Motivation Friday Fix: How to Stop Procrastinating By Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk, "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time. Learn about our editorial process Updated on January 20, 2023 Print Verywell / Julie Bang Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Friday Fix: Episode 227 More About the Podcast The Verywell Mind Podcast's “Friday Fix” is a short episode that features a quick, actionable tip or exercise to help you manage a specific mental health issue or concern. Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts / Amazon Music 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. 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. 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. 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. In this episode, I explain how occasional and chronic procrastinators think differently, why we procrastinate, and five strategies that can help you stop procrastinating. What Is Procrastination? More About the Podcast The Verywell Mind Podcast is available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too. 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. Download the Transcript If You Liked This Episode, You Might Also Like These Episodes: 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 How to Overcome Procrastination for Improved Mental Health By Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk, "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Speak to a Therapist Online Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Verywell Mind receives compensation.