For those whose procrastination is affecting daily life, self-help materials backed by randomized trials can be effective — no therapist required

13. For those whose procrastination is affecting daily life, self-help materials backed by randomized trials can be effective — no therapist required

Cost: A self-help book costs just a few dozen yuan; some are even free. It takes about ten weeks of effort — one chapter per week plus one related exercise.

In plain terms: Procrastination severe enough to cause real distress is treatable. Following cognitive-behavioral self-help materials for ten weeks yields clear benefits, whether a therapist guides you or you work on your own. In fact, there is no meaningful difference between the two approaches, so going it alone works just as well.

Benefit: 150 participants were randomly assigned to three groups: self-help with therapist guidance, self-help without guidance, and a waitlist control group. After ten weeks, effect sizes on the pure procrastination scale were d = 0.70 (95% CI 0.29–1.10) for the guided group and d = 0.50 (0.10–0.90) for the unguided group. On the irrational procrastination scale, these values were 0.81 (0.40–1.22) and 0.69 (0.29–1.09) respectively. The proportion of participants achieving clinically meaningful improvement was 31.3% to 40.0% in the guided group and 24.0% to 36.0% in the unguided group. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two self-help groups on any outcome measure.

Evidence grade: A

Sources: Rozental A, Forsell E, Svensson A, Andersson G, Carlbring P (2015). Internet-based cognitive-behavior therapy for procrastination: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 83(4), 808–824. <https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000023>

Notes: Participants in this trial were Swedish adults using Swedish-language materials; no identical Chinese versions exist, so the magnitude of benefit is rated as moderate. The materials incorporate standard cognitive-behavioral components: behavioral activation, behavioral experiments, stimulus control (as described in Section 10 of this chapter, which advises moving unwanted items out of reach), and guidance on motivation and work strategies. If procrastination co-occurs with significant low mood or anxiety, follow the advice in Section 3, Item 18: engage in physical activity, get sunlight, maintain regular sleep patterns, talk to others, and call 12356 for support.