“I’ll Do It in a Minute” — When Parkinson’s Looks Like Procrastination
The letter has been sitting on the table for three days.
You know it needs answering.
You haven’t forgotten about it.
In fact, you’ve thought about it at least fifteen times.
Each time, the same thought:
“I’ll do it in a minute.”
Then something happens.
Perhaps you become tired.
Perhaps another task takes longer than expected.
Perhaps you can’t quite decide what to write.
Perhaps the right moment simply never seems to arrive.
Tomorrow comes.
The letter is still there.
From the outside, this can look very familiar.
Procrastination.
We all do it.
But for somebody living with Parkinson’s, there can sometimes be much more happening behind that apparently simple delay.
Everyone Puts Things Off
Let’s start with something important.
Not everything is Parkinson’s.
People with Parkinson’s procrastinate for exactly the same reasons everybody else does.
The job is boring.
There’s something better on television.
The garden can wait.
You don’t particularly fancy making that phone call.
Tomorrow sounds much more appealing than today.
A Parkinson’s diagnosis doesn’t remove ordinary human behaviour.
But Parkinson’s can affect movement, energy, motivation and aspects of thinking involved in planning and carrying out tasks.
That means what appears to be ordinary procrastination may sometimes have additional layers.
Knowing Something Needs Doing Isn’t the Same as Doing It
We tend to imagine tasks as simple instructions.
“Pay the bill.”
“Book the appointment.”
“Put the washing away.”
“Reply to the email.”
But every one of those contains several smaller processes.
You need to remember the task.
Decide when to do it.
Work out what is required.
Begin.
Keep your attention on it.
Deal with any decisions that arise.
And finish.
These processes involve what are often called executive functions.
Executive functions help us plan, organise, switch attention, solve problems, make decisions and carry out goal-directed activities.
Some people living with Parkinson’s experience changes in aspects of executive function.
This doesn’t mean they have dementia.
It doesn’t mean they don’t understand what needs doing.
And it certainly doesn’t mean everyone with Parkinson’s will experience these difficulties.
But it can mean that turning an intention into a completed task sometimes requires more mental effort than it once did.
A Small Job Can Become a Chain of Decisions
Take something as ordinary as booking a dentist appointment.
It sounds like one task:
Phone the dentist.
But perhaps first you need to find the telephone number.
Then remember which days you’re available.
Check whether somebody can drive you.
Find the calendar.
Make the call.
Listen to several appointment options.
Choose one.
Write it down.
Perhaps add it to your phone.
Tell the person who is taking you.
One task has quietly become ten.
If planning and decision-making require more effort than they used to, it’s easy to see why:
“I’ll ring them later.”
can suddenly feel attractive.
Fatigue Changes the Calculation
Then there is fatigue.
Parkinson’s-related fatigue can be significant for some people, and it isn’t necessarily resolved simply by having a good night’s sleep.
When energy is limited, every task has a cost.
You may fully intend to sort through some paperwork after lunch.
But getting showered and dressed took longer than expected.
You went to the shops.
You prepared lunch.
By two o’clock, the paperwork hasn’t changed.
Your available energy has.
So the task moves to tomorrow.
That isn’t necessarily poor organisation.
It may be energy management.
“Later” Can Sometimes Mean “When My Body Cooperates”
Parkinson’s symptoms can fluctuate.
Some people experience periods when medication is working well and other periods when symptoms become more noticeable.
That can change when somebody chooses to tackle a task.
Perhaps they would rather shower when movement feels easier.
Perhaps handwriting is better at a particular time.
Perhaps going to the shops feels more manageable after medication has taken effect.
Perhaps concentration is better earlier in the day.
From the outside:
“Why don’t you just do it now?”
may sound reasonable.
From the person’s perspective, waiting may be entirely deliberate.
They aren’t necessarily avoiding the task.
They may be waiting for a better window in which to do it.
Apathy Can Look Like “Can’t Be Bothered”
There is another aspect of Parkinson’s that is frequently misunderstood.
Apathy.
Apathy can occur in Parkinson’s and may involve reduced motivation, interest or initiation of goal-directed behaviour.
To somebody watching, it can look like:
“He can’t be bothered.”
“She doesn’t seem interested anymore.”
“You have to keep telling him to do everything.”
But apathy isn’t simply laziness.
Nor is it automatically depression, although apathy and depression can occur together.
That distinction matters.
Calling somebody lazy when a neurological symptom may be involved is unlikely to help.
If there has been a significant change in motivation, interest or everyday functioning, it is worth discussing it with an appropriate healthcare professional or Parkinson’s specialist.
Then There Is the Fear of Getting It Wrong
Sometimes delay comes from uncertainty.
Consider online banking.
A letter from an organisation.
An insurance form.
A medical portal.
A complicated appointment system.
If concentration, confidence or dexterity have changed, something that was once routine can start to feel higher risk.
What if I press the wrong button?
What if I misunderstand the form?
What if the website times out?
What if I can’t get back to the previous screen?
What if I accidentally pay twice?
So the task gets postponed until somebody else is around.
That can look like procrastination.
It may actually be caution.
“You’ve Had All Day” Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
This phrase can cause frustration in many households.
Someone comes home and discovers that something hasn’t been done.
“But you’ve had all day.”
Technically, perhaps they have.
But having eight hours available isn’t the same as having eight hours of usable physical and mental energy.
Those hours may have included medication fluctuations.
Fatigue.
Slower movement.
