How Procrastination Steals Your Healthspan — And What to Do About It.
I was thinking: these days we tend to pathologize everything. Well, procrastination isn’t a disease, but it’s a serious affliction. It’s THE silent thief robbing us of potential and it’s wreaking havoc in our modern lives.
I’m making the case that it’s not just the apex predator of our next work promotion-it has real-world effects on our stress, inflammation, and healthspan.
Why do we procrastinate, especially when we all have our Everests to climb, our novels to write, and our businesses to build? Why do we sometimes feel like our hands are encased in concrete gloves, too heavy to lift, and too sluggish to type even an email that we know needs to go out?
Interestingly, it’s not that we’re lazy or lack motivation. It’s most likely the opposite. We’re overmotivated, fighting perfectionism, the specters of social stigma, and a hint of self-doubt.
The health effects of this chronic procrastination are real:
- Increased stress and anxiety
- Reduced cardiovascular health — correlated but most likely mechanistically related through stress and resulting poor lifestyle
- Compromised immune function
- Lower life satisfaction
- Increased risk of chronic illness
When you promote too much stress and inflammation, your body develops what doctors call “bad protoplasm” — which is medical slang for disease.
The good news is that procrastination is imminently coachable and improvable. It’s not written in our genetic code; it’s a bug in our cognitive software.
This is where executive coaches and life coaches can come to the rescue. I say this with personal experience as I also struggle with this affliction. These professionals can help us map out the terrain ahead and equip us with the tools to navigate it so that we can get things done. 70% of coaching clients report improvements in work performance, communication, and relationships which are all areas affected by procrastination.
They use basic and advanced cognitive behavioral techniques, among other approaches. Like all skills, they take time and practice to see results. I’ll give you three just to start.
- Break Tasks into Smaller Steps: Tackling a huge project can be daunting. Break it down into bite-sized tasks that feel more manageable. Make these steps as small as you need, even if the checkbox reads, “Open email and hit reply all…”
2. Set Implementation Intentions: Create “if-then” plans. “If it’s 9 AM, then I’ll start writing for 30 minutes.” It’s like setting a GPS for your goals.
3. Reward Small Wins: A little positive reinforcement can go a long way in keeping you motivated. Small wins are like plugging your phone into a charger for a few minutes. They’ll give you the energy to keep going.
I realize that telling a procrastinator to take steps to stop procrastinating sounds like telling a fish to climb a tree. But whether it’s for work or for your health, you have to decide to start.
Don’t hesitate to ask for coaching help. There are experts who excel at helping people deal with procrastination and achieve great results.
Your health and longevity depend on it.
What’s your battle with procrastination like? What’s worked for you?
