Procrastination – a time waster is the 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 characterized by the irrational delay of tasks despite potentially negative consequences.
What is Procrastination?
It means delaying or postponing something that needs to be done – usually because it’s unpleasant or dull.
Procrastination is a trap that many of us fall into. It is said to be “Voluntarily delaying an intended course of action despite the negative consequences of that delay.” (Klingsiek, 2013)
Procrastinators will often do other tasks in advance of starting or returning to a task or commitment they’re avoiding. For example, if there’s a difficult conversation to be had at work, procrastinators may take on other tasks to avoid the anticipated discomfort.
According to Joseph Ferrari, a professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago and author of “Still Procrastinating: The No Regret Guide to Getting It Done,” around 20% of U.S. adults are chronic procrastinators.2
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.
Impending deadlines may prompt procrastinators to check out on social media until the last minute or to do menial household activities like sweeping and washing floors, or other tasks they’ve been procrastinating doing for longer, like answering emails.
What Causes Procrastination?
People’s reasons for procrastinating may be unique, there may be a common element of fear and perfectionism motivating procrastinating behavior.
Perfectionism makes a person want to do every task flawlessly, which becomes a block to getting things done and leads to procrastination.
Some causes of Procrastination are
- Higher levels of anxiety
- Depression
- Waiting for the right time, inspiration or motivation
- Poor Emotional Regulation
- Complexity of the task
Negative Impact of Procrastination
Procrastination doesn’t do anyone any favors. It can create problems from beginning of your school years, where you may face delays/ deadlines, project management, and follow-through.
Studies have shown that the earlier an assignment is submitted (indicating less procrastination), the higher the academic achievement.
-Increased risk for anxiety and depression
-Low self-esteem
-Increased stress
-Poor impulse control
-Putting things off you eventually do anyway also takes energy and time.
-Avoiding tasks doesn’t make you stop thinking about them or worrying about them
How to Overcome Procrastination
Procrastination is a learned behavior, and it can be unlearned. A good place to start is to acknowledge that you’re procrastinating. Once you recognize this behavior in yourself, you can figure out what’s causing you to procrastinate and change it. The following ways can help:
-Identifying the role of procrastination in your life
-Making time for time management
-Breaking up large projects into smaller tasks
-Finding productive reasons to keep working on tasks and commitments
-Keeping your goals realistic and reassessing goals and strategies as needed
In conclusion procrastination may stem from many factors, including an underlying mental illness or perfectionism. People who want to stop procrastinating can do so by assessing from where the problem arises and working to develop new coping methods.
At Starline Computer School we provide our students with a schedule that will help them markup success in their studies. boredom leading to procrastination is eliminated as students are encouraged to try something new every day.
Source: Procrastination: Why It Happens and How to Overcome It (verywellmind.com)
Source: How to Stop Procrastinating – Overcoming the Habit of Delaying Important Tasks (mindtools.com)