The Science of Procrastination

Procrastination is often dismissed as a simple lack of discipline.

拖延常常被视为单纯缺乏自律而不予重视。

However, researchers increasingly view it as a problem of managing emotions.

然而，研究人员越来越多地将其视为情绪管理方面的问题。

We delay tasks that make us feel anxious, bored, or uncertain.

我们会拖延那些让我们感到焦虑、无聊或没把握的任务。

Avoiding the task brings immediate relief, which reinforces the habit.

逃避任务会带来即时的解脱，而这会强化这种习惯。

Unfortunately, the relief is temporary, and the anxiety soon returns even stronger.

不幸的是，这种解脱只是暂时的，焦虑很快就会卷土重来，而且更加强烈。

Being harsh on ourselves tends to make the problem considerably worse.

对自己苛刻往往会让问题严重得多。

Studies show that self-compassion actually reduces the likelihood of delaying again.

研究表明，自我关怀实际上会降低再次拖延的可能性。

Breaking a daunting project into small, concrete steps can also help.

把令人望而生畏的项目拆分成小而具体的步骤，也会有所帮助。

Once we begin, the task rarely feels as unpleasant as we had imagined.

一旦开始，这项任务很少会像我们想象的那样令人不快。