Psychological Discomfort Check
Find the feeling beneath procrastination before choosing the next action
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 88%
Steven Bartlett introduces a diagnostic question he attributes to a previous podcast guest described as a procrastination expert: when a person keeps delaying something, what psychological discomfort are they trying to avoid? The method reframes apparently irrational delay as short-term protection from an anticipated feeling, such as incompetence while writing or fear of bad news from a health check. The user identifies the delayed task, names the expected discomfort, states the feared consequence, and then chooses a responsible next action rather than continuing to substitute easier activity. Richard Hammond applies the prompt to his own delayed medical conversation and says the discomfort is facing an outcome he would not want and discussing it with his family. The causal explanation remains the host's attributed claim, not an established universal law.
Origin
Extracted from The Diary of a CEO
Core principles
- 01Avoidance can protect a person from immediate discomfort
- 02Naming the feared experience makes the delay easier to understand
- 03Understanding the discomfort does not remove the need to act
How to run it
- 1
Identify the avoided task
Describe the action being delayed in concrete terms.
Pro tip Use an observable action rather than a broad label such as sorting life out.
- 2
Name the discomfort
Ask what feeling or feared information the action may bring into view.
Pro tip Consider fear, shame, uncertainty, and doubts about competence.
Watch out Treat this as a diagnostic prompt, not proof of one universal cause.
- 3
Compare both costs
Set the immediate discomfort of acting beside the likely cost of continuing to avoid the task.
- 4
Take the responsible next step
Choose the smallest action that genuinely advances the task, including seeking qualified help when appropriate.
Pro tip For a difficult conversation, begin by stating the concern directly.
Watch out Do not use incrementalism to delay urgent medical attention.
In the wild
When Bartlett asks what discomfort lies beneath his hesitation about investigating memory concerns, Hammond says it is facing an unwanted possibility and having to tell his family what may be coming. The exchange identifies the fear but does not show that he completed a medical assessment.
→ The previously vague avoidance is expressed as fear of a possible outcome and its effect on his family.
Common mistakes
Assuming every delay is emotional
Some tasks are delayed because of workload, dependencies, or rational uncertainty rather than avoided discomfort.
Stopping after naming the fear
Insight alone does not complete the delayed task; the framework requires a responsible next action.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for important tasks delayed by fear, uncertainty, embarrassment, or doubts about competence.
Not ideal for
It is not sufficient for emergencies, medical diagnosis, or delays caused mainly by missing resources or genuine overload.
From the transcript
“what is the psychological discomfort here that I'm trying to avoid”
“quite simply facing something I wouldn't want to face”
From the episode
Richard Hammond: The heartbreaking conversation that I am STILL avoiding!