Why do we procrastinate

Extracted Content: Why do we procrastinate

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BBC LEARNING ENGLISH 6 Minute English ne Why do we procrastinate?

This is not a word-for-word transcript

ENGLISH

Sam
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Sam.

Neil
And I’m Neil.

Sam
Come on, Neil, let’s make a start! I’ve got a deadline to meet today, and | haven’t
finished my work yet!

Neil

Let me guess, it’s because you delayed, and delayed, and put your work off until
the last minute - as usual! You’re a real procrastinator, Sam — someone who keeps
delaying things that need to be done.

Sam
What can | say? | work better when a deadline is approaching.

Neil

| see, but did you know that that people who procrastinate have higher levels of
stress and lower wellbeing? Procrastination is also linked with lower financial and
career success, so there's a lot of reasons not to do it.

Sam

In this programme, we’re discussing procrastination — the act of delaying things
that must be done until later, often because they’re difficult, boring or unpleasant.
And, as usual, we'll be learning some new vocabulary along the way.

Neil
So, without wasting any more time, | have a question for you, Sam. The fact that
procrastinating, or putting things off, is bad for us doesn’t stop people doing it.

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According to recent research by DePaul University in Chicago, what percentage of people procrastinate so much that it interferes with their day-to-day life? Is it:

a) 10 percent?
b) 20 percent? or,
c) 30 percent?

Sam
I’ll guess that around 10 percent of people have a serious procrastination problem.

Neil

OK, Sam. We'll find out the answer later in the programme. Sam is certainly not
alone in putting things off until the last minute. Here’s Ella al-Shamahi, presenter
of BBC Radio 4’s, Why Do We Do That? talking to the comedian, Eshaan Akbar,
about his procrastination habit:

Ella al-Shamahi
Would you say, Eshaan, that you're a procrastinator?

Eshaan Akbar
lam a serial procrastinator without a shadow of a doubt.

Ella al-Shamahi
Why? Why do you think you procrastinate?

Eshaan Akbar
Over the years, I've told myself that | procrastinate because | work better under
pressure. That's what I've told myself.

Sam
Eshaan thinks that he is a procrastinator without a shadow of a doubt, a phrase
which is used to emphasise that you are completely certain of something.

Neil

Eshaan also says that, like Sam, he works better under pressure, when he feels
stressed or anxious because of having too much to do. But maybe, also like Sam,
Eshaan has a problem organising his workload and managing his time.

Sam

Hang on, Neil, my time management skills are OK, thank you! With me, it’s more
of an emotional response — | see a mountain of work, feel threatened, and think,
‘how on earth will | finish all that?!

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Neil

What Sam says is supported by a theory of human evolution which explains how
putting things off is an emotional response. Back when we were living in caves, life
was dangerous and short, and our ancestors were impulsive - they acted suddenly,
on instinct, without thinking about the consequences of what they were doing.
Back then, being impulsive was a good thing, but in modern life, with work goals
and deadlines, when we are impulsive and get distracted, we procrastinate. So
rather than being a problem with time management, Sam should blame her
caveman ancestors who acted on impulse.

Sam

Hmm, an interesting idea, but it’s not going to help me meet my deadline! Let’s
listen again to comedian Eshaan Akbar talking how he feels when he
procrastinates:

Eshaan Akbar

A lot of stuff you read about procrastination focuses on the time management
element of it... | probably got a better sense that for me it seems very squarely
around the emotional aspect of it. Perhaps | get more emotional gratification from
doing it last minute. And, | need to understand why | prefer that over the calm
serenity of getting things done with oodles of time on my hands.

Neil

In the same way that our ancestors felt good living on impulse, Eshaan thinks he
gets gratification - a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction — from doing things at
the last minute. What he doesn’t understand is why he prefers to work under
pressure, instead of finishing calmly with oodles, or lots of, time.

Sam
Unlike Eshaan, I’d rather finish my work feeling relaxed, but there never seems to
be enough time.

Neil

Well, breaking down the task into smaller stages also breaks down the level of
threat you feel from your workload. Also, forgiving yourself for procrastinating in
the past seems helpful in avoiding procrastinating in the future. So, forgive
yourself and start making changes, Sam, before you end up like the timewasters
in my question: what percentage of people procrastinate so much that it interferes
with day-to-day life.

Sam
Well, | guessed it was 10 percent.

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Neil

Which was... the wrong answer, |’m afraid. In fact around 20 percent of us have a
procrastination habit so strong it makes life difficult. Okay, let’s recap the
vocabulary we’ve learned from this programme on procrastination — delaying, or
putting off, doing things until later, often because they’re difficult, unpleasant or
boring.

Sam
The phrase without a shadow of a doubt is used to emphasise that you are
completely certain of something.

Neil
If you’re under pressure, you feel stressed or anxious because of having too
much to do.

Sam
Impulsive behaviour is sudden and spontaneous, done without thinking about the
consequences.

Neil
Gratification means a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction.

Sam

And finally, when you have oodles of something, you have a lot of a very large
amount of something pleasant.... like time, which once again we’ve run out of. I’m
rushing off to finish my work, Neil, but remember to make time to join us again
soon, here at 6 Minute English. Bye for now!

Neil
Bye!

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VOCABULARY

procrastination
delaying doing things that must be done until later, often because they are boring,
difficult or unpleasant

without a shadow of a doubt
used to emphasise that you are completely certain of something

under pressure
feeling stressed or anxious because of having too much to do

impulsive
acting suddenly and instinctively, without thinking about the consequences of
your actions

gratification
feeling of pleasure and satisfaction

oodles of (something)
avery large amount of something pleasant

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