Procrastinating? There’s a reason (and it’s not laziness)

Thought For The Week

 

We’re all guilty of it: Something needs doing—something that matters to us—but somehow, scrolling, snacking, tidying, or even just thinking about it feels easier than doing it. Procrastination can be misjudged for laziness or lack of willpower, but in fact it’s a complex cognitive and emotional response. Procrastination is our brain trying to avoid discomfort—whether that’s boredom, self-doubt, fear of failure or overwhelm. But it creates a kind of tug-of-war between the part of the brain that seeks immediate gratification and relief and the part that governs planning and the pursuit of our longer-term goals. The result? We sidestep what we intended to do, often without fully realising why. The key lies in being able to identify our emotions and work with our brain to regain traction and continue the pursuit of our longer-term goals.

Exercise Tip

 

Maybe you delay your workout until the end of the day, then feel too drained to start? Or maybe you keep meaning to try a new programme but feel overwhelmed by the options, so you put it off entirely? Sometimes it’s as simple as not feeling like training. But remember: your brain isn’t working against you, it’s trying to protect you from a perceived discomfort. Understanding what it is that you’re really trying to avoid (is it physical effort, fear of not performing well, or uncertainty about where to begin?) will help you come unstuck and enable you to start building systems and habits that support action, even when motivation is low.

Try this: Procrastination often stems from overwhelm. Instead of aiming for a full workout, start with a 5-minute commitment. Tell yourself you only need to do the warm-up or the first set. Once you begin, momentum often takes over—we like to finish what we’ve started!

 

Nutrition Tip

 

Procrastination with nutrition can look like putting off meal prep, planning to “start fresh on Monday” for the fifth week in a row, or avoiding decisions about what to cook and just getting takeaway. These moments can be a sign that something feels uncertain, overwhelming, or emotionally loaded. The key is to create some structure while maintaining a degree of flexibility. This will help remove the friction that arises from having to make too many decisions, while still allowing for preference, spontaneity and enjoyment to play a role.

Try this: Make one food decision in advance each day. For example: “Tomorrow’s lunch will be leftovers and a piece of fruit.” Pre-deciding reduces the mental load that often triggers procrastination when hunger hits and options feel endless.

Links & Resources

Book: Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It Now identifies the reasons we put off tasks and explores their roots in our childhood and adult experiences.

Article: This piece from Psychology Today explains the roots of procrastination and offers actionable tips as well as links to plenty of additional reading.

Video: Tim Urban’s TED talk explores the emotional and rational brain conflict behind procrastination.

Inspirational Quote

"Procrastination is not a time management problem, it’s an emotion regulation problem."

Dr. Tim Pychyl