We’ve heard it all. From ‘start early to get a head start’ to ‘better to be the first one done, then the last’, these are like the plague to procrastinators. I will be the first to admit, yes, I like to procrastinate and to be honest it fuels me! When I’ve got a deadline, I take that as the absolute last day to turn it in. I mark that as the day to get it done. No excuses!

So why do people think of procrastinators in such a bad light?

If you’re one of the naysayers, check out the five benefits of procrastination that justify why it could actually help you execute your tasks at hand beautifully:

It Gives Us An Extra Boost of Energy

Procrastination uses fear as a motivator. I typically procrastinate on tasks I don’t care too much for or don’t have a true connection to. When we have low energy to do a task and fear of not meeting a deadline, it releases adrenaline which is an energy source. Utilizing that adrenaline as a natural painkiller makes doing difficult or less desirable tasks easier. In my eyes energy is the strongest benefit of procrastination.

Waiting Until The Last Minute Forces You To Focus

Waiting until the last possible time to do a task will keep you streamlined and focused on what you have to do. When rushing to meet a deadline, you’re less likely to be distracted. You’ll be less likely to answer texts, scroll your timeline or think about anything else except finishing the task at hand.

Lack of Time Makes You Work Faster

When you have less time available, you get it done faster. This task that you don’t even like will now be your life for however long it takes you to meet your deadline and get it done. Because you gave yourself the minimum amount of time available, you basically told yourself ‘it’s all or nothing!’.

Procrastinating Makes Other Things Seem Easier

Cleaning the kitchen or sending out 10 invoices in an hour is easy compared to the bigger project you’re avoiding. This lets you get all the other little things off your to-do list easily since you are happy to avoid doing the one thing you are procrastinating over. Sad, but true!

It Forces You To Lower Your Expectations

Sometimes people work themselves up out of fear of failing at the given project or task. Waiting until the very last minute will allow yourself to lower your expectations if it doesn’t turn out “perfect”. Which could be a good thing if you have real anxiety about how well you will do or how it will turn out. Your head is telling yourself “if I had more time I could have done better, but this is the best I could do given the deadline,” which isn’t the worst thought ever if you have anxiety issues. Hey, no one’s perfect anyway, right?