Working Better Under Pressure is a Myth

One of the crutches procrastinators use is the misguided belief they work better under pressure. Studies show that no one works better under pressure. So why do people believe they do well when they are up against a time crunch? Psychologists say it’s a soothing technique procrastinators use to feel less guilty about putting things off.

Our Subconscious Knows What We Are and Aren’t Doing

Our minds have an inner guidance that reminds us of all the obligations and activities we have on our plates. When we start slacking and fail to meet our obligations our egos protect us from condemnation and any internal dialogue that can cause shame or guilt. While our minds know what tasks we should be completing, our ego protects us from feeling bad about it by supporting the belief we can actually perform better if we wait.

You Aren’t More Capable Under Pressure

When people wait until the last minute to tackle a task, they don’t become smarter or more capable. They simply laser-focus their energy and resources and cut off all distractions to get things done. Their priorities shift and they develop the hyper focus necessary to finish a project. The pressure really doesn’t open up your level of genius, it simply becomes your task master.

Studies show that pressure actually diminishes our ability to regulate our emotions, make smart decisions, and use our best judgement.

Busting Myths About Procrastination

You can shift your mindset and stop procrastinating so you have adequate time, energy, and resources to complete tasks. The key is to be honest about what pressure means to you and how you use it to perform. Here are some of the myths about working under pressure that need to be busted.

Myth- Putting things off relieves stress: Many procrastinators feel putting tasks off helps them manage stress better. That waiting to manage a task down the road frees them up to focus on other things in the meantime. Procrastination doesn’t reduce stress; it increases it by creating a lingering task that is hanging undone that will possibly require more attention than it originally would have.

Myth- Difficult tasks are easier to conquer when you are hyper-focused under pressure: This myth is half-fact. It is easier to conquer difficult tasks when you are hyper-focused, but a time crunch doesn’t generate the greater focus. All that’s needed to hyper-focus and generate good work is discipline and distraction-free attention to the task. 

Don’t fool yourself into believing the myth you work better under pressure. While being able to work under pressure is certainly a valuable character trait. Use that skill set when you’re thrown a curve ball that can’t be avoided. Becoming proactive and taking care of your tasks without the threat of time is far superior to working under stressful conditions.