How do you procrastinate? We can find many ways to put off what needs to be done.  

In the previous articles, we discussed whether procrastination sabotages your success and why procrastination can be harmful. We covered reasons why you procrastinate, and now we will look at how you procrastinate.  

How do you procrastinate?

There are numerous types of procrastination. As you read through the types of procrastination, try to determine which one or ones you use to avoid the task at hand.  

Productive Procrastination

Productive procrastination is when you delay doing something that you don’t want to do by doing something more important or interesting. This can be a helpful way to avoid getting bogged down in tasks that you don’t enjoy or are not particularly important. It can also help you focus on the most important tasks.

Unproductive Procrastination

Unproductive procrastination is when you delay doing something by doing something else that is less important or less interesting. This can be harmful, leading to neglecting essential tasks and responsibilities. It can also cause you to miss deadlines and opportunities.

Passive Procrastination

Passive procrastination is when you delay doing something by not doing anything at all. This can be harmful as it can lead to missing deadlines and opportunities. It can also cause you to neglect important tasks and responsibilities.

Active Procrastination

Active procrastination is when you delay doing something by doing something related to the task but not part of it. For example, if you are supposed to write a report, active procrastination would be researching for the paper instead of writing it. This can help you gather information and resources to make the task easier to complete. However, it can also lead to delays if it is not done in moderation.

Chronic Procrastination

Chronic procrastination is when you consistently delay doing things, regardless of the consequences. This can be harmful, leading to missed deadlines, neglected responsibilities, and lost opportunities. If left unchecked, chronic procrastination can have a negative impact on all areas of your life.

Task Aversion Procrastination

Task aversion procrastination is when you avoid a task because you don’t like it or because it makes you feel uncomfortable. Various things, including fear of failure, perfectionism, or a lack of interest in the task, can cause this type of procrastination.

Decisional Procrastination

Decisional procrastination is when you delay making a decision because you’re unsure of what to do or don’t want to make the wrong choice. A fear of commitment or change can cause this type of procrastination.

Emotional Procrastination

Emotional procrastination is when you delay taking action because you feel overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed. Various things, including perfectionism, anxiety, or depression, can cause this type of procrastination.

Mental Procrastination

Mental procrastination is when you delay taking action because you’re having trouble focusing or concentrating on the task at hand. This type of procrastination can be caused by a variety of things, including ADHD, anxiety, or depression.

Physical Procrastination

Physical procrastination is when you delay taking action because you’re exhausted. This type of procrastination can be caused by a variety of things, including fatigue, illness, or pain.

Social Media Procrastination

Social media procrastination is when you find yourself scrolling through your Facebook or Instagram feed when you should be doing something else. This type of procrastination can harm your productivity, leading to you wasting hours of your day on social media.

TV Procrastination

TV procrastination is when you find yourself watching TV instead of working on something that you need to do. This type of procrastination can harm your productivity, leading to you wasting hours of your day watching TV.

Gaming Procrastination

Gaming procrastination is when you find yourself playing video games instead of working on something that you need to do. This type of procrastination can harm your productivity, leading to you wasting hours of your day playing video games.

Sleep Procrastination

Sleep procrastination is when you find yourself taking a nap instead of working on something that you need to do. This type of procrastination can harm your productivity, leading to you wasting hours of your day sleeping.

Food Procrastination

Food procrastination is when you find yourself eating instead of working on something that you need to do. This type of procrastination can harm your productivity, leading to you wasting hours of your day eating. It can also cause you to gain a lot of weight. 

As you can see, there are a lot of ways we procrastinate. Have you been able to isolate one or more ways you procrastinate? Knowing how you are procrastinating is one of the keys to understanding the problem and working to find solutions. 

What is Next?

Subsequent posts will identify the various procrastination archetype buckets people fall into and procrastination triggers to be aware of. We will end the series with how to prevent and overcome procrastination and help you succeed. 

I Am Here To Help

I would love to speak with you to determine if I can help you accomplish your goals. If you need guidance on your career, I am here to help.   If you find yourself in a situation where you need career advice or support and want to talk about planning for your future, reach out to me,  Rachel Schneider, at Career Find, for a free Intro Call.