Are you one of those people who tend to drag your to-do to the last minute? Either you find the thrill tempting or you just do not want to do your tasks right away – in any case, you are a procrastinator!
We realize that procrastinators have a bad reputation in the world. However, we are here to tell you that it is not necessarily a bad thing. There are a number of reasons that prove procrastination can be useful at times. Let’s look at some of the benefits that procastinators get to enjoy.
Table of Contents
Faster Execution
Since you have pushed the task till the last moment, there isn’t much time left to complete it anyways, so you try to complete it as fast as possible. If you see the positive side, then the task that you dread stays in your life for a very small amount of time.
Lower stress levels
Contrary to popular belief, procrastinators face significantly less stress in their work. A research published in The Journal of Social Psychology, found out that procrastinators face lower levels of stress and have relatively better health as compared to non-procrastinators.
If you think about it, it makes more sense as well; the task that you aren’t absolutely in the mood of doing gets pushed away and so does the stress. In the end, you get stressed only for a brief amount of time.
Better Time Management
Since the time remaining to get the job done is very short, you eventually become capable of doing days’ worth of work within hours since your brain programs itself to make the most out of the limited time available. This way, you end up saving lot of extra time that you could utilize on other tasks.
An Extra Boost of Energy
We usually procrastinate the tasks that we dislike or find difficult to do. You postpone it till the very last minute possible to avoid the discomfort. However, once the deadline comes near, fear takes over in the body, releasing adrenaline, which is a source of energy.
Once the adrenaline enters the bloodstream it performs likes a throttle of an engine. Your heart starts beating rapidly and more oxygen is delivered to the muscles. This phenomenon makes the previously dreaded task relatively easier.
Other Tasks Seem Easier
You usually procrastinate tasks that seem difficult to handle and you try to find other tasks in order to avoid the task at hand. This way you are able to do other tasks that you would not do otherwise, but at the moment they seem relatively easier.
Focus Boost
When you have time at hand to complete the given task it is easier to get distracted. However, once you realize that you have very little time to get the job done, you become highly focused. No other task matters then and once you start focusing on that particular thing at hand, your efficiency automatically rises.
It Sparks Creativity
There are times when you simply do not feel creative. Procrastination aids in this area as well. Adam Grant, a professor at the Wharton School, once wrote in the New York Times about an experiment where participants were asked to complete a task. While some were asked to start right away, others were informed of it 5 minutes later. Results showed that the participants who started later had a higher level of creativity.
No Re-dos
Since you do not have much time left before the task is due, you do not have time to second guess your work. All the effort you put in for the first time is your maximum. So, either very little or no effort goes to waste. This further gives you the satisfaction of having completed your work in the first attempt.
The Task Maybe Updated
Don’t you just hate it when you have already completed a task before the due date and changes are requested at the last moment? Well, if you procrastinate then your efforts won’t be wasted on working on previous versions. If and when any changes are requested, you can simply start on the latest required version of the task, preventing your efforts from going to waste.
You Are Working, You Just Don’t Know It
You might keep delaying the work that has to be done, however, in true essence you are not free from it; the task is there in the back of your head, whether you are watching your favorite TV shows using blazing-fast internet by Buytvinternetphone or just browsing the internet.
It is highly likely that you might be unconsciously brainstorming about the task even when indulged in other activities. Once you actually get to the task, you might have already processed it a million times in your head making it a lot simpler than it was initially.
Maybe Wait Up This Time
This time don’t hurry up and get to work right away. Simply kick back and relax and get to it when you feel like it.