3 steps to prevent work procrastination

Procrastination is the bane of human existence. Everyone has done it before and no doubt we have all done it at work, but why do we do it? Procrastination is characterised by high impulsivity and low conscientiousness and ultimately induces stress. Often people confuse procrastination with prioritisation by convincing themselves that the current work they’re doing isn’t their top priority. However, this is a common pitfall and we must learn to recognise whether or not we are actually prioritising or procrastinating.

Here are some handy tips to help prevent you from procrastinating at work: 

• Recognise the signs

One of the first signs that you’re about to let yourself procrastinate is what we like to call “Priority Conditions”.

One of the big red flags of procrastination is the use of this sentence “If I do [e.g. drink a cup of coffee] first, then I can start my work”. However, we all know that several cups of coffee later we still won’t have started. This line of thinking can create a vicious cycle of non-working as we created our own mental hurdle that we constantly make more difficult to justify not working. Does this relieve our anxiety about doing our work? Certainly not.

Suggested Solution: Once you recognise these 'Priority Conditions', you can then try to reverse the conditional order to ensure the right tasks are being prioritised first. Rather than “If I do [e.g. drink a cup of coffee] first, then I can start my work”, instead try “If I do my work for an hour, then I can reward myself with a cup of coffee”. This way we allow ourselves to create obtainable goals with a foreseeable break. This will reduce our stress levels and create a structure where we can start to get ourselves organised.

• Start small

We all know that taking on too much at once is a sure fire way to make it collapse, especially in a multitasking work environment. Set small goals and you’ll find yourself making slow and steady progress until, before you know it, you’re an efficient and effective worker again. Small scale goals, such as “in one hour I will do what I can and then take a break”, will reduce your work stress and increase your work satisfaction. Once this becomes easy, begin increasing the time so that you maximise the productivity of your work day. If it ever gets too much to handle, remember to pull it back one step until you are comfortable again.

• Repeat the changed behaviour as much as you can

The more that you work on doing something, the more likely it is to become wired in your brain. This is not something that will change overnight, however, with repetition and effort you can change your work behaviours over time and maximise your productivity.

So, if you feel yourself prioritising pointless tasks over the work needed to be done, take heed! Think of the stress you can prevent, not to mention the productivity you will gain, from simply recognising these signs and setting small goals for yourself.

As well as improving your productivity, there are also systems available to enhance your work environment and satisfaction. Psych Press has numerous assessments available that can pinpoint workplace issues and use organisational psychology to track down the best solutions for your human function. View Psych Press' Climate Survey or alternatively talk to one of their psychologists at 03 9670 0590