Do
you
catch
yourself
frequently
putting
off
tasks
on
your
to-do
list
at
work?
Instead
of
moving
forward
on
a
project
with
a
looming
deadline
or
being
proactive
about
your
overflowing
inbox,
you
feel
stuck.

It
might
not
be
you
―
it’s
your
worried
nervous
system.
Too
often,
procrastinating
on
a
work
assignment
can
get
dismissed
as
laziness
―
but
the
habit
is
actually
one
of
the
most
common
forms
of

work
anxiety.

“The
public
is
likely
not
aware
of
the
role
or
extent
that
the
nervous
system
plays
in
our
day-to-day
lives
and
how
it
informs
our
well-being,”
said
Chicago-based
psychotherapist

Cathy
Ranieri.
“In
the
workplace,
when
we
feel
overwhelmed,
overworked,
or
nervous
about
our
job
…
the
nervous
system
reacts
by
assessing
it
as
a
potential
threat
to
our
safety.
For
some,
this
kicks
on
the
fight-or-flight
response
…
For
many
people,
especially
at
work,
it
kicks
on
the
freeze
response:
procrastination.”

Procrastination
is
one
of
the
more
under-discussed
symptoms
of
anxiety
because
it’s
often
seen
as
a
choice
rather
than
a
byproduct
of
a
deeper
issue.
In
reality,
many
cases
of
procrastination
can
essentially
be
avoidance
―
a
coping
technique
many
people
with
untreated
anxiety
tend
to
engage
in.

But
experts
stress
it’s
not
a
useful
behavior.
Putting
off
sending
that
one
email
can
feel
like
a
seemingly
harmless
act,
but
the
more
you
avoid
your
tasks,
the
more
that
can
actually
worsen
your
anxiety.

“Anxiety
fuels
procrastination
by
creating
a
‘flight’
response,”
said

Jordan
White,
a
licensed
clinical
social
worker
in
Florida
and
Illinois
who
focuses
on
adults
with
anxiety.
“Someone
with
anxiety
will
feel
a
need
to
avoid
the
topic
or
task
because
completing
or
thinking
about
completing
the
task
creates
a
deep
worry
for
them,
whether
it’s
a
thought
that
they
would
fail
or
whether
it’s
a
thought
of
‘I’m
not
good
enough.’”

It’s
not
totally
your
fault
if
you
do
this
―
this
is
typically
how
our
brains
react
when
we’re
stressed.
When
you’re
super
anxious
at
work,
procrastinating
can
become
your
body’s
way
to
survive
a
perceived
threat.

“When
responsibility
piles
up,
deadlines
are
approaching,
and
expectations
are
overwhelming,
procrastination
becomes
part
of
the
automatic
response
to
the
identified
threat,”
Ranieri
said.
“In
the
freeze
state,
the
body
is
attempting
to
conserve
energy
to
survive
the
threat
which
is
why
it
often
feels
impossible
to
get
things
done.
There
may
be
low
motivation,
fatigue
or
a
feeling
of
helplessness.”

Tips
For
Tackling
Your
Anxiety
And
Procrastination
At
Work

In
the
end,
avoiding
job
deadlines
just
ends
up
causing
us
more
stress
and
anxiety.
Here
are
some
tips
on
how
to
address
your
procrastination
anxiety
so
you
can
complete
a
task:

Create
a
schedule
for
your
week.

Map
out
your
days
so
you
know
exactly
what
you
need
to
do.
“By
creating
a
schedule
we
are
planning
out
our
time
and
not
creating
a
space
to
avoid
anything,”
White
said.

Take
a
break
so
it
feels
less
daunting.

“I
also
love
to
have
a
client
take
a
break
from
what
they
are
working
on
and
come
back
to
it,”
White
said.
“Many
find
that
by
stepping
away,
they
can
come
back
with
fresh
eyes
and
try
something
a
different
way.”

Start
with
the
smallest
task
first.

“Try
to
execute
small
tasks
to
get
some
easy
‘wins’
first
that
can
both
contribute
to
some
momentum
and
allow
you
to
move
into
a
more
parasympathetic
nervous
system
state
rather
than
living
in
threat,”
Ranieri
said.
“You
may
start
to
feel
more
at
ease
in
this
state
and
therefore
more
capable.“

Or,
if
works
better
for
you,
do
the
hard
thing
first.

“Another
way
to
avoid
procrastination
is
by
completing
the
task
you
want
to
avoid
first,”
White
said.
“By
completing
the
task
you
want
to
avoid
first,
you
aren’t
giving
yourself
a
chance
to
avoid
it
at
all
and
instead
are
addressing
it.”

Finally,
be
kind
to
yourself.

Don’t
beat
yourself
up
for
the
procrastinating
you
have
been
doing.
Ranieri
said
to
watch
out
for
your
judgmental
thoughts
like
“I’m
lazy”
or
“I’m
worthless”
because
these
self-criticisms
maintain
the
threat
state.

Instead,
Ranieri
suggested
speaking
to
yourself
like
you
would
to
a
friend
or
loved
one.
“Use
some
self-compassion,
like,
‘This
is
hard
for
me
right
now,’”
she
said.

The
original
version
of
this
story
was
published
on
HuffPost
at
an
earlier
date.