Procrastination, the act of delaying or postponing tasks, is a common phenomenon affecting people from all walks of life. While it might seem like a time management issue, research suggests that it's more about managing negative feelings like boredom or anxiety. Avoiding these negative emotions and important tasks tends to lead to worse outcomes in the long run, including more stress and regret.

One of the biggest reasons people procrastinate is because they catastrophize, or make a huge deal out of something. It may be related to how tough, how boring, or how painful it will be to complete the task. However, challenges, boredom, and hard work will not kill you—or even make you sick. Procrastination, on the other hand, is associated with stress.

So, how can we overcome procrastination? First, figure out which of seven triggers are set off by the task you want to avoid. Is it boring, frustrating, or difficult? Or perhaps it's not personally meaningful to you? Then, try to reverse those triggers. If it's boring, find a way to make getting it done fun. If it's unstructured, create a detailed plan for completing it. Then, only spend as much time working on the task as you can muster. Since it's easier to pick up an in-progress project, be sure to get it started as soon as you can. List the costs of not getting it done. And, lastly, get rid of distractions, especially digital ones.