Everyone seems to think that procrastination is a bad thing. But there are two kinds of procrastination. Psychologists call one “escapism.” That can be bad because you can escape from writing or other important work until it’s too late.
But there’s also strategic procrastination. Psychologists call that “avoidance.” When you procrastinate strategically, you choose to do something that improves your situation. You can use strategic procrastination for creativity and stress relief.
Procrastinate strategically to improve the quality of your ideas.
It’s natural to want to dive right in when you’re starting work on an assignment or a chapter. You want to do a bunch of research and start writing right away! That sounds good, but it’s not.
After you’ve done a round of research, step away from the project strategically. Your brain needs time to play with that research to spot new connections and develop new insights. So go for a walk, take a shower, or do anything else that puts your body on autopilot and leaves your line free to roam.
Your Default Mode Network (DMN) will take over and play with the information you’ve gathered. It will start throwing ideas and observations at you. Capture them so you can use them later.
Procrastinate strategically after any round of initial research, before significant revisions, or whenever you need a better idea. You’ll turn out better work.
Procrastinate strategically to reduce your stress.
Writing can be stressful and frustrating sometimes. When that happens, a little strategic procrastination can help.
Instead of trying to power through the rough patch, take a procrastination break. You can do something that moves your project forward but doesn’t require writing. A little extra research, filing, working on an outline, or other stress-free tasks can set you up to go back to writing refreshed.
You can also do something that’s intended to reduce stress. Meditation is a good choice. Short walks and brief exercise snacks can fill the bill, too.
Consider setting a timer to keep your strategic procrastination from slipping into escapism. Twenty minutes seems to work for most folks.
Procrastination doesn’t have to be the enemy. Procrastinate strategically for creativity and stress relief. You and your work will be better for it.
