Procrastination is a Form of Stress Relief

Do you procrastinate?

This question has no judgment, a yes/no answer is expected.

When one says “yes”: typically, guilt ensues. Eyes are averted.

When one says “no”; pride, a sense of accomplishment. A beaming smile.

Why is this so?

Because procrastination is socially and popularly regarded as something that is to be avoided. Typically, this question is asked as “Do you struggle with procrastination?” It implies that procrastination is something to be dealt with. Something you’ve wrangled before in the past, but didn’t conquer.

I’m pretty sure the negative connotation of the word was created intentionally in its definition and subsequent wide adoption. Does a one-word neutral term even exist to describe putting off something you have to or should do ?

I want to flip this on its head and explore how it may serve us to speak of procrastination as a form of stress relief. And to distinguish where our ‘want’ lies in this paradigm.

Among all the different times we procrastinate, one thing is constant: we don’t want to do the task at hand, but we have to or should. If we choose to…