Q&A

Chronic Procrastination

Chronic Procrastination

How can we quit stalling, delaying and postponing? World-leading authority on chronic procrastination Joseph Ferrari shares his insights on how to get it done.

Q
What are the causes of procrastination?
A

This is a complex question, but a great one to ask. The short answer is that procrastination is learned, so it can be unlearned. Our research has found that parenting styles produce kids who grow up to be procrastinators. I recommend reading my popular book, “Still Procrastinating? and if you want greater detail, let’s see if I can speak to your local community to educate.

More information is available at the following link:

https://www.amazon.com/Still-Procrastinating-Regrets-Guide-Getting/dp/0470611588

Q
Where is the entry point of intervention for the person who is experiencing chronic procrastination?
A

The entry point of intervention depends on the context—does the person use procrastination as a chronic tendency at home, school, work, or in relationships? See if they engage in this inappropriate delay that causes them emotional upset across settings. Then, I suggest that they go through CBT. Remember, procrastination is not poor time management, laziness, or just delay.

Q
Everyone makes excuses for their friends' procrastination. Do we need to understand why we procrastinate to conquer it?
A

Wonderful question! The first thing is to stop making excuses for them. People need to learn the consequences of their actions, and if one is consistently a procrastinator, they need to see the impact of this on others. “Procs,” as I call them, think that life is all about me, but it's about we and our impact on others.

Q
What therapeutic techniques do you recommend in working with clients to overcome procrastination?
A

If you have a chronic procrastinator, they need good CBT. Meta-analyses show that time management is the least effective technique for procrastinators because of their great excuse-making tendencies. Instead, they need to address their thoughts (cognitive) and actions (behavior). My book, “Still procrastinating?” might help too.

More information is available at the following link:

https://www.amazon.com/Still-Procrastinating-Regrets-Guide-Getting/dp/0470611588

Q
Is procrastinating the same thing as avoiding things because of anxiety?
A

Love your question—yes and no:

  • Yes, procrastination is an avoidance strategy that people globally use and seem to “get away with.” We don’t want to hold people to deadlines today, but we are hurting them because they do not learn responsibility.

  • No, anxiety is one emotion and so are fears (for example, of success or failure). There are a variety of emotions linked to procrastination and we have a paper coming out that looks at 40 years of procrastination and emotion research.

Q
Do you have any specific advice for working with adolescent boys who chronically struggle with procrastination?
A

Remember that rebellion, and even revenge, may not be procrastination; adolescents might be procrastinating as a way to rebel against demands. In psychology, we call this the “reactance effect," which may sound something like, “Oh yeah, well I was going to do this but because you tell me I have to or must do it, I’m not going to do it.” The person is reacting against believing their freedom is compromised (we see this today in the United States by adults). So, procrastination may not be a cause, but a consequence of something else. Consider that possibility.

Q
Do people with ADHD need a specialised approach for helping with procrastination?
A

Although many people say that ADHD is linked to procrastination, the only study to look at this found, at best, a weak link with normal and clinical samples. However, that was only one study, so before we change anything, we need more research on ADHD and procrastination. In the meantime, if someone is diagnosed with ADHD (not boredom-proneness), then yes, professional help may be effective.

Q
For people who have a fear of failure/perfectionism underlying their procrastination, is it ever a good idea to have them deliberately fail something like an exam or assessment or not prepare? Or could this backfire somehow?
A

Well, my Italian Grandma Nonna would say, “Some people will not get off the beach until the water hits their behind.” So, you can warn and help people, but some will not take action until they see the consequences. Notice, she did not say drown; she said get wet! So, yes – let the person fail, don’t give them an out and when they are ready for change, they will change.

Q
Any tips for teaching groups of children in a classroom setting on how to keep on top of tasks? Thank you for taking questions.
A

This is a great question—I do not know of any scholar who is focusing on treating procrastination with young kids.

Remember that procrastination is not poor time management, delay, or waiting; it’s an active avoidance strategy that is not productive. I do recommend reading my book, “Still Procrastinating?” to get a good feel for the concept and its causes and consequences. I again ask: is the procrastination on a specific behavior (situational) or something you would label for the kids' lifestyle (dispositional)? These are related but very different and I recommend another conversation after the book is read.

More information is available at the following link:

https://www.amazon.com/Still-Procrastinating-Regrets-Guide-Getting/dp/0470611588 

Q
What things are likely to affect procrastination and is the time of day one of those things?
A

For the last half of your question, my research team has conducted the only study that compares morning and evening proneness with procrastinators. What do you think we found? Procrastinators are evening-prone; they claim to work best at night…but do they?

For the first part, that is more than I can answer here. Instead, I recommend checking my book for the causes and consequences of procrastination. It’s an easy read, and while it might not make you ‘happy’ from what it says, it will give you information based on science and not my opinion.

More information is available at the following link:

https://www.amazon.com/Still-Procrastinating-Regrets-Guide-Getting/dp/0470611588

You may also like