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Speaking of Psychology · September 17, 2025 · 35m
Why We Procrastinate and What to Do About It
Durham University psychologist Fuschia Sirois reframes procrastination as an emotion regulation problem, not a time management problem. We procrastinate to avoid negative emotions associated with a task, and self-compassion — not self-criticism — is the most effective antidote.
This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.
Highlights
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Procrastination is emotion regulation, not time management — we avoid tasks that trigger negative emotions
Sirois: procrastination has nothing to do with laziness or poor planning. It's an emotion regulation strategy: when a task triggers negative emotions (boredom, anxiety, self-doubt, frustration), we delay the task to avoid the emotion. The relief of avoidance is immediate; the cost is deferred.•
Self-compassion reduces procrastination more effectively than self-criticism
Sirois: counterintuitively, self-criticism ('I'm so lazy, what's wrong with me?') increases procrastination by adding shame and self-doubt to the emotions already triggering avoidance. Self-compassion ('this is hard and I'm struggling, and that's okay') reduces the emotional load and makes it easier to begin.Was this useful?