Psychologists Explain Why You Procrastinate— And How to Stop

If you’re easily distracted
First, Ballard recommends optimiz-
ing your environment. “Put your cell-
phone away, turn off notifications on 
your computer and don’t have 10 tabs 
open at the same time,” he says.
Ballard also suggests minimizing dis-
traction’s cousin: multitasking. Many 
of us fall into the trap of “juggling 
two or three tasks at the same time,
so you finish one, but you’re still in 
the middle of the other,” Ballard says.
That “never-ending stream of tasks” 
may make it feel like you’re never 
actually completing anything, which 
deprives you of the satisfaction of 
being done. “Take the time to wrap 
one thing up, put it away, take a 
breath, walk around for a minute and 
stretch before you step into the next 
thing so can move on having refreshed 
yourself,” Ballard says.
If you’re struggling with 
something larger
Sometimes, what looks like procras-
tination may actually be a symptom 
of something more serious, such as 
depression, anxiety or attention prob-
lems, Ballard says. If your behavior is 
causing you distress or significantly 
affecting your performance at work, 
school or home, don’t be afraid to 
consult a professional. “Get some 
additional support and help from a 
professional who can help you manage 
those so it’s not getting in the way of 
your job performance or functioning,” 
he says.
If you’re simply hitting a wall
Even the most efficient workers 
have days when it’s harder to finish 
tasks. With any luck, these lulls will 
strike when you don’t have a dead- 
line looming and you can “cut your 
losses and take a break” to focus 
on taking care of yourself with 
sleep, exercise, proper nutrition and 
enjoyable, non-work-related activi-
ties, Ballard says.
You can emulate that same strategy, 
albeit to a lesser extent, even if you’re 
facing down a task that absolutely has 
to happen today. “Maybe take five 
minutes to get outside, take a walk, get 
some sunlight,” Ballard says. “What 
we don’t often feel at the time is that 
those breaks will actually increase 
your productivity and make up for the 
lost time. If you’re doing small breaks 
like that, you’ll actually get things 
done more efficiently afterward.” 
■
MANY PEOPLE PROCRASTINATE BECAUSE 
THEY’RE ANXIOUS ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF
A PROJECT, DON’T THINK THEY CAN COMPLETE
IT WELL OR FEAR FAILURE.
MAL
TE MUELLER/GETTY
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