What Kind of Procrastinator You Are—And How to Fix It Now (Not Later)

The cause can be hidden or buried, says Dr. Itamar Schatz, a professor at Cambridge University who is publishing a book on the subject this week.

Understanding what you talk about can really help, he says.

According to Schatz, it can be people Any of the nine types, Externalsometimes at the same time.

For example, dreamers think too much about the future, while rebels feel they have no control, so they delay their protest.

Hedonists are obsessed with instant gratification, thrill seekers enjoy the last day at their own peril, and zigzaggers often switch between activities.

The other types bear their names – worriers, pessimists, perfectionists, and those who tire of working too hard.

Ian McRae, a workplace psychologist from the British Psychological Society, says labels are fine as long as people understand that they are not fixed personality traits.

“Instead of thinking ‘I’m a perfectionist,’ I encourage people to think in terms of, ‘Oh, I’m like a perfectionist today.’

Professor Fuchsia Sirois, a well-known expert in the field at Durham University, rejects categories and says the main reason for delay is usually the same – to avoid bad feelings.

“We are not delaying the work, we are removing the unpleasant feelings associated with it,” Sirois explains.

Studies with delayed brain activity show marked differences in areas related to emotion regulation, she says.

“The amygdala is quicker than the reaction time to tell us that we’re in danger, and that threat sensor tells the logical part of our brain – the prefrontal cortex – that it’s not too bad.”