consequences of procrastination on students essay

Procrastination Essay

Perfectionism and fear of failure, fear of the unknown, lack of motivation, multiple distractions, works cited.

This procrastination essay should start with an acknowledgment: every person occasionally postpones tasks at hand for various reasons. It can be due to fatigue, unwillingness to engage in it at the moment, or lack of spare time to spend on the issue. College students, in particular, have to face this phenomenon regularly.

However, some people get into the habit of delaying things that they have to do. Thus, they disregard deadlines and cause trouble for themselves and those around them. It is called procrastination, which is, as stated by Ferrari et al., “derived from Latin verbs, ‘pro’ refers to forward motion, and ‘crastinus’ refers to belonging to tomorrow” (qt. in Abbasi and Alghamdi 59). It is worth mentioning that postponing a task to perform a more important one does not refer to this phenomenon. In this case, it is setting priorities, which has nothing to do with procrastination.

The habitual delay of tasks is caused by several factors, such as perfectionism, fear of uncertainty, lack of motivation, and distractions. This essay about procrastination will explore each of them and their consequences separately.

Although perfectionism seems to be a positive trait at first sight, since it implies that a person attempts to do his work brilliantly, it is, in fact, a drawback in many cases. Voltaire is believed to have said: “The best is the enemy of the good,” which is applied to perfectionists. Instead of submitting a well-done task in time, they leave it to the last minute because they do not consider it perfect.

Not all people tend to develop perfectionism because it depends on personal attitudes. According to Dweck, there are two types of mindset, which define an individual’s behavior and beliefs: “the fixed mindset” and “the growth mindset” (7). People with the first type are convinced that they have “a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality, and a certain moral character,” which cannot change over time (Dweck 7). Individuals possessing the second type of mindset; on the contrary, believe that their abilities are improvable, and “everyone can change and grow through application and experience” (Dweck 7). Thus, perfectionists have a fixed mindset since they always have to prove that they are superior and worthy, which makes them waste much time and effort and causes them to procrastinate.

Perfectionism is closely related to another cause of postponing tasks, which is a fear of failure. Some people are so obsessed with the ambition of being the best that they cannot afford to fail. However, it leads them to reject challenges and opportunities, which could contribute to their personal growth because they are sure they will not cope with them. If they cannot refuse such a task, they delay it for as long as possible since they are afraid of failure. In the workplace, such behavior leads to “low salaries and short employment durations,” as well as unemployment (Abbasi and Alghamdi 61). Thus, obsessive pursuit of excellence leads to procrastination, which, in turn, deprives people of a possibility of personal growth and makes them miss valuable opportunities.

Sometimes, people put their plans off because they are uncertain of what they are going to experience. It particularly concerns health and relationships because, in these areas of life, there are no deadlines, and individuals have to decide for themselves when to take action. For example, a person, having noticed a rash on the skin, may postpone a visit to a doctor, hoping that it will get better on its own. Another instance is a woman who wants to break up with her partner but delays this decision since she expects her life to improving suddenly. In both cases, people procrastinate because they fear the consequences of their actions and prefer to live in uncertainty.

Procrastination due to the fear of the unknown generally results in negative outcomes since problems rarely disappear on their own. For people delaying health issues, it may lead to “hazardous consequences in terms of health, especially when a disease may be progressive” (Kroese and de Ridder 317). Procrastination also influences people’s quality of life since, instead of eliminating disturbance by making the desired change, they continue to postpone problems and waste their mental energy on them.

Individuals may delay fulfilling a task because they are not interested in it and have no essential reasons for doing it. Instead, they prefer performing more pleasant though less important work. Motivation is influenced by the environment, especially when there are other procrastinators who affect their coworkers through “second-hand procrastination” (Abbasi and Alghamdi 60). Furthermore, people face this problem if the task at hand misaligns with their priorities or is vaguely stated.

As a result, procrastination due to the absence of motivation leads to poor individual performance. Postponing tasks causes a person to have fewer career opportunities since “employers are less likely to retain procrastinators for jobs requiring high motivation” (Abbasi and Alghamdi 60). It applies to not only work but also academic achievements, switching to a healthy lifestyle, and any other activity requiring an internal stimulus to get down to action.

Procrastination takes place when many distractions hinder a person from concentrating on a task. This problem is especially significant in the contemporary environment since smartphones and free Internet access has made it difficult for people not to redirect their attention from work to entertainment. Furthermore, in the workplace, colleagues also may contribute to attention distraction (Sirois and Pychyl 245). Thus, people have to choose between pleasant things and their own obligations, which Milkman et al. called a “should-want conflict” (qtd. in Sirois and Pychyl 245). It serves as a cause for procrastination since individuals often prefer instant gratification instead of committing to work.

