Resource · ~6 min read
How to stop procrastinating.
In short
Procrastination is putting off a task even though you know delaying will make things worse. It’s rarely laziness: most of the time you’re avoiding an unpleasant feeling the task brings, like boredom, overwhelm or fear of doing it badly. What helps is naming that feeling, committing to just five minutes, shrinking the first step, aiming for good enough and going easier on yourself afterwards.
Rose Markotic · Anxiety Skills Coach
Rose’s path here runs through more than a decade of clinical training and practice — graduate training at Santa Clara University and years inside Dr. David Burns’ TEAM-CBT group at Stanford, the home of the measurement-driven framework.
Why do we procrastinate?
Putting a task off works, briefly: the moment you delay it, the discomfort eases. Your brain remembers that relief and repeats the move next time. The task doesn’t go away, though, the deadline gets closer and the discomfort grows. That’s why procrastination is less a time-management problem than a feelings-management one.
The tasks we put off most are boring, vague, too big, or ones where we’ll be judged. For people who expect a lot of themselves, procrastination often travels with perfectionism and a fear of failure.
Six skills to stop procrastinating
1. Name the feeling you're avoiding
Before you put it off, ask: what would I feel if I started right now? Bored, overwhelmed, afraid of doing it badly? Once you know what you're dodging, it's easier to sit with it for a few minutes.
2. Use the five-minute rule
Agree with yourself to work on it for five minutes, after which you're allowed to stop. Starting is the hardest part; after five minutes the task usually looks smaller, and you often keep going.
3. Shrink the first step
"Write the report" isn't a step, it's a project. The first step is "open the document and type the heading". If even that feels like too much, the step is still too big.
4. Test the "I'm not ready" thought
Many people wait to feel ready or motivated. Motivation usually follows starting rather than coming before it. Ask yourself what evidence says you have to feel ready in order to begin.
5. Aim for good enough
Perfectionism often sits behind procrastination: if it can't be perfect, better not to start. Decide in advance what "good enough" looks like for this task, and aim for that.
6. Go easy on yourself afterwards
Beating yourself up after procrastinating makes the bad feeling worse, and the bad feeling drives the next round of putting things off. Forgiving the last delay makes it more likely you'll start on time next time.
If the putting-off comes with a fear of being found out, see imposter syndrome. If it comes with a lot of worry, see how to stop overthinking. If nothing you do ever feels good enough, see perfectionism. If you just can’t find the drive, see how to get motivated.
Is procrastination a sign of something else?
Sometimes. Putting things off is common when you’re exhausted, anxious or low, and it can ease as those do. If you’ve had lifelong difficulty with focus and getting started, across school, work and home, it’s worth raising with your GP rather than assuming it’s a willpower problem.
When to see a licensed professional
If procrastination seriously affects your work or studies over a long period, comes with low mood or loss of interest that lasts for weeks, or with thoughts of harming yourself, please see your GP or a licensed professional. Coaching teaches skills; it isn’t a substitute for clinical care. The crisis resources page lists 24-hour lines for the UK and across Europe.
Frequently asked
Common questions
- How do I stop procrastinating?
- Name the feeling you're avoiding, commit to just five minutes, shrink the first step until it's easy, and decide in advance what good enough looks like. Afterwards, go easy on yourself: self-criticism feeds the next round of putting things off.
- Why do I procrastinate even when I want to do something?
- Because procrastination is mostly about feelings, not wanting. Even tasks you care about can bring discomfort, such as fear of doing them badly or not knowing where to start. Delaying eases that feeling briefly, which is why the habit sticks.
- Is procrastination laziness?
- Usually not. Laziness means not caring, while people who procrastinate typically feel bad about it. It's most often a way of avoiding an unpleasant feeling in the short term, which is why it continues despite the consequences.
- Can a coach help with procrastination?
- Yes, with practical steps, testing thoughts like "I'm not ready", and tracking progress session to session. Rose works online, in English, across the UK and Europe. The first 20-minute call is free.
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