Procrastination is a tough habit to break. If you find yourself procrastinating (delaying accomplishing tasks or duties), you probably understand how it can mount into crushing anxiety, and you may be looking for advice on how to stop procrastinating all together.

In an online discussion on procrastination, psychotherapist Marco Sander offered his insight into why you may find yourself procrastinating, and it all relates to your childhood. He begins by explaining that he has spent years working with people who struggle with procrastination.

During that time with his patients, he has recognized a common thread between them all. “Most people think they need to just ‘push harder,’ ‘set more goals,’ or ‘finally get disciplined,’ but procrastination is often not the root problem; it’s a symptom.”

Why we procrastinate in the first place

“The underlying issue is stress,” he shared, adding that specifically it is internal emotional stress. He offers three examples of this:

Perfectionism: “If it’s not 100%, it’s worthless.”

Fear of failure or criticism: “If I don’t start, I can’t fail.”

Lack of clarity: When the task feels like a huge, undefined mountain.

Sander notes that the link between internal emotional stress and procrastination is rooted in early childhood experiences and wounds. “For instance, if you had a hypercritical parent, you might have internalized the belief that ‘I’m........

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