Credit : Natirah Azira dari Tzkrh

Procrastination is often associated with laziness and poor time management. However, recent research has identified that procrastination is linked to difficulty managing distress such as stress and depression.

People who procrastinate are actually trying to avoid things that can make them feel distressed, so the result is that work gets delayed, not completed, or not even started.

This procrastination can also happen in matters related to worship. They feel it is difficult and burdensome to start doing good deeds, especially those that have been abandoned for a long time.

#1- Eradicate the Habit of Seeing Worship as Difficult and Heavy

A big reason why people procrastinate is because they see it as too difficult, difficult, or complex. They are uncomfortable with the feelings that may come with doing it, such as boredom, stress, or difficulty. However, these feelings are normal.

The reality is, the worst-case scenario is that you will get a headache, not even serious illness or death if you do that.

So, re-evaluate, do you see worship as something that is very difficult? Take the example of charity, at worst if you give charity this month, your money will decrease a little, or you won't be able to buy the things you like. But next month you will get your salary again, right?

#2- Time Targets Make You More Focused

Something you set to do 'when you have time' will not be the same as 'will do it at XXX time, XXX day'. There is a high probability that you will not do a practice if it is not specifically set because your attention has been stolen by other things such as rest, sleep and entertainment.

So, set a specific time period for you to do additional acts of worship such as reading the Quran or learning about tajwid, then focus fully on it.

#3- Be More Realistic

A ritual that you want to get used to as a routine can sometimes take a while until you feel comfortable with it. Therefore, find ways to make it easier for yourself.

For example, if you are someone who goes to bed early at night, then the time to study can be changed to another time such as during the lunch break or between Maghrib and Isyak.

#4- Don't Give Yourself Excuses

"I'm not in the mood. I'll have to wait for the mood to come."

“I will be more diligent when there is pressure”

How many excuses have we given ourselves when we procrastinate?

Be honest with yourself that all these are just excuses. It is fun if we do worship when we are in the mood , but we cannot depend on mood all the time. We will lose many things if we just wait for the mood to come, for example the great rewards that Allah provides only in the month of Ramadan.

#5- Create an Atmosphere That Helps You Worship

Surrounding circumstances can to some extent influence your focus and quality of worship. Identify what will be distracting, for example, the phone next door, a cluttered room or noise from outside the house.

Decide when you want to perform the Sunnah prayer or recite the Quran, put the phone away from where you can reach it so that you can focus fully on the worship.

#6- Focus on the Reason Why You're Doing It

Another way that can help you not to delay performing worship is to think about the reason for doing it. Ask yourself why you need to start performing worship; is it because someone else told you to, is it because you feel guilty or is it because it is a command from Allah and proof of obedience to the Creator.

You can also seek knowledge and understanding about the virtues and benefits of these practices, for example, dhikr performed after prayer or sunnah prayers before dawn, which clearly have great rewards.

In conclusion, emotions and feelings can be misleading. Don't rely solely on the feeling of pleasure and readiness to perform acts of worship. Understand why we delay doing it and start the strategies that have been shared above. Hopefully it is useful!

Date of Input: 06/04/2026 | Updated: 06/04/2026 | asmunir