The Psychology of Procrastination

By Steven T. Griggs, Ph.D.

The symptoms vary but usually include waiting until the last minute, setting appointments too late, filing taxes at midnight on April 15th, driving the car into the ground before changing the oil and getting used to the mess in the house because cleaning can wait until tomorrow. Are there dishes still in the sink from three days ago? How about that laundry?

These are all the warning signs of procrastination. Some are more dramatic and harmful, like not completing the project on time at work or turning in term papers for that cranky professor.. Others are chronic and annoying. If you have any of these signs, this ebook is for you.

In this ebook, I start out with a discussion of misconceptions about procrastinators. For example, procrastinators are really not lazy, per the stereotype. But they do have great difficulty seeking help (besides getting around to making that appointment...).

Next, I delve into what the underlying dynamics are. It turns out that procrastination is really a deficiency in resolving ambivalence, as are two other common conditions (guilt and failure to forgive). So, I examine ambivalence in depth, especially in regards to values, feelings, thoughts as they play out in our either conscious or unconscious experience. Ambivalence and its manifestations are about the conflict between these elements. The indecision and anxiety that sits atop the ambivalence is central to procrastination playing out in behavior. Understand this and you will trick yourself less and do more, more often.

This leads to a discussion of suppression and repression, in relation to time. There are lots of small examples sprinkled in the text. These are included so the reader can plug in and relate, and at the same time, determine what is normal behavior and what is not. This will help in case you are considering seeing a professional.

Many folks like a little background, so next I delve into what the researchers have found about procrastination. Its not what you think. It has to do with how we think about thinking. Here you will find terms such as hyperbolic reasoning, metacognition, present bias and time inconsistency. These are in contrast to what most people think of procrastinators--that they are immature, impulsive and passive-aggressive. (Some are, some aren't). There are some ingenious experiments that have been done that I cover. Find out about the "Stupid Monkey Brain."

Next I look at the clinical side, and how to fix procrastination. What questions to ask, and at what depth. There follows a discussion of the techniques to externalize the findings in ways that undermine procrastination.

Last, I provide two in-depth examples and go through the process of figuring out what might be going on.. Last after last, there is a reader submitted example, that is sort of a final test. (No grades are given).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steven T. Griggs, Ph.D.
• Release date: Apr 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476096599

Steven T. Griggs, Ph.D.

I'm a psychologist. I write no-fat, how-to ebooks on subjects and conditions I fix everyday in the office. These include relationships, being assertive, struggling with guilt and/or procrastination, children and teenager's behavior, anxiety disorders, anger management, kids and divorce, self-esteem, child visitation, weight control, forgiveness, ADHD, addictions, and my latest, mood disorders. I've written 15 ebooks, and most of them are translated into Spanish. Now, I'm starting to write a book, "The Other Side of the Couch." It's about my daily experiences as an outpatient psychologist and how I see the world through the lense of a shrink...

Book preview

The Psychology of

Procrastination

(A Form of Ambivalence)

by

Steven T. Griggs, Ph.D.

A PSYCHOLOGICAL CORPORATION

Copyright 2011

Published by Steven T. Griggs, Ph.D. at Smashwords

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Disclaimer

Procrastination

The Deep Stuff

Background

Putting It Together

Examples

Appendix A

References

About The Author

DISCLAIMER

This ebook is written to assist those who wish to learn about procrastination. The information given is straightforward and written in ordinary English. The information is presented in a manner that is not too technical (clinical) or overwhelming in detail, even though some terms and concepts are necessary. It is intended to be used by adults of reasonably sound mental states who wish to change, hopefully improve their behaviors or perhaps others in the area of procrastination, using psychological techniques that are well known, in the standard literature or that have been adapted and/or modified by this author through years of outpatient clinical experience. The material in this ebook conforms to the general standards of the psychiatric and psychological professions in the United States. It is designed to assist people in general and is not meant to be a substitute for professional intervention. The author of this ebook does not claim the enclosed information will cure procrastination, only that it will give the general reader a better sense of the range of ideas, concepts, terms and approaches in this area. Hence it is assumed that the reader has some normal or average competence and ability to read, think about and understand materials of this nature, and will seek professional help if necessary.

PROCRASTINATION

Procrastination manifests everywhere, most of the time, in every aspect or part of your life. You wait until the last minute to do things, buy Christmas or birthday presents, visit the chiropractor, dentist or file your taxes. You forget to make that hair or other appointments or register to vote. The car needs an oil change. The house is a mess but you haven’t picked up the clothes or done the dishes. The messes grow but you don’t do much about them. Shouldn’t you do some of these things now so you don’t have to waste a weekend or vacation day cleaning or repairing everything you own? Sure, but do you? The conflicts are about choices, which have different valences, considering for the moment only the conscious ones. These can be relative to time or value. If the choice is between going to the gym or watching a video, you might choose the movie. You might make this choice because of the activity or whether it takes less time. At a restaurant, you choose a fatty entree over a lean one, perhaps because of taste, but perhaps because of price. The delays and poor choices continue, probably becoming more frequent, but you keep saying you’ll get around to these things. Maybe you’ll think about these things later, like next week. How about Tuesday? But next Tuesday turns into two Tuesdays from now, or even the week after you get back from vacation. Your intentions are good but your behavior suggests something else is going on. The misconception about procrastinators is that we are lazy and can’t well manage our time. The former is probably not true. The latter is true. By definition, procrastination exists and functions relative to time.You should do something now, but in reality, you will approach it later, and probably not do it then, either.What we are not managing is caused by internal conflict, bred by indecision, later anxiety. And, procrastination, in turn, causes conflict. Our behavior is what distinguishes procrastination from simple