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Task paralysis and procrastination - why it's so hard to get sh*t done

All In The Mind

Aug 30, 2025

30 min

Description

Five years of unpaid taxes. Homework handed in on the last day of an extension. Some people are champion procrastinators.Why? And what does task paralysis (sometimes called ADHD paralysis) have to do with it?Today: the personality traits that make you more prone to procrastination, the types of t...

Five years of unpaid taxes. Homework handed in on the last day of an extension. Some people are champion procrastinators.

Why? And what does task paralysis (sometimes called ADHD paralysis) have to do with it?

Today: the personality traits that make you more prone to procrastination, the types of tasks we're most likely to put off, and what to do if your to-do list sends you into fight-or-flight mode.

You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

Guests:

EvaHigh school student

Dr Catherine HoulihanClinical psychologistSenior lecturer in clinical psychologyDirector of the UniSC Psychology ClinicUniversity of the Sunshine Coast

Credits:

Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar
Producer: Rose Kerr
Senior producer: James Bullen
Sound engineer: Simon Branthwaite

More information:

The skills supercommunicators use, which you can learn too

Outwardly impressive, losing it on the inside? The cognitive distortions of a high achiever

Why do I procrastinate? And can I do anything about it?

Fighting for focus in the age of distraction

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