So right now it is a Tuesday, I have a large break between clients, and I knew this would be the perfect time to sit down and do some writing. However, I felt like putting it off to scroll through my phone or do one of the other perfectly legitimate tasks on my to-do list. Unfortunately, I remembered that I was writing this one about procrastination. I really do enjoy irony, but I don’t like being a hypocrite, so I decided to get started. I was inspired to write this one after reading a really great article by Krissy Bradley, and I definitely encourage everyone to check it out because I’m only going to be able to hit the highlights.

First off, let’s go ahead and cut procrastinators a little slack because research shows us that there are actual brain-structure differences* associated with procrastination. Procrastinators will tend to have a larger amygdala (think of it as the alarm bell in your brain that drives people into fight or flight), and their brains will sometimes treat a boring, unappealing, or difficult task as though it was a threat. In a battle between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex (the top-level thinking/planning part of the brain), the amygdala is typically the winner. This is actually the way our brains are supposed to function under threat because, “The prefrontal cortex is too slow to save our lives” (Dr. Sue Johnson). However, unappealing tasks usually don’t put us in actual danger, and procrastinators have created cycles that reinforce the behavior. The first step* in reinforcing procrastination actually begins as soon as they put off the task because they will instantly feel a sense of relief. The brain then rewards them with dopamine, making it more likely that they will continue the avoidance behavior later. I see this with people who struggle with social anxiety too because they avoid doing the things that make them feel anxious, which provides instant relief. However, it also increases their social anxiety because avoiding the things that they fear makes those things seem scarier. For the procrastinator, avoiding unappealing tasks makes those tasks seem even bigger and more daunting than they were before.

There are a variety of reasons* why people procrastinate, such as: boredom, perfectionism, overwhelm, sensory overload, fear, anxiety, or depression. We should also consider that larger amygdalas aren’t just associated with procrastinators, this also happens when people have experienced trauma. The consequences* of procrastination are that tasks tend to feel more stressful to the procrastinator, and the quality of their work tends to suffer as well. Get this, it turns out that the actual act of procrastinating isn’t as bad as when they beat themselves up about it afterward because that extra pressure they put on themselves also increases stress and leads to–you guessed it–more procrastination. All of the extra stress from this cycle can lead to health complications from digestion to heart problems.

Does all delaying count as procrastination? The good news* is that it doesn’t, but putting off a task because you think you perform best under pressure still counts as procrastination. Even when procrastination works out Bradley calls it a “hollow win” because the feelings afterward are simply relief, not pride or accomplishment. When we intentionally delay a task out of prioritizing it amongst other tasks, taking breaks instead of completing something all in one-go, or step away to let our unconscious mind work on a problem for which we feel stuck, we are making logical decisions about how to best complete the task. Bradley suggests that if we step away from something because we need to allow our thoughts to grow, we are probably intentionally delaying the task, but if we step away because we feel too much angst, it’s probably procrastination.

Maybe I haven’t been convincing enough. Maybe you’re still thinking, “Yeah, that makes sense and all, but…I’ll do something about it tomorrow.” I’m going to go ahead and quote Bradley because she put the next sentence so perfectly, “When you put off tasks out of avoidance and coping-by-not-coping becomes your autopilot, this self-destructive loop can seriously mess with your quality of life, not to mention your long-term health.” Remember, your brain is actually trying to protect you through procrastination. However, just like all forms of maladaptive coping strategies, something that we started doing at one point to protect ourselves from the dangers of the world can take on a life of its own and create other problems. If you are a procrastinator, spend some time reflecting on why and what your brain is trying to protect you from. Come back next week to check out some advice on a series of steps that can help people stop this pattern of procrastination.

*https://www.livestrong.com/article/13775289-is-procrastination-bad/

My local newspaper’s recent quote of the week was from Steve Jobs: “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” There is no doubt that Steve Jobs was an incredibly intelligent man, and there is good insight with this quote; however, I can’t help thinking that it is a little too simplistic. People can find satisfaction with a job that they don’t necessarily like if it helps them to provide their family with the kind of life that is important to them. Conversely, people can become burnt out with a job that they love because something begins to suck the joy right out of it. The “Great Resignation” of the Covid pandemic suggests that when the world was turned upside down by a tiny virus, many people reevaluated how fulfilling their job was to them and found it lacking.

