Every Friday on The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, shares the “Friday Fix”—a short episode featuring a quick, actionable tip or exercise to help you manage a specific mental health issue or concern.

Friday Fix: Episode 227

We all put things off sometimes, even when we know there will be negative consequences for doing it. Whether we refrain from doing household chores, making appointments, or paying our bills, procrastination can become a real problem.

Unfortunately, our attempts to avoid feeling uncomfortable don’t actually work. In fact, it can backfire and cause us to experience even more long-term distress as we face the consequences of our procrastination.

While some people seem to think it’s a time management issue, procrastination is more likely to stem from an emotional regulation issue. We put off things that will cause us to feel uncomfortable emotions, like boredom, anxiety, or frustration.

In this episode, I explain how occasional and chronic procrastinators think differently, why we procrastinate, and five strategies that can help you stop procrastinating. 

There’s good news, though: some science-backed strategies can help you break procrastination. When you start checking those tasks off your to-do list, you’ll experience a sense of relief and accomplishment—which can motivate you to keep going and get even more things done. 

More About the Podcast

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Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors. Thank you. 

For media or public speaking inquiries, contact Amy here.

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Links and Resources

  • Follow Amy Morin on Instagram

  • Check out Amy’s books on mental strength

  • Discipline Is Destiny With Bestselling Author Ryan Holiday

  • Friday Fix: How to Make Visualization Actually Work for You

  • How to Stop Self-Destructive Behavior With Actor Ethan Suplee