第1626期:Could procrastination be beneficial?

Procrastination is often seen as the enemy of productivity. Images of lazy people with feet up on desks or wasting time to dodge work spring to mind at the very mention of the word. And there are many things which indicate that procrastination is a problem which needs addressing. But could there be some benefits to it too?

拖延通常被视为生产力的敌人。一提到这个词，人们就会想到懒惰的人把脚放在桌子上或浪费时间躲避工作的画面。有很多事情表明拖延是一个需要解决的问题。但它也能有一些好处吗？

We live in a high-octane world – always on the go, racing from one task to another. And at times, duties, be it work or personal, can feel relentless – with our nose constantly to the grindstone. Sometimes we just need to switch off, chill out and reboot. A little procrastination can help detach us from the pressures of modern life. According to psychotherapist F Diane Barth, watching TV, taking a long bath or listening to music can help us to ease off.

我们生活在一个高辛烷值的世界——总是在路上，从一项任务跑到另一项任务。有时，职责，无论是工作还是个人，都会让人感到无情——我们的鼻子一直在磨刀石上。有时我们只需要关闭、放松并重新启动。一点点拖延可以帮助我们摆脱现代生活的压力。根据心理治疗师 F Diane Barth 的说法，看电视、泡澡或听音乐可以帮助我们放松。

And it’s possible that procrastination has become more prevalent during the pandemic. With many countries going through lockdowns, some of us have suddenly found ourselves with more time – not having the hours of commutes, or options of social activities we once took for granted. Being at home, many of us quickly discovered that it is impossible to be productive 24-7. That extra relaxation can help us to be more productive or creative in the long run, allowing us to clear our minds and focus better.

在大流行期间，拖延可能变得更加普遍。随着许多国家的封锁，我们中的一些人突然发现自己有了更多的时间——没有通勤时间，也没有我们曾经认为理所当然的社交活动选择。待在家里，我们中的许多人很快就发现，24-7 高效工作是不可能的。从长远来看，这种额外的放松可以帮助我们提高工作效率或创造力，让我们清醒头脑并更好地集中注意力。

So, while being productive is important, it seems that some amount of downtime and procrastination can help us to relax and become more focussed. The next time you feel really stressed, why not try wasting a little time? You might just like it.

因此，虽然高效很重要，但似乎一些停机时间和拖延可以帮助我们放松并变得更加专注。下次你感到压力很大的时候，何不试着浪费一点时间呢？你可能只是喜欢它。

词汇表

productivity 生产力
feet up 脚翘在桌子上，指休息放松
dodge 躲避，逃避
address 设法解决，应对
high-octane 充满活力的
on the go 忙个不停
duty 责任，义务
relentless 一刻不停的，没完没了的
nose to the grindstone 埋头苦干
switch off 不再关注，不再想
chill out （疲劳后）放松一下
reboot 重新投入
ease off 减轻压力
take for granted 想当然，把...视为理所应当的
in the long run 从长远来看
make the most of 充分利用
slack off 偷懒，懈怠
downtime 休息时间