In an ideal world, everyone would love their jobs, and for a lot of lucky people, that is reality. However, it still doesn’t mean that their job is perfect. As the band, Poison, so eloquently taught us, “Every rose has its thorn.” Even a job that we enjoy and find fulfilling will inevitably involve something that bothers, annoys, or angers us. Allowed to fester, this can lead to feeling burnt out.

This is an important topic because work stress can actually affect our mental health. Too much stress can cause a buildup of stress hormones like cortisol in our bodies which can cause major problems when left unchecked for a long period of time. It can affect our sleep, and digestion, increase anxiety or symptoms of depression, and over time, it can wreak havoc on our entire cardiovascular system. If we think about the purpose of stress hormones, they are intended to provide an increase in energy to deal with a potentially life threatening emergency. In times of great stress, the body is supposed to be highly active and use up this extra energy. However, our species no longer needs to run from sabretooth tigers. Many of us sit at desks, so what happens is that the stress hormones just stick around, unused, in our bodies. That is when stress hormones begin to damage the body.

Let's go back to that quote from the beginning about doing great work and loving what we do. Why do we work? Yes, it is about getting paid, but it is also about finding fulfillment. How do I know this? Because rich people still have jobs. Viktor Frankl, a famous psychiatrist and Holocaust concentration camp survivor, wrote an excellent book called, “Man’s Search for Meaning.” Early in his book is the quote, “The greatest task for any person is to find meaning in his or her life.” In the course of the book, we discover that he realized this was a key difference, at Auschwitz, between the prisoners like him who survived and the ones who didn’t make it. He could often see it in their faces when fellow prisoners had completely lost hope, and he would know that they didn’t have much time left. After the war was over and he gained his freedom he created a therapy approach that was devoted to helping people find meaning in their lives.

Work should provide fulfillment. When stress gets too high at work, we can lose sight of what made it fulfilling in the first place. Most likely, if you are stressed at work, you are stressed at home. When this happens, ask yourself, “Am I actually taking good care of myself?” If you’re not practicing good self-care, it will be hard to see the fulfillment through the mountain of tasks and distractions. What does self-care look like? That depends on the person. It might be a hobby, exercise, mindfulness, driving with the window rolled down while cranking some 80’s metal, or anything that brings joy. Some people have even told me that their self-care is cleaning the house, which blows my mind, but to each, their own.

An extremely hard, but necessary, question to ask yourself would be, “is my job truly a good fit for me?” It can be scary to consider this, but it is a question that is worth asking because there is no rule that says we have to work the same job until we retire. If it is time to look for something different, consider what you want, when you want it, and work backwards to make a plan for how to get it. This will be a much less overwhelming way to plan out your future than just checking a job listing site.

If your job is a good fit, but you are feeling burnt out there, maybe you can find ways to reconnect to the initial good feelings. If you happen to be in a career that requires continuing education, going to a great workshop or conference can be an excellent way to recharge your batteries and reignite your passion. Taking the time to learn a new skill for your job can break up monotony and help us to feel inspired again. Ironically, another way to reconnect to the good in your job is to get away from it for a little while. When was your last vacation? When was the last time that you had a weekend getaway with someone you care about? Are you in need of a trip with a group of friends?

I do believe that in any job, no matter how fulfilling, we will inevitably have moments of burn out. When we catch this early, self-care, a little time away, and gaining new education or skills are often the cure. When it continues and runs deep, more drastic measures are often needed. If work stress has lingered for too long and has actually started causing damage through high anxiety and/or depression symptoms, it may be time to contact your doctor or see a counselor. Don’t allow yourself to feel trapped, though. In every problem, lies a solution, but sometimes a little creative problem solving is necessary to find it.