Procrastination and Social Anxiety Disorder

Procrastination and Social Anxiety Disorder Social Anxiety Disorder Work and School Print Tips for Dealing With Procrastination When You Have Social Anxiety By Arlin Cuncic Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of Therapy in Focus: What to Expect from CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder and 7 Weeks to Reduce Anxiety. Learn about our editorial policy Arlin Cuncic Updated on September 30, 2019 Social Anxiety Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes Treatment Living With In Children Tim Robberts / Getty Images People procrastinate for many reasons, but the immediate goal is to bring a temporary sense of relief. The problem with procrastination is just that; the relief is temporary, and it is eventually replaced with anxiety about being behind in what you need to get done. If you suffer from  social anxiety disorder (SAD), you probably procrastinate out of fear of disapproval or failure. Perhaps you put off making phone calls, delay discussing difficult issues at work, or get behind scheduling health appointments, haircuts, or any other task that involves interacting with people. Unfortunately, the typical solutions for procrastination dont work in these scenarios. Breaking big tasks down into smaller chunks doesnt really apply when all you need to do is make a phone call. If you waste time at work trying to solve a problem on your own because you dont want to ask a coworker a question, no amount of planning or organization is going to help. How to Deal With Procrastination Caused by Social Anxiety First, realize that waiting for a better time to face others is not the solution. Waiting can make things worse. Personal relationships may suffer if problems are not dealt with early on. Work issues may become magnified if you dont ask for help. If there is no valid reason to put off talking to someone, then it is always better to do it right away. What are some reasons you might think it is better to wait? Thought: If I call right now she might be busy. Its better to wait an hour as that is probably a quieter time of day for herFact: Unless you know for sure that someone is busy, there is no reason to wait. You cant predict someone elses day.Thought: My coworker looks really busy. I dont want to bother him now, I will wait until after lunchFact: Even if your coworker is busy now, he might be even busier after lunch. By telling him now that you need help, he can either respond right away or plan a time to talk with you. Recognize your thought patterns, and then come up with competing arguments about why you should go ahead anyway. Most of the time, taking action now is the right thing to do. Nancy Schimelpfening, Verywell.coms expert on depression, also offers the following tips to help deal with procrastination: Make a list of tasks and prioritize what needs to be done.Reward yourself for completing difficult tasks.Use relaxation strategies to deal with anxiety about completing tasks. Does your social anxiety cause you to procrastinate? What are you putting off doing right now?