Like in the cases mentioned above, procrastination caused by distractions has negative effects on people’s performance and well-being. Abbasi and Alghamdi argue that students who engage in entertaining activities rather than studying are likely to submit their assignments after the deadline and generally have poor academic achievements (60). Furthermore, since procrastination often involves excessing the time limit, people apt to postponing tasks complain of “higher levels of stress and anxiety” (Abbasi and Alghamdi 61). Consequently, the problem of not completing work in time leads to not only falling behind peers in studies and career but also having health issues.

Procrastination Conclusion

In conclusion, it should be said that procrastination is rooted in many causes, such as numerous distractions, lack of motivation, fear of uncertainty and failure, and perfectionism. Each of them leads to negative consequences that concern career, studies, health, and personal qualities. Thus, procrastination prevents a person from rising through the ranks, succeeding in training, and developing as a personality. These are serious obstacles on the way to success and life satisfaction, which is why it is crucial for people to begin to struggle with procrastination as soon as they discovered it in their behavior.

Abbasi, Irum Saeed, and Nawal G. Alghamdi. “The Prevalence, Predictors, Causes, Treatments, and Implications of Procrastination Behaviors in General, Academic, and Work Setting.” International Journal of Psychological Studies , vol. 7, no. 1, 2015, pp. 59-66.

Dweck, Carol. Mindset – Updated Edition: Changing the Way You Think to Fulfil Your Potential . Hachette UK, 2017.

Kroese, Floor M., and Denise T. D. de Ridder. “Health Behaviour Procrastination: A Novel Reasoned Route towards Self-regulatory Failure.” Health Psychology Review , vol. 10, no. 3, 2016, pp. 313-325.

Sirois, Fuschia M., and Timothy A. Pychyl, editors. Procrastination, Health, and Well-being . Academic Press, 2016.

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• Procrastination Essay

Essay on Procrastination

Have you ever postponed your homework until the last minute? Or maybe you studied for a test the day before? 

Maybe it's too late to write a story until the last hour? We are all guilty of delaying jobs and postponing important work until the latest date. This is actually procrastination. It is the act of deliberately delaying any task or activity. In this case, we will look at the causes and solutions to this problem.

About Procrastination

As we shall see in this article, this is not a coincidence. Almost everyone is guilty of it at some point in their lives. So we ask ourselves this question - why do people procrastinate or are so busy all the time? 

We live in the 21st century when time is of the essence. However, we are wasting our precious resources by wasting our time.

Saint Kabir had advised: what you have to do tomorrow, do today; what you have to do today, do it now. Procrastination is the habit of delaying a task or an activity until a later date. The habit of procrastinating the doing things is one of the worst habits of a person. People tend to be slothful to put off the finishing of a piece of work, implementation of a plan till another time. Life is not certain and it is possible that circumstances may change and one may not be able to do the work at all. It is good to procrastinate on things that are bad, but we are right and what we have decided to do, we must do in time.

Reasons for Procrastinating

One of the major reasons for procrastinating on a task is slothfulness. When a person is indulged in luxuries and slothfulness, it will blunt his edge of urge for action. When a person starts fearing the outcome of the task, he tends to procrastinate the task for a later date. Other factors for procrastinating work for a later date are low self-esteem, weak determination, less focus and distraction and also high impulsiveness. 

Procrastination is Harmful

Procrastination is harmful in various ways. It maintains tension in mind. It will relieve you of this tension if you do the work right now. Putting off work till another time more often may keep us deprived of the benefits, which might have accrued to us from its having been done. Opportunity knocks at the door once. Opportunity lost once is lost forever. There is no guarantee that the circumstances will remain the same. They may change and you may have to repent later on over the fact that you missed the opportunity. Sometimes it may prove tragic and change the good side of your career to a bad one. 

A successful man is one who strikes the iron while it is hot. When procrastination becomes a habit, all cheerfulness and carefree living go out of life and we live a life of perpetual tension, which indeed is not a life worth living at all. While procrastination is harmful to individuals, it may be more harmful to groups, communities and nations. 

We must ask ourselves whether we do actually realise the dangers emanating from procrastination and, therefore, shun it. We will perhaps find the answer in the affirmative as well as in the negative. We are still procrastinating steps for development in certain sectors of our life. For example, we have been sadly procrastinating in the educational sector. Even after more than five decades of economic planning, we find half of our population illiterate. We have taken steps to eradicate illiteracy, but our steps are not fast enough. 

We have been procrastinating developing certain geographical regions of the country with the result that there are evident regional imbalances in terms of development. We have not yet been able to connect every village of India with a link road. This was the task of utmost importance, a task that ought to have been given priority in any scheme of development. Our pace of development could have been faster if proper planning and implementation had been done at the right time. 