Rest.
Other everyday tasks.
Perhaps simply having a difficult day.
The clock measures elapsed time.
It doesn’t measure effort.
Large Tasks Can Become Particularly Difficult
“Sort out the spare room.”
“Do the paperwork.”
“Organise the holiday.”
“Clear the garage.”
These aren’t really tasks.
They’re projects.
Each contains dozens of decisions.
Where do I start?
What do I keep?
What do I throw away?
Where does this belong?
Who do I need to contact?
What happens next?
When the starting point isn’t obvious, doing nothing can become the default.
Breaking the project into something much smaller can change that.
Not:
“Sort out all the paperwork.”
But:
“Let’s put the bank letters in one pile.”
That’s a task with a visible beginning and end.
Lists Can Help — Until the List Becomes Another Job
One obvious solution is to make a list.
Lists can be extremely useful.
They reduce the need to keep everything in your head and provide a visual reminder of what needs doing.
But there is a trap.
A list containing twenty-seven jobs can become intimidating rather than helpful.
Now instead of one problem, you have twenty-seven written reminders of things you haven’t done.
For some people, a shorter list may work better.
Perhaps:
- one thing that needs doing;
- one thing that would be useful to do;
- and one thing you’d actually like to do.
There is something rather satisfying about a list you can realistically finish.
Make the First Action Obvious
Sometimes the best way to make a task easier is to remove the question:
“Where do I begin?”
If you need to post a letter, put the letter beside the front door.
If you need to make a phone call, put the number next to the phone.
If paperwork needs sorting, start with one clearly labelled folder.
If you want to go for a walk in the morning, consider having what you need ready beforehand.
These aren’t revolutionary productivity techniques.
They’re simply ways of reducing the number of steps between intention and action.
Doing Something Together Can Change the Task
There are jobs most of us put off more readily when we have to do them alone.
Sorting paperwork is one.
Clearing cupboards is another.
Making an awkward phone call can be another.
Sometimes another person’s presence helps.
Not because they take over.
Simply because the task now has a beginning:
“We’ll do it after lunch.”
That creates a time, a structure and a little momentum.
For some people, this can be more useful than repeated reminders throughout the day.
But Be Careful Not to Become the Task Manager
There is a balance here.
If somebody is struggling to organise everyday activities, family members naturally begin reminding them.
Then reminding them again.
And again.
Before long, one person feels nagged and the other feels as though they’ve become a project manager.
Neither is particularly happy.
Instead of repeatedly saying:
“Have you done it yet?”
it may be more useful to ask:
“Is there something making this difficult to get done?”
The answer may reveal the actual problem.
Technology Can Help — and Complicate Things
Phones, calendars, alarms and reminder apps can be extremely useful.
A medication alarm.
A calendar reminder.
A note on the phone.
An automated shopping list.
But technology isn’t automatically the answer for everybody.
If the system itself is difficult to use, another app can simply create another task.
The best reminder system isn’t necessarily the cleverest one.
It’s the one the person will actually use.
That might be a smartphone.
It might also be a piece of paper stuck to the fridge.
Both are perfectly respectable technologies if they work.
Notice When Something Has Changed
There is an important difference between somebody who has always hated paperwork and somebody who previously managed it easily but is now struggling.
Changes matter.
If somebody begins missing appointments, leaving important bills unpaid, struggling with familiar tasks, becoming unusually disorganised or showing other noticeable changes in thinking or everyday functioning, don’t simply label it procrastination.
It is worth discussing significant or persistent changes with their GP, Parkinson’s nurse, neurologist or another appropriate healthcare professional.
There may be several possible explanations, and individual assessment matters.
Ask What Is Behind the Delay
Perhaps this is the useful lesson.
When somebody repeatedly puts something off, we tend to focus on the unfinished task.
Why haven’t you done it?
But there are better questions.
Is the task physically difficult?
Is it mentally tiring?
Is there too much to organise?
Are there too many decisions?
Is the person waiting until their medication is working better?
Are they worried about making a mistake?
Do they need some help?
Or — because we shouldn’t turn everything into a symptom — do they simply really not fancy doing it today?
That is allowed too.
Not Every Unfinished Job Is a Failure
We live in a culture that loves completed tasks.
Tick the box.
Clear the inbox.
Finish the list.
Be productive.
But living well with Parkinson’s isn’t a productivity contest.
There will be days when less gets done.
There may be tasks that need adapting.
There may be things somebody now needs help with.
And there may be moments when conserving energy for something important is a better decision than completing something simply because it appears on a list.
So the next time you hear:
“I’ll do it in a minute.”
perhaps don’t start the stopwatch.
Give the person a little room.
And if that minute repeatedly turns into tomorrow, don’t immediately assume laziness.
Ask what’s getting in the way.
Because sometimes procrastination is procrastination.
And sometimes an unfinished task is telling us something worth understanding.
Hullbridge Parkinson’s Cafe is a friendly, informal community for people living with Parkinson’s, their partners, families and carers.
We meet at Hullbridge Free Church, 47–48 Lower Road, Hullbridge, Essex SS5 6DF, on the first and third Tuesday of every month from 11:00am–1:00pm.
No booking is required and new faces are always welcome.
If you or somebody you support develops significant or persistent changes in motivation, organisation, memory, thinking or the ability to manage familiar everyday activities, speak with an appropriate healthcare professional or Parkinson’s specialist. Individual symptoms and their causes can vary considerably.