5 ways to break the procrastination cycle

You’ve had a month to complete a daunting project. You’ve put it off and put it off. Maybe you felt like the scope was too abstract. Or the topic bored you to tears. Now your deadline is mere days away and you’re just getting started.

A pit grows in your stomach. Ouch.

Many of us have been in similar situations. For you, it might look more like ignoring a stack of bills. Or avoiding the laundry piling up in the corner. Or not scheduling an important appointment. No matter how it shows up, procrastination — or choosing to put something off — can take a toll on your mental wellness.

The habit often shows up in the face of boring, unpleasant, or challenging tasks. As you’ve likely noticed, ignoring those chores or projects doesn’t mean they go away. In fact, it can lead to conflict in your work or home life. And it can spur negative self-talk that becomes another barrier in getting things done.

But you can break this procrastination cycle. It starts with becoming more aware of why you delay tasks in the first place. With that insight, you can apply smart strategies to get more done.

Why do we procrastinate?

Procrastination is a habit, not a trait. That means it’s possible to change the behavior. But to do that, it helps to understand common root causes of the behavior.

At its heart, procrastination tends to be about emotions. Mood states like fear, resentment, and boredom — among others — can prompt you to avoid an unpleasant task.¹ Anxiety may also be a big factor.²

For example, you avoid writing a complex paper because you feel like you’ll get a failing grade. Or you may delay doing the dishes because it bores you. Or you might skip doing laundry because you’re annoyed your partner hasn’t tackled it.

Putting off tasks gives us a way to cope with those challenging emotions. And it can feel effective in the short term.³ But as time goes by, we just get more stressed as our chores or projects build up. Then we’re facing the initial emotion with an extra side of self-blame for not acting sooner. It becomes a vicious cycle.

5 hurdles that keep you from getting things done — and how to get over them

Now you get the gist of why we procrastinate. But how do these reasons show up for you? And what can you do about it? These 5 tips can help you figure out your underlying procrastination triggers and how you can beat them.

The hurdle: Emotional avoidance
Why it’s a problem: If you can’t face the feelings that prompt you to procrastinate, it’s hard to develop a plan that will help you stop
How to overcome it: Reflect and accept

Think of the urge to procrastinate as a chance to check in with yourself. What feelings come up when you think about getting started? Where do you feel them in your body? Is your stomach in knots or is your chest tight? Name your emotions and jot down a few details about what you notice. (The AbleTo app’s built-in mood tracker can help.)

Once you’ve named the feelings, you can start to build up your tolerance for them. Research suggests that learning how to sit with your emotions and move forward in the face of them can be a powerful tool for breaking the procrastination habit.^1,2 So can pausing before you react to those emotions.² A meditation like Becoming Aware in the AbleTo app is a great way to practice.

Over time, you can use these skills to shift how you think about tasks and spark motivation. For example, you might think a task is boring but see its impact and value on your project’s results. Or how staying on top of paying bills helps you budget and make room to reach your money goals.

The hurdle: Distractions everywhere you turn
Why it’s a problem: You can’t tend to a task for more than a few minutes before your attention is drawn elsewhere
How to overcome it: Foster your focus

Social media apps. Streaming video platforms. News sites. Games. It’s easier than ever to put off unappealing tasks when we have endless entertainment at our fingertips. Science backs this up: Overuse of social media and the internet does correspond with procrastination.⁴

We’re not saying that you have to cut off all access to technology. Instead, put healthy boundaries around it. Start by figuring out what temptations pull your attention away most often. Then start to create healthy limits.

You could delete social media apps from your phone for a week. Or have your phone lock you out of those apps once you hit a certain amount of screentime each day. You could also silence alerts during the day. Check out 7 Ways to Spend Less Time on Your Phone for more ideas.

Recruiting a body double might help you lock in too. Find a friend who can pair with you during a working session to help you stay on task.

The hurdle: To-dos that seem too huge to tackle
Why it’s a problem: Focusing on the big picture makes you feel too overwhelmed to figure out what actually needs to be done or even where to start
How to overcome it: Break tasks down

Big projects, even fun ones, can be daunting. Split them into smaller chunks to make them feel more doable.

For example, starting with the idea “I need to organize my entire house. It’s a mess!” sets most people up for failure. Instead, try going room by room. For each one, make a list of little tasks that need to be done. You can also set a specific amount of time you want to spend tackling that area. Both of these strategies give you concrete goals to work toward.

In this example, you could start by spending one hour in the kitchen. In that hour, you could focus on cleaning out your pantry. Or your fridge. Take time to feel proud of yourself when you cross it off your list. Then build on that momentum to complete another task the next day. In time, you’ll get the whole project done.

Want added support? Use the AbleTo SMART Goals Journal to practice this skill. You can also use apps like Todoist to organize your to-dos and stay on track. Or try digital platforms like Monday or Asana, which are designed for more complex project management.

The hurdle: Managing time
Why it’s a problem: You need strategies for organizing your workload
How to overcome it: Lean on tools and techniques

Time can be tricky. It can be hard to plan for a project that isn’t due until some seemingly distant future date. Or to feel a sense of urgency when you’re working on an extended timeline. So you end up putting tasks off because you don’t know exactly when to do them. Some self-awareness around your working patterns can get you past this barrier.

Some of us are prone to overestimating our attention spans, too. Your attention is a finite resource. And if you go over its limits, your performance will suffer.⁵ So, is it fair or realistic to expect yourself to work for hours at a time? Probably not.

Use the Pomodoro technique to avoid going beyond the limits of your attention span.⁶ The idea there is to spend a set block of time for work, followed by a set block of time for rest. Time management apps, like Forest, can help you visualize and celebrate this goal.

The hurdle: Lack of motivation
Why it’s a problem: It’s tough to get yourself going on what seems to be a thankless task
How to overcome it: Reward yourself

We all have tasks we should do but may not *want* to do for one reason or another. But research shows that external rewards effectively motivate us to complete unappealing tasks, at least in the short-term.⁷

For example, if you’ve been putting off going to the gym, bring a riveting audiobook that you only listen to while exercising. Or treat yourself to your favorite drink at the local coffee shop while tackling that tough work task.

Turning tasks into games also has been shown to be useful for some people to get past tendencies to put them off.⁷ Challenge yourself to complete an otherwise boring task in a certain timeframe. And reward yourself when you pull it off.

Show yourself compassion

If you procrastinate, you’re far from alone. More than 95% of people say they wish they could cut down on procrastinating.¹ And you’re not lazy or lacking willpower, either. You just haven’t landed on solutions that work for you.

Beating yourself up won’t help. Research has found that self-forgiveness can improve feelings of self-worth and reduce the chances of procrastination.⁸

Instead of going into a self-blame spiral, talk to yourself as you’d talk to a friend. Give yourself a pep talk or a moment of understanding. Find ways to challenge your inner critic.

You can also seek out the help of a therapist or coach to help you better understand your goals. They can help you spot the obstacles that are getting in the way. And they can help you explore actions that can get you closer to where you want to be.

Be patient as you practice your new skills. Your procrastination habit probably developed over the course of years. Don’t expect to break it in a few days, or even a few weeks.

Most of all, remember you are valuable as a person in your own right. Your worth isn’t tied to how much you can check off your to-do list.