People procrastinate for a variety of reasons. Maybe you’ve developed a habit of putting things off until the last minute. Or maybe you rely heavily on your emotional state and need to be “in the right mindset” before starting a task. Whatever the reason, if procrastination is affecting your day-to-day life and getting in the way of your success, it may be time to address it.

Clinical psychologist Becky Bikat Tilahun, PhD, explains a few ways to stop procrastination so you can get back on track.

9 ways to overcome procrastination

The problem with procrastination is that it can make even simple tasks feel like mountains to climb. You may feel emotionally stuck or mentally exhausted.

“As Timothy Pychyl said, ‘Procrastination is not a time-management problem; it’s an emotion-management problem,’” shares Dr. Tilahun. “Once you develop a habit of waiting until you’re in a certain mood for doing a task, you may put tasks off even when you have the time and ability to get it done.”

By working on the following strategies, you can hopefully improve on your habit of procrastination and boost your focus, attention and performance.

1. Adapt a positive mindset

Understanding why you procrastinate is key to overcoming it.

“Ask yourself why you’re putting something off,” advises Dr. Tilahun. “Is the task overwhelming? Is it tied to perfectionism, low motivation, stress or depression? Or are you judging yourself and labeling yourself as ‘lazy’?

Self-criticism often worsens procrastination.

“The guilt and shame that come with procrastination can affect your self-esteem,” she continues. “If you learn to be gentler and more patient with yourself, and focus on small, realistic steps, you can empower yourself.”

With a positive mindset, you continue to improve your self-esteem, and then your productivity can also improve.

2. Break down tasks

It can be easy to get overwhelmed by a larger project or a whole stack of responsibilities, especially when motivation is low. But if you divide things up into smaller, more manageable tasks, it can help reduce the overwhelming feeling, particularly if you have depression or emotional fatigue.

Take, for example, your need to clean your messy house. On the surface, it sounds like an all-day affair. But if you create a checklist of target areas, your to-do list might look something like this:

  • Start a load of laundry.
  • Take out the trash.
  • Unload the dishwasher.
  • Dust one room.

If you’re not sure where to start, try habit stacking or follow the “two-minute rule.” Pick a small task that takes less than two minutes to complete and then move on to the next.

“The good thing is, once you get going, you might complete everything sooner than you realized,” says Dr. Tilahun.

3. Use time management techniques

Sometimes, procrastination isn’t about motivation, it’s about structure.

“For many people who procrastinate, it’s not that they don’t have time, but they may feel overwhelmed, disorganized or too stressed to prioritize,” says Dr. Tilahun.

To better manage your time and energy, try to:

  • Create a to-do list and rank tasks by priority.
  • Set a timer for tasks and breaks.
  • Use the Pomodoro technique by working in focused 25-minute intervals divided up by short breaks.
  • Schedule demanding tasks during your peak energy hours.

4. Schedule breaks

Burnout and exhaustion can be a real bummer — and they can worsen procrastination.

“Rest is not a reward. It’s required for productivity,” explains Dr. Tilahun. “When you’re mentally or emotionally depleted, your brain naturally avoids effortful tasks.”

Imagine trying to cut down a tree with a dull saw — you could keep pushing harder, but you’d only get more exhausted and make less progress.

“Taking a short break to ‘sharpen the saw’ for rest, stretching or mindfulness can help you work more efficiently when you return,” she adds.

Taking breaks might look like:

“When you care for your nervous system, you’re better able to avoid procrastination,” says Dr. Tilahun.

5. Minimize distractions

Distractions, like scrolling through social media, can really get in the way of productivity — especially if you tend to lack focus. You may also find yourself doing low-priority tasks to avoid more challenging or urgent ones.

Helpful strategies include:

  • Using noise-canceling headphones
  • Blocking off focus time on your calendar
  • Setting app limits during work hours

6. Change your routine

Speaking of routines, solving your procrastination may just require changing things up a bit until you find what works. That’s because procrastination isn’t one-size-fits-all.

“Procrastination doesn’t have a single cause or solution. Energy levels, work styles, mental health and life demands variably contribute to people’s procrastination tendencies,” says Dr. Tilahun.

Because people differ in why they procrastinate, a strategy that improves focus for one person, like rigid scheduling or working under pressure, may trigger anxiety or avoidance in another.

“Exploring different approaches can help you discover what best addresses the difficulties you have with getting things done on time and improve your productivity,” she explains.

7. Reward yourself for your achievements

If you’re spinning your wheels, try to complete one small task and then reward yourself.

“Small rewards reinforce progress and help your brain associate effort with positive outcomes,” says Dr. Tilahun. “Once you get started, you often realize the task is more manageable than you expected.”

If you’re dreading paying bills, for example, schedule something fun as soon as you get it out of the way.

“You can tell yourself, ‘I’m going to make only one phone call to pay one of my bills, and then I’m going to reward myself by watching my favorite TV show for 15 minutes before I pay another bill,’” suggests Dr. Tilahun. “For every small task you accomplish, reward yourself with something pleasant so that it gives you some incentive to keep finishing tasks.”

8. Don’t worry about perfection and failure

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be great at what you do. But if perfectionism is getting in the way of fully completing a project or task, you’ll want to find ways to override your need for procrastination.

When people tie their self-worth to performance, starting a task can feel emotionally risky. Attempting a task and not succeeding may validate their sense of being a failure. So, procrastination becomes a way to protect themselves from disappointment and shame.

“By becoming aware of how fear of failure holds you back, you can begin to challenge negative thoughts and remind yourself that not doing a task perfectly does not define your worth,” advises Dr. Tilahun. “Start reframing failure as part of learning rather than a personal flaw, and you’ll feel safer starting and finishing tasks.”

9. Talk to a healthcare professional

“When someone is under constant stress or emotionally fatigued, it becomes very difficult to organize, prioritize and follow through,” says Dr. Tilahun. “Depression, anxiety or chronic stress can make even simple tasks feel impossible and lead to procrastination.”

If you’ve tried multiple strategies and still feel stuck, a primary care provider or psychotherapist can help you identify and treat underlying mental health challenges.

This article was written by Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials (editorial@ccf.org) from Cleveland Clinic and was legally licensed through the DiveMarketplace by Industry Dive. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.