Procrastination is an invisible force we all face—different people have entirely unique relationships with the phenomenon. Procrastination has plagued humans for centuries, and it can be hard to understand why it is such a problem.
Procrastination is defined as “delaying or putting off tasks until the last minute or past their deadline”. It’s not just a time management problem. Researchers suggest that a failure in self-regulation leads us to act irrationally.
“We put things off, even though we know this delay will lead to negative consequences,” states Kendra Cherry of Very Well Mind. Procrastination often has a very negative perception because it is often associated with laziness or lack of willpower. But the reality is far more complex, caused by psychological, emotional, and neurological factors. Understanding these causes can help individuals develop effective strategies to reduce this behavior.
Procrastination is a very common struggle. According to Cherry, “Some people are better at motivating themselves to tackle unpleasant tasks,”. However, among college students, nearly all admitted to procrastinating sometimes, while 75% described themselves as habitual procrastinators.
Even if you are exceptionally well-organized, procrastination can have a very negative effect on the lives of many. It can be easy to, at times, avoid doing what you need to do because you think you can put it off, but that is not just the case. Finding a way to put something off toward the last minute can lead to an immense amount of stress and anxiety. It’s definitely essential to consider why it happens and what can be done to reduce the time you procrastinate.
Procrastination is incredibly easy because finding the motivation to do something you don’t want to is hard. Waiting for the motivation to magically appear and finding excuses for why you can’t work right then and there are common symptoms of procrastination. According to Cherry, it is particularly prominent in students, with 75% procrastinating and ⅔ of them describing it as a persistent problem.
Some of the major things that lead toward academic procrastination include overestimating the time someone has to complete tasks, overestimating how motivated they will be in the future, underestimating how long certain activities will take to complete, and mistakenly assuming that they need to be in the right frame of mind to work on a project.
There are several more causes, like the present bias, which “means that we tend to be motivated more by immediate gratification or rewards than long-term rewards,” according to Cherry. That is why it feels so good to procrastinate in the moment. There are many things that some people would rather do instead, like watching a football game, then doing a tedious or annoying task that does not fulfill them.
Procrastination can also be a result of depression because of the feeling that it gives you. “Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and a lack of energy can make it difficult to start and finish any task” Said Cherry. Depression can also lead to having a lot of self-doubt. When you can’t figure out how to tackle a project or feel insecure about your abilities, you might find it easier to put it off”. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can also be a cause as well as ADHD.
OCD “causes fears about making new mistakes, doubts about whether you are doing something correctly, and worry over others’ expectations of you” according to Cherry. ADHD is when it’s straightforward to be distracted by anything and thoughts in your head. It can be hard to start any task, even more so when it is tedious.
There are a variety of causes for procrastination. It is essential to think about what you tell yourself about why you are procrastinating at that moment. According to Cherry, there are two types of procrastinators. Passive procrastinators “delay the task because they have trouble making decisions and acting on them,” and active procrastinators “delay the task purposefully because working under pressure allows them to “feel challenged and motivated.”
In the past, procrastination was recognized as a societal issue. The ancient Roman philosopher Seneca famously said, “It is not the man who has too little time, but the man who wastes it, that is poor.”
This sentiment echoes through time, highlighting that procrastination is not a modern affliction. Now, we are faced with even more distractions than ever, like phones, social media, and streaming services, which makes being distracted so much easier.
The consequences of extended procrastination include missing deadlines. Chronic procrastinators often experience higher levels of stress, anxiety, and even depression. The American Psychological Association reports that procrastination can negatively impact mental health, leading to feelings of shame and guilt that compound the initial delay.
Strategies such as breaking tasks into smaller steps, setting clear deadlines, practicing time management techniques, eliminating distractions, and using others for accountability, can help combat putting things off. Keeping these in mind will help reduce the chance of procrastination in your life.