While procrastination is regarded as a bad habit, undue hurry or haste is equally a bad tendency. Promptness of action is advisable, but an impulsive decision is fraught with undesirable consequences. One must not delay or procrastinate in arriving at a decision in crucial matters, but unless a well-thought-out decision has been taken, it is more often than not risky to convert into action. Decisions taken in a hurry or haste without cool and calculated deliberation are likely to lead one into blind alleys or unfathomed troughs which it is difficult to get out from. The golden rule is first to get satisfied with the correct decision. Action should immediately follow the correct decision. Action should immediately follow the correct decision. Evil actions contemplated as a consequence of anger, revenge, greed, larceny, lust should be put off as indefinitely as possible till they die their natural death. 

How to Avoid Procrastinating?

There are a few tips to curb the habit of procrastination. 

Slothfulness: 

We must shake off slothfulness altogether. One must be up and doing. Avoid indulgence in luxuries because this makes one blunt. 

Value of Time: 

Understanding the value of time is very important. Nothing great can be expected from one who does not understand the value of a minute, for seconds and minutes make an hour, a day, a month, a year and the whole life itself. If the value of a minute is descended deep into our mind and heart, sloth will disappear. 

Idleness: 

Idleness is fatiguing. One must, therefore oneself engage in some useful work like some household chores other than one's main occupation. 

To ward off procrastination, one must plan one's work. Detailed planning is necessary. The entire gamut of work may be divided into fragments and time fixed for completing each fragment will facilitate satisfaction and invigorating. What we must have to do right from the time we get up from bed down to the time we go to bed must be clear to us and we must stick to it religiously.

Prioritization:

One may arrange the array of work in order of priorities. How many things are to be done and in what order of priority they must be taken — once this is planned in advance, then most of the battle is won and we can get out of the habit of procrastinating tasks.

Why Do We Procrastinate?

Reasons for postponing a person may vary. It depends on the individual and the situation-to-situation. However, there are international reasons why people delay their activities and actions. 

One of the most important things is the fear of failure. When a person is slow to perform an important task or is not interested in completing it, the cause may be a deep fear of failure. It is human nature to avoid and fear failure. So by choosing not to complete the task, we can also avoid the consequences.

Another reason is a lack of focus and determination. Feelings of indifference and insecurity can often cause people to lose their will to do their jobs. 

This leads to self-control. Sometimes a lack of goals and objectives is also a reason for a person to lose focus. With no goal in mind, they end up wasting energy on other useless activities.

There are other reasons a person may tolerate it. At times, a person may be a perfectionist. This distracts them from other activities. And then there are other reasons like laziness, low energy levels, easy distractions, etc.

How Can You Stop Procrastination?

Although procrastination is a normal part of life for us, it can be extremely difficult to do so. Procrastination can ruin your life and cause you to lose control of your schedules and deadlines. So when procrastination fades, you need to be in control and in control.

One way to stop procrastinating is to turn a dreadful task into smaller steps. If a task or task is too difficult, we often put it off. But if the work is depleted, then we can deal with it one step at a time without frustration. You can also create a detailed timetable or timeline of some sort to help you with the steps.

Sometimes a change in the work environment can be beneficial. It can give you the energy you need to stop procrastinating and complete the task. If possible, get a friend or parent to check your progress. It helps keep motivation levels up and encourages you to complete the task on time.

The key is not to become too preoccupied with the mundane things of life. We are all victims of procrastination. As long as it doesn't interfere with your entire system, take a break and go back to work!

Short Essay on Procrastination

Procrastination is not a rare thing; nine out of ten people, mostly students, nowadays procrastinate their work until the very last moment and it is also realised that they often feel guilty due to continuous postposing of their important work. The reasons for procrastination vary from person to person and situation to situation.

However, some causes are universal and some may have a particular reason to delay their important actions or tasks. The fear of failure stands on the top and another reason why most people procrastinate is lack of motivation. 

Everyone needs motivation while starting a new task or action, but due to lack of motivation most, people procrastinate due to the hesitation of performing a new activity plus lack of motivation, while some procrastinate due to laziness, lack of interest and unwillingness to perform any work. 

However, the end product of procrastination is always negative, like people start feeling much guilty, less focused, worried about upcoming projects or actions etc. 

In conclusion, it should be stated that procrastination is rooted in many causes, such as numerous distractions, lack of motivation, fear of uncertainty and failure, and perfectionism. At the same time, the result stands the same with infinite consequences such as concern for career, studies, health, and personal qualities. Thus, procrastination prevents a person from rising through the ranks, succeeding in training, and developing a personality.

The major difference between a successful person and an unsuccessful person is that while the former put his decisions promptly into action and reaps the fruits, the latter procrastinates, thereby depriving himself of the fruit.

FAQs on Procrastination Essay

1. What is Procrastination really about?

Postponing or procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing activities until the last minute or beyond the deadline. Some researchers describe procrastination as "a form of self-indulgence that is characterised by unreasonable delays in performance despite negative consequences.

2. Why Are We Here?

We postpone activities that we find "difficult, unpