Procrastination

Procrastination is that act of delaying or putting off tasks until the last minute, or past their deadline. Some researchers define procrastination as a “form of self-regulation” failure charactrised by the irrational delay of tasks despite potentially negative consequences. No matter how well-organized and committed you are, chances are that you have found yourself frittering away hours on trivial pursuits (watching TV, updating your Facebook status, shopping online) when you should have been spending that time on work or school-related projects.

Whether you’re putting off finishing a project for work, avoiding homework assignments, or ignoring household chores, procrastination can have a major impact on your job, your grades, and your life.

Causes

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

We often assume that projects won’t take as long to finish as they really will, which can lead to a false sense of security when we believe that we still have a plenty of time to complete these tasks.

One of the biggest factors contributing to procrastination is the notion that we have to feel inspired or motivated to work on a task at a particular moment. The reality is that if you wait until you’re in the right frame of mind to do certain tasks (especially undesirable ones), you will probably find that the right time simply never comes along and he task never gets completed.

The following are the few factors that cause procrastination-

Academics

Researchers suggest that procrastination can be particularly pronounced among students. According to researchers, there are some major cognitive distortions that lead to academic procrastination. Students tend to:

1. Overestimate how much time they have left to perform tasks
2. Overestimate how motivated they will be in the future
3. Underestimate how long certain activities will take to complete
4. Mistakenly assume that they need to be in the right frame of mind to work on a project

Depression

Procrastination can also be a result of depression. Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and a lack of energy can make it difficult to start (and finish) the simplest task. Depression can also lead to a 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 and working on other tasks.

More Reasons Why We Procrastinate

In addition to the reasons why we procrastinate, we often come up with a number of excuses or rationalization to justify our behaviour. According to researchers, there are 15 key reasons why people procrastinate.

1. Not knowing what needs to be done
2. Not knowing how to do something
3. Not wanting to do something
4. Not caring if it gets done or not
5. Not caring when something gets done
6. Not feeling in the mood to do it
7. Being in the habit of waiting until the last minute
8. Believing that you work better under pressure
9. Thinking that you can finish it at the last minute
10. Lacking the initiative to get started
11. Forgetting
12. Blaming sickness or poor health
13. Waiting for the right moment
14. Needing time to think about the task
15. Delaying one task in favor of working on another

The Negative Impact of Procrastination

It is only in cases where procrastination becomes chronic and begins to have a serious impact on a person’s daily life that it becomes a more serious issue. In such instances, it’s not just a matter of having poor time management skills, it’s a major part of their lifestyle. Unfortunately, this procrastination can have a serious impact on a number of life areas, including a person’s mental health and social, professional, and financial well-being:

1. Higher levels of stress and illness
2. Increased burden placed on social relationships
3. Resentments from friends, family, co-workers, and fellow students
4. Consequences of delinquent bills and income tax returns

How To overcome Procrastination

Fortunately, there are a number of different things you can do to fight procrastination ans start getting things done on time.

1. Make a to-do list: To help keep you on track, consider placing a due date next to each item
2. Take baby steps: Break down the items on your list into small manageable steps so that your tasks don’t seem so overwhelming.
3. Recognize the warning signs: Pay attention to any thoughts of procrastination and do your best to resist the urge. If you begin to think about procrastinating, force yourself to spend a few minutes working on your task.
4. Eliminate distraction: Ask yourself what pulls your attention away the most-whether Instagram, Facebook updates, or the local news- and turn off those sources of distraction.
5. Pat yourself on the back: When you finish an item on your to-do list on time, congratulate yourself and reward yourself by indulging in something you find fun.