Your Procrastination May Be A Trauma Response
- Ann Edwards
- Mar 17, 2023
- 5 min read
Do you find yourself putting off tasks until the last minute, even though you know you should be working on them sooner?
Do you find endless things to do, instead of the thing you know you need to be doing?
Have you tried time management, motivational and other habit tactics but they just don't stick?
Have you looked for common triggers but there seems to be too many or you can't find a common denominator?
If so, you're not alone and I have good news!
Procrastination is very common and has many causes, but if you are battling procrastination routinely, and you can answer 'Yes, that's me!" to one or more of the above questions, I invite you to consider that the root case for your procrastination might be trauma, and the habit of procrastination is a coping mechanism for avoiding those things that simulate past adverse experiences.
Procrastination is rarely about being lazy, or a lack of time management or inadequate risk assessment skills. And think about it... in what areas of your life do you have no trouble getting things done? If it were just about managing your time better, or a lack of motivation, wouldn't all areas of your life be affected? So, what is the missing link? Why are some tasks and activities just so hard to get done?
There is growing awareness that procrastination can be a coping mechanism resulting from past trauma and there is research to back this up. In fact, we are beginning to understand just how strong of a predictor trauma is for difficult-to-shift procrastination habits.
Now, trauma is a broad term that refers to any experience that causes physical or psychological harm. Trauma can take many forms, including abuse, neglect, natural disasters, accidents, and even just repeated difficult experiences that produced a strong emotional response.
If the present task or activity is somehow related to that past adverse experience or repeated conditioning (PAERC), procrastination can come up as an attempt to avoid experiencing those strongly felt negative emotions again. In other words, procrastination is a form of protection, albeit with a potentially considerable downside. The evaluation of how a current stimulus resembles a PAERC may not be straightforward, it can be complex, and this was the case with my struggle with procrastination.
For me, procrastination was so common it created significant detriment in my life in the form of lost opportunity, lost money, lost time, lost joy, lost fun and so on. Lots of loss! The number of days I procrastinated away was far greater than the number of days where I remained on task and moving towards my goals and desires.
And, I spent most of that time in a state of anxiety over the looming deadlines and my lack of ability to 'just do the thing', not to mention the disappointment, regret and shame of not being able to do better. And, I did not understand why I was doing it. I knew what I wanted to do, my conscious mind knew the risks and the rewards, but yet something within won out, over and over and over again.
It was not until I explored my habit of procrastination through hypnotherapy that I started to gain meaningful insight into what was going on under the surface. Not only was I able to connect the dots between my habit of procrastination to my own PAERCs, but I learned that my program equating current circumstances to PAERCs was complex and layered. The reprogramming of the layers is what helped to end the habit of procrastination for me.
And I am not alone, there is a growing body of research showing a link between PAERCs and frequent procrastination. Research is also showing a link between the habit of procrastination and the downward spiral of self-criticism, feeling loss of control, anxiety, overwhelm, shame, guilt and other self-destructive thoughts and emotions. Which, over time, lead to, or bolster, beliefs of unworthiness, inadequacy, low self-esteem and similar. And, these beliefs then tend to feed the beast of procrastination, making it more likely we will procrastinate again and again and again.
Put simply, while procrastination may have been developed as a coping mechanism to avoid discomfort, pain or strong negative emotions, if it becomes a habit, it leads to the very things it was built to protect against, and worse.
All procrastinators know this and it is why we are driven to find a solution. So, if you feel procrastination has a hold over you, I encourage you to consider how past adverse experiences or repeated conditioning may be at the root, for you.
Essentially, making procrastination a thing of the past is about reprogramming the subconscious mind AND rewiring the memory of the procrastination habits. This be accomplished by examining the feelings behind the habits, creating distinctions between then and now, and breaking the cycles of automated responses.
Here are some tips...
Reflect on past experiences. When you find yourself procrastinating, ask yourself if you can think of a PAERC that felt similar. Focus on how that situation in the past is not the same as the current situation to encourage a break in the linkage.
Practice self-compassion. Be kind to yourself and acknowledge that it's okay to struggle with procrastination, particularly if you have experienced trauma in the past. If you also critical of yourself, be your own best friend and find a kinder way of expressing your feelings in the moment to avoid that downward spiral.
Break tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. This can help to make tasks feel less overwhelming and more achievable. Just focus on one piece at a time, instead of the whole picture.
Create a schedule and find/create accountability support. This can help to provide structure and a sense of control, which can be helpful for individuals who have experienced trauma.
Just work on it for 2 minutes. Research shows that if we start a task we are likely to continue it. So just work on a task for 2 minutes. Then another 2 minutes, until the momentum sets in. If you find yourself stopping before you are done, you can use this technique to get started again.
Procrastination can be a difficult habit to break, particularly if it is linked to past trauma. However, by understanding the link between procrastination and trauma, and by taking steps to address the underlying causes of procrastination, you can begin to overcome this challenge and achieve your goals.
Layering some of the above listed techniques, as well as others, can really help to break the cycle. However, the fastest path to ending procrastination may be to seek help, especially if the coping mechanism was built on top of multiple PAERCs, like it was for me.
In my practice, I utilize hypnotherapy to find the sometimes unconscious or hidden reasons behind procrastination, even if the issue is complex and layered. Once the root cause(s) are identified, the healing and reprogramming can take place. But I don't stop there. It is important to rewire the habits themselves as well, and here we have several techniques that can be employed, so it is a good bet we can find something that works for you.
If you are ready to resolve procrastination once and for all, please contact me, or book a session.
References:
Gendreau, P. L., & Christenson, S. L. (2013). Procrastination as a function of task aversiveness and task capability: A review and directions for future research. In H. B. Miller (Ed.), Theories of motivation (pp. 71-90). Nova Science Publishers.
Sirois, F. M., Melia-Gordon, M. L., & Pychyl, T. A. (2018). "I'll look after my health, later": A replication and extension of the procrastination-health model with community-dwelling adults. Personality and Individual Differences, 131, 99-104.
Wohl, M. J. A., Pychyl, T. A., & Bennett, S. H. (2010). I forgive myself, now I can study: How self-forgiveness for procrastinating can reduce future procrastination. Personality and Individual Differences, 48(7), 803-808.
Dickie, C., Surgenor, P. W. G., & McMahon, C. (2016). The relationship between self-compassion, shame and control in procrastination. Personality and Individual Differences, 94, 91-95.
Shechtman, Z., & Bilu, Y. (2014). Trauma and procrastination: The mediating role of avoidance coping. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 19(2), 109-123.
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