What Is Procrastination?

What is procrastination?

Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing tasks until the last minute, or past their deadlines. Some researchers define procrastination as a “form of self-regulation failure characterized by unreasonable procrastination of tasks despite potentially negative consequences.”

According to Joseph Ferrari, a professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago and author of the book “Still Procrastinating: The Complete Guide to No Regrets,” about 20% of adults in the US are or chronic procrastination.

No matter how well organized and committed you are, chances are you’ve found yourself squirming for hours on mundane things (watching TV, updating Facebook statuses, shopping online) while you probably don’t. You should spend that time on work or school related. the projects.

Whether you’re completing a project for work, avoiding homework, or skipping household chores, procrastination can take a toll on your work, your grades, and your life.

Reason

Remember that time when you thought you had a week left to finish a project that was actually due the next day? What about the time you decided not to clean your apartment because “don’t feel like doing it right now?”

We often assume that projects won’t take as long to complete as they actually do, which can lead to a false sense of security when we believe we still have plenty of time to get things done. this.

One of the biggest contributing factors to procrastination is the notion that we must feel inspired or motivated to perform a task at a particular time.

Here are a few other factors that cause procrastination.

Academic

The researchers suggest that procrastination may be particularly pronounced in students. A 2007 meta-analysis published in Psychological newsletter found that 80% to 95% of college students regularly procrastinate, especially when completing assignments and subjects.

According to the researchers, there are several major cognitive biases that lead to learning delays.Students tend to:

• Overestimate the time they have left to do the quests
• Overestimate how motivated they will be in the future
• Underestimate the time it takes to complete certain activities
• Mistakenly assuming they need the right mindset to work on a project

Depression

Procrastination can also be the result of depression. Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and lack of energy can make it difficult to start (and finish) the simplest of tasks. Depression can also lead to self-doubt. When you can’t figure out how to tackle a project or feel insecure about your abilities, you may find it easier to pause it and get on with other tasks.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Procrastination is also quite common in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. One reason is that OCD is often associated with unhealthy, unhealthy perfectionism, causing fear of making new mistakes, doubts about whether you are doing something right, and worry about other people’s expectations of you.

People with OCD also tend to hesitate, causing them to procrastinate rather than make decisions.

ADHD

Many adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggle with procrastination. When you are distracted by external stimuli, as well as by your internal thoughts, it can be difficult to initiate a task, especially if the task is difficult or uninteresting for you.

More reasons to procrastinate

Apart from the reasons why When we procrastinate, we often come up with some justification or rationalization to justify our behavior. According to researchers, there are 15 main reasons why people procrastinate:

• Don’t know what to do
• Don’t know how to do something
• Don’t want to do something
• Don’t care if it’s done or not
• Don’t care when something is done
• Not in the mood to do it
• Get in the habit of waiting until the last minute
• Believe that you work better under pressure
• Think you can finish it at the last minute
• Lack of initiative to start
• Forget
• Blame it on illness or poor health
• Waiting for the right moment
• Need time to think about the task
• Postpone one task to move on to another

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Types of procrastination

Some researchers classify procrastinators into two main categories: passive and active procrastinators.

• Passive procrastinator: Postpone tasks because they have trouble making decisions and executing them
• Active procrastinator: Delaying tasks on purpose because working under pressure allows them to “feel challenged and motivated”

Others define types of procrastinators based on different behavioral styles of procrastination, including:

• Perfectionist: Complete the mission for fear of not being able to complete the task perfectly
• Dreamer: Pause the quest because they don’t pay attention to details
• Defier: Don’t believe someone should dictate their time
• Worry more: Completing tasks for fear of change or leaving the comfort of the “known”
• Crisis maker: Accomplish tasks because they like to work under pressure
• Overworker: Taking on too much and struggling with finding the time to start and finish work

Procrastinator vs Non-Procrastinator

“People who don’t procrastinate focus on the task at hand. They have a stronger personal identity and are less concerned with what psychologists call ‘social self-esteem’ – others like it.” who we are – as opposed to self-esteem, that’s how we feel Dr. Ferrari explained in an interview with the American Psychological Association (APA).

According to psychologist Piers Steel, people who don’t procrastinate tend to be high on the personality trait known as conscientiousness, one of the broad traits identified by the Big Five theory of personality. People with high levels of conscientiousness also tend to be high in other areas including self-discipline, perseverance, and personal responsibility.

Negative effects of procrastination

Only in cases where procrastination becomes chronic and begins to have a serious effect on one’s daily life does it become a more serious problem. In such cases, the problem is not only due to poor time management skills but it is a major part of their lifestyle.

Perhaps they pay their bills late, don’t start work on big projects until the night before the deadline, delay buying gifts until the day before their birthday, and even file their income tax returns late.

Unfortunately, this delay can have a serious impact on a number of areas of life, including a person’s mental health and social, occupational, and financial well-being:

• Higher levels of stress and illness
• Increased burden on social relationships
• Outrage from friends, family, colleagues and co-workers
• Consequences of overdue bills and income tax returns

Tips for procrastinators

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to combat procrastination and start getting things done on time.

• Make a to-do list: To help keep you on track, consider putting a due date next to each item.
• Take baby steps: Break down the items on your list into small, manageable steps so your tasks don’t seem overwhelming.
• Know the warning signs: Pay attention to any procrastinating thoughts and do your best to resist the urge. If you start thinking about procrastination, force yourself to take a few minutes to complete your task.
• Eliminate distractions: Ask yourself what grabs your attention the most — whether Instagram updates, Facebook updates, or local news — and turn off those distractions.
• Pat yourself on the back: When you complete an item on your to-do list on time, congratulate yourself and reward yourself by indulging in something you find enjoyable.