Why We Avoid Tasks We Don’t Want to Do and How to Break the Cycle

Insights by Kathy Richardson, Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Lebanon Valley College

Avoiding tasks we don’t want to do is a common human behavior, especially for college students balancing academic, social, and personal responsibilities. While avoidance is often labeled as procrastination, mental health professionals say the two are not the same — and understanding the difference can help students recognize when avoidance is starting to affect their well-being.

Dr. Kathy Richardson, assistant professor of clinical mental health counseling at Lebanon Valley College and a licensed professional counselor, explains that procrastination is often a matter of timing and pacing. “Typically, procrastination is more about waiting until the last minute or postponing something,” Richardson said. “With procrastination, things ultimately get done, unlike in the avoidance of non-preferred tasks, which is more about bypassing the task and avoiding any adverse stimuli.”

People tend to focus on tasks they enjoy and avoid those they find unpleasant, overwhelming, or stressful — a tendency rooted in human nature and learned coping strategies. Richardson notes that anxiety plays a significant role in how people approach their work. Some individuals procrastinate or avoid tasks because of fear, such as fear of failure or the unknown, while others work ahead as a way to manage that anxiety.

Research also suggests that avoidance behaviors have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. Richardson describes the pandemic as a collective trauma that reshaped how people prioritize responsibilities, cope with stress, manage media consumption, and plan their time — contributing to greater patterns of avoidance across all age groups.

At a neurological level, avoidance is often driven by emotional overwhelm rather than a lack of motivation. “The limbic system is a part of our brain that is known as our emotional control center,” Richardson said. “It manages our emotional responses and processing, memory formation, motivation and behavior, and our autonomic regulation.” When stress becomes intense, the brain’s threat-detection system may activate a freeze response, making it difficult to move forward — even when someone understands the consequences of inaction.

Avoidance can appear in subtle and easily overlooked ways. People may stall, make excuses, or repeatedly delay tasks. Others may withdraw socially, avoid certain people or places, or mentally “check out” as a way of escaping stress. In more severe cases, avoidance can involve isolating, shutting down emotionally, or experiencing meltdowns. “Avoidance can show up in many different ways,” Richardson said.

While avoidance is a normal behavior at times, it becomes a concern when it begins to interfere with daily functioning. Mental health professionals assess the level of impairment by examining whether avoidance affects school, work, or personal responsibilities. Richardson explains that when negative consequences such as failing classes, missing work, or being placed on performance plans begin to appear, avoidance has likely started to impact overall well-being. “When these more negative consequences begin coming, it typically means that this has begun to interfere with someone’s overall well-being,” she said.

Breaking the cycle of avoidance often begins with identifying what is driving the behavior. Richardson encourages students to reflect on whether their avoidance is rooted in procrastination, anxiety, overwhelm, or fear. “One of the first things that can be really helpful is figuring out what is going on underneath the behavior,” she said. Learning coping strategies, practicing self-regulation, and gradually becoming more comfortable with uncertainty can help students tolerate discomfort and take action.

Practical strategies can also support progress, including breaking tasks into smaller steps, setting personal deadlines, using planners to map out due dates, and applying behavioral rewards. Richardson also emphasizes self-compassion — recognizing that some tasks are genuinely hard — while still using coping strategies to move forward.

For educators, family members, and peers, Richardson stresses the importance of responding with empathy and structure. “Responding with high warmth, coupled with high demand, are the gold standard in parenting and leadership,” she said. “Avoidance is a symptom, and we don’t prescribe symptoms as treatment.” Supporting someone means helping them understand what is getting in the way, without reinforcing the avoidance itself.

Ultimately, Richardson emphasizes that avoidance is not a personal failure, but a signal that someone may need support. Addressing it with understanding, practical tools, and compassion can help students build healthier habits, improve academic success, and strengthen overall well-being.