The texts you’ve ignored, the vacation supplies you still need to order, the difficult conversation you’ve been avoiding; Repeatedly putting off those tasks because they seem too daunting may seem relatively harmless. But the constant mental buzz of unfinished business can be more exhausting than you think, like having your laptop slow down and crash because you have 90 browser tabs open. Some people are waking up to that reality and sharing on social media and podcasts their epiphanies about the countless open “loops” in their lives that need to be closed. The buzz phrase helps them more easily recognize and combat the habit. When New Yorker Florence Friebe learned about open loops, she began to see the pattern in her own life—for example, through a hole in her jacket pocket that she forgot to fix and remembered every time she dropped her keys or phone into it. “I could really start to see how many repetitive thoughts I had and how much space it took up,” added Friebe, co-host of the “2 Curly Haired Girls With ADHD” podcast, referring not only to the effects of procrastinating on fixing your jacket pocket but also on cleaning and work tasks. Psychologists who study procrastination say that these people are right to address these problems. Inertia comes from perceiving “the ‘cost’ of performing the task in terms of time, energy, and emotional fatigue,” Dr. Vara Saripalli, a clinical psychologist in private practice in Chicago, said by email. “They don’t think about the other negative aspects that come from waiting; they focus on the present and avoid the unpleasantness in the here and now.” But as Friebe learned, avoiding it can also be very costly, both practically and because it consumes energy that could be used for other things, Saripalli added. Procrastination and chronic stress can eventually take a toll on your physical and mental health, said Dr. Fuschia Sirois, a professor of social and health psychology at Durham University in England. Sirois, a procrastination expert who has been studying the topic for 25 years, is also the author of “Procrastination: What It Is, Why It’s a Problem, and What You Can Do About It.” Those impacts include causing or contributing to a weakened immune system, chronic illness, anxiety and digestive problems, low self-esteem and loneliness, Sirois added. For Lanna, a content creator and Pilates instructor in Germany, worries about procrastination even caused stomach pains, she said. Lanna requested that CNN use her nickname for privacy reasons. But for many people, awareness of these impacts does not always make it easier to take action. Understanding Why to Procrastinate For generally healthy people, habitual procrastination generally boils down to two causes, even if the details differ by individual, experts said: negative emotions associated with certain tasks or the prospect of those tasks not going well. Maybe you’re delaying responding to a text message because you haven’t found a perfect answer and you have complicated feelings around the imperfection. Or maybe you’re avoiding a serious conversation with a friend because people like you or you’re worried about getting hurt. (You can read more about procrastination “styles” and related tips here.) Procrastinating on relatively minor things can sometimes be due to a broader social shift that Saripalli has noticed, in which people are becoming less comfortable with finality and loss of options, he said. “The simple task of returning a package becomes an internal monologue of, ‘What if I change my mind and can’t receive this item again? I’d better hold on to it until I know for sure.'” On the other hand, you may have too many responsibilities and need to consider which ones you can give up. Maybe you’re exhausted from other commitments or spending too much time on your phone, which can be distracting and a drain on your energy. Or maybe the cause of your procrastination is more complicated. If you’re having difficulty overcoming procrastination on your own, consider seeing a doctor or therapist to determine if there is a more serious underlying problem, Sirois said, such as depression, ADHD, or an anxiety disorder. These disorders can make one’s tolerance for negative feelings about a task much lower, Sirois added. That, as well as other symptoms, can contribute to making people with these disorders more likely to procrastinate. In these cases, some coping strategies can help, but they do not cure the disorders or replace professional help, Sirois said. That was true for Lanna, who said he has ADHD and autism, and for Friebe. Friebe said she realized that her struggle with procrastination was significantly related to her ADHD, depression, and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). “It was almost like I was missing ingredients,” Friebe said. “Once I was diagnosed, it felt like a huge relief.” Being aware of your impulses to procrastinate and the likely consequences can sometimes be enough to help you regulate your emotions and then choose differently. But some people like Friebe and Lanna have also sought professional help for their conditions and improved their lifestyle habits. These changes have given them more energy and confidence to be more efficient. Seeing a therapist can be really helpful for anyone, regardless of whether they have a condition, as it can help you deal with pessimistic ideas that cause procrastination. Sirois recently launched a free, evidence-based online toolkit for that purpose. Friebe now schedules free time to tackle whatever tasks he has at the moment. Doing work a little at a time (or laying out to-do list tasks that way) has been more effective than anticipating it with all-or-nothing thinking that can make responsibilities seem overwhelming. What also helps Lanna is doing activities that rejuvenate her. And Friebe really means little, even if it looks stupid, he said. He referred to a story he heard about people who wanted to start working out at a gym by driving to the gym, as they were, on the days they had said they wanted to work out, but without going in. The next time, those people also put on sports clothes before driving. Then, they went to the gym in their clothes and exercised for just five minutes. “What they were really building was trust that they were trustworthy, that they could do it, so that then it could build up,” Friebe said. “Before you knew it, they were already working out.” Studies support the effectiveness of this type of gradual habit building. Guilt and shame are the two most common emotions people feel when they procrastinate, Sirois said, compounding the problem and paralyzing it even more, even though taking action would alleviate all those negative feelings. “Being compassionate toward yourself is actually a more effective way to get back on track,” he added. Acknowledge that you are struggling and what you are feeling, and ask yourself if the current situation will really be that bad. “Often, we anticipate that things are going to be much worse than they are,” Sirois said. Even if your attempts don’t go well, trust that you can learn to deal with the consequences and be okay. Also try to find meaning in the different responsibilities, the interviewees recommended. If you’re putting off cleaning your room and beating yourself up about your roommate judging you for your mess, think about the fact that you deserve a clean, inviting space. Friebe and Lanna consider how productivity could bring them closer to their life purpose or the person they want to be. And if a heart-to-heart conversation doesn’t go well, even then, the meaning may be that you grew in your ability to handle conflict and that you have the truth about the relationship and can act on it. If you avoid making an appointment with the doctor because you don’t want to hear his or her feedback, your health problem exists anyway. So why not get some answers and prevent your problem from getting worse? Regardless of the task, think about how relaxed you will feel and how much time you will have for other fun things if you just do it. Since Friebe improved her health and learned what strategies work for her, “the way I talk to myself is completely different,” she said. “I have a better sense of myself, my identity and self-confidence,” Friebe added. “My whole life has changed. I’m a different person.” Get inspired with a weekly digest on how to live well and simply. Subscribe to CNN’s Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
