What is really behind your tendency to procrastinate?
If you are a college student living with symptoms of ADHD, you may tend to delay initiating coursework along with other responsibilities. You are all too familiar with the fact that you procrastinate. People in your life are constantly reminding you to start tasks that you have put off doing. An online search of the word “procrastination” defines it as the act of delaying or postponing something. Intention can be inferred from this definition—that one is actively deciding to delay doing something. While at times this may be true, it is most often untrue for a person living with ADHD symptoms. The idea that a person living with ADHD is intentionally delaying tasks can be problematic, especially when they genuinely wish to break the habit of procrastinating. Viewing procrastination as an intentional act feeds a moralistic judgement that individuals living with ADHD have complete control of their behavior. Because if I can actively decide to delay or postpone a task, then I should simply make a choice to do the task instead. So, what other factors contribute to procrastination for individuals living with ADHD?
Most research on ADHD has revealed that beyond the core markers (inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity), there are other factors such as deficits in executive function and emotional dysregulation that impact the severity of symptoms. Having weak task initiation skills, an executive function, will be a factor in whether you delay starting a task. A recent 2022 study in the Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment looked at the role that emotional dysregulation and self-esteem play in procrastination (Bodalski et al., 2022). The study’s results were consistent with previous literature that links the severity of ADHD symptoms for greater emotional dysregulation, lower self-esteem, and greater frequency of procrastination. Acknowledging the neurobiological factors that cause ADHD symptoms, recognizes the barriers that individuals with ADHD face when it comes to task initiation. Instead of thinking of them as choosing to delay starting a task, we can consider the following:
How they are feeling about the task
Do they believe they’re capable of completing the task
The types of support that will lead to successful completion of the task.
Recognizing that your tendency to procrastinate is a signal that may indicate a greater need and being open to seeking support may open up a path to breaking the habit
References
Bodalski et al., (2022, October 2022) ADHD symptoms and procrastination in college students: The roles of emotional dysregulation and self-esteem. Springer Link.