We’ve all been there.

You tell yourself:

• “I’ll start that diet on Monday.”
• “I’ll ring the dentist tomorrow.”
• “I’ll finally tackle that pile of paperwork this weekend.”

Yet Monday comes, and the diet doesn’t start.
Tomorrow arrives, and the call still hasn’t been made.
The paperwork stays exactly where it is.

And so often, people beat themselves up:

“Why can’t I just do it? I’m so lazy.”

But here’s the truth:

Procrastination isn’t laziness. It’s protection.

Why We Procrastinate

When you delay something, it’s rarely because you’re simply unmotivated.

Instead, it’s often because another part of your mind feels threatened by taking action.

• A task might feel overwhelming.
• Taking action might expose you to judgment.
• Change might stir up old feelings you’d rather keep buried.

Your mind’s job is to keep you safe. So if it senses even the slightest threat, it steps in and quietly steers you away.

Specific Examples from Everyday Life

Here’s how I see this in my practice at Phoenix Hypnotherapy:

✅ Weight Loss
A client wants to reduce weight and even buys all the healthy food. But when stress hits, they find themselves standing in the kitchen eating biscuits.

Why? Because food is comfort — and part of their mind believe they need comfort more than they need change.

✅ Dental Anxiety
Another client keeps avoiding booking a dental appointment. They know they should. But every time they think about picking up the phone, their chest tightens.

Procrastination here isn’t laziness. It’s protection from fear of discomfort or judgment from the dentist.

✅ Public Speaking
A person wants to speak up at work. They write ideas, rehearses in the mirror… but then sits silently in meetings.

Their conscious mind wants to be visible. But another part fears embarrassment or getting something wrong.

✅ Relationship Boundaries
Someone knows they should say “no” to a demanding family member… but they keep putting off the conversation.

Because part of them believes that keeping the peace is safer than rocking the boat.

Why This Isn’t Laziness

It’s easy to call this laziness because on the surface, it looks like:

• Avoidance
• Inaction
• Excuses

But beneath that is self-protection.

Your mind learned, sometimes years ago, that certain actions might lead to discomfort, rejection, or pain.

So it steps in to protect you — by avoiding the very thing you want to do.

A Personal Story

I once worked with a client who wanted to start an exercise routine. She knew it would help her health, stress levels, and sleep.

But every evening, she’d come home, change into comfy clothes, and flop on the sofa.

She kept saying:

“I’m just so lazy.”

But in reality, she wasn’t lazy at all.

Through our conversations, she realised her mind associated exercise with past experiences of being judged at school for her weight and fitness level. Even thinking about going to the gym brought back a wave of anxiety.

Her procrastination was protection from those old feelings of shame.

Once she understood this, she stopped blaming herself. Instead, she started with gentle walks around her neighbourhood — no gym, no pressure. A few weeks later, she felt ready to try a yoga class.

A Useful Nugget: A Gentle Reflection

Next time you notice yourself procrastinating, try asking:

“What might feel unsafe about doing this right now?”

It could be:

• Fear of judgment
• Fear of failure
• Fear of changing your identity
• Fear of losing comfort

Even naming the fear helps dissolve its power.

Because the problem isn’t laziness — it’s a protective instinct trying to keep you safe.

Moving Forward Gently

Procrastination doesn’t mean you’re failing.

It means your mind and body are trying to protect you from something that feels uncomfortable or risky — even if that “something” is just a harmless phone call.

The key is working with yourself:

• Break tasks into tiny steps.
• Notice when fear shows up.
• Offer yourself compassion instead of criticism.
• Remind yourself that safety today might look different than it did in the past.

Because procrastination isn’t laziness. It’s protection.

And understanding what you’re protecting yourself from is often the first step toward gentle, sustainable change.

Lesley Ford 

16th July 2025

Multi Award Winning Hypnotherapist