Procrastination is the act of postponing or avoiding completing a task that must be accomplished. It can result in feelings of guilt, inadequacy, depression and self-doubt. It also has a high risk of causing painful consequences, which can jeopardize a person’s academic and personal success.
Is procrastination good for you?
Some people may argue that procrastination is beneficial because it allows them to take a break or, at the very least, a breather from their hectic lives. It has the potential to boost feelings of autonomy and control. It appears to have the ability to reduce stress as well.
For example, if you are currently concerned about a task with a looming deadline. In such cases, it is considered beneficial to procrastinate a little. However, not too much. As the saying goes,
“If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest our lives.”
Types of procrastination
Which type of Procrastinator are you?
The underlying Issues and Causes
There are numerous underlying causes and issues that can lead to procrastination, some of which are as follows:
- Inadequate relevance and interest
- Perfectionism
- Evaluation
- Anxiety and uncertainty
- The fear of both failure and success
- Inability to complete the task
- Distractions
Consequences of procrastination
Procrastination can have negative consequences ranging from simply missing a deadline on an important task to something more long-term, such as a missed opportunity that kills a dream. Some of us may be fortunate enough to recognize our procrastination tendency early on and take action. Others may experience long-term consequences that will reverberate throughout their lives.
- Wasting valuable time
- Squandering opportunities
- Failure to meet objectives
- Destroying a career
- Reduced self-esteem
- Making poor choices
- Endangering your reputation
The aforementioned are only a few of the consequences. If action is not taken quickly, it can have far-reaching consequences.
Key points to remember
- Procrastination is not a time management issue; rather, it is caused by difficulty managing negative emotions such as boredom or anxiety.
- However, avoiding negative emotions—and important tasks—tends to result in much worse long-term outcomes, such as increased stress and regret.
- Changing your mindset, rewarding yourself for progress, and letting go of perfectionism are all things that can help you overcome.
How to Overcome
It has long been assumed in psychology that people who procrastinate have a faulty sense of time—that they believe they will have more time to complete a task than they actually do. While this may be true for some, newer research suggests that procrastination is associated with difficulty managing stress.
Here are some of the most effective anti-procrastination techniques:
- Divide large tasks into small, manageable chunks.
- Make firm deadlines for yourself
- Remove all distractions from your surroundings.
- Count to ten before succumbing to the procrastination urge.
- Begin by committing to working for only 5 minutes.
- Make a note of days when you complete all of your tasks in a row.
- Recognize and reward yourself for your achievements.
- Allow yourself the freedom to make mistakes.
- Consider your future self.
- Concentrate on your goals rather than your tasks.
You can attempt to overcome procrastination by incorporating these techniques into your daily routine.
“The thief of time is procrastination.”
“Opportunities are buried in the graveyard of procrastination.”
Edited By: Khushi Thakur
Published By: Bhavya Dedhia
