of a list.
“Set yourself with a schedule with reasonable expectations. Instead of cleaning the whole apartment, just clean one room or just do the dishes. Break things down into smaller chunks. Learn to distinguish between busy work and what’s getting you to your goal. Making sure all your pencils are sharp before you start writing a paper is busy work. Realze your work may take more time,” advises Plastow.
“People are more focused on the here and now and getting immediate pleasure out of things and not thinking about the long-term consequences,” Plastow says. Smaller tasks provide people with a more immediate sense of accomplishment, as opposed to larger tasks which may not have apparent rewards attached to them which the person can achieve in the near future.
If the task one must complete is something they don’t enjoy they’ll be hesitant to tackle it, instead filling their time with completing other more fulfilling tasks to insure they have no time for what they should be doing. Additionally, if the task is not relevant to the individual, they are more likely to put it off. If it’s something they’re not interested in, they’re also more likely to put it off.
Seeking help
 Procrastinators can change, but they must change their way of thinking. Breaking larger tasks into smaller steps and spreading those smaller steps out over a reasonable amount of time can help. Become aware that you are making excuses and realize that no one is perfect. Be sure to take breaks and reward yourself when you have reached attainable goals.
You should seek professional help when procrastination begins to interfere severely with your life. “If you notice it’s accompanied by persistent negative thoughts about yourself being a failure or lazy, if you feel like you have significant mood changes, if you feel particularly anxious or starting to feel depressed about it, if for whatever reason it’s interfering with relationships, come in and get some tips on it,” advises Plastow.
The Student Counselling Centre offers strategies and tips for those battling procrastination to help people consider the longer-term consequences of what they’re doing to themselves.
Dr. Plastow will be presenting a 45-minute seminar, “Procrastinators Leave it Longer” in room 203 of the Toldo Health Education Centre on November 22 as part of the Campus Life Line series from the Education Development Centre. Campus Life Line is a series of lectures and activities that address concerns arising in a student’s first year at university.
For more information on the Campus Life Line series, consult their website at http://www.uwindsor.ca/lifeline. For additional information on dealing with procrastination, check out S.T.E.P.S. (Skills to Enhance Personal Success) online at http://www.uwindsor.ca/steps for details on workshops aimed to help students obtain effective studying skills. If your procrastination goes beyond these resources, consult the Student Counselling Centre, at http://www.uwindsor.ca/scc.
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