Procrastinating can be a coping mechanism for anxiety. Distracting yourself with something immediately relieves the stress and anxiety associated with some task for some individuals that suffer from anxiety. The task doesn’t have to be difficult or even unpleasant in itself, just being associated with a source of anxiety is enough. This is of course a highly problematic coping mechanism, but when the anxiety reaches a critical point, the sweet relief of a distraction can become like a shot of heroin. ‘Just one more’.It has nothing to do with laziness or that these individuals can’t be bothered. If you can’t be bothered doing something then you decide that it’s not worth doing and that’s the end of it. Many people with anxiety disorders procrastinate on things that they want to do (though ‘want’ may include simply avoiding undesirable consequences). It also has little to do with being unable to identify with one’s future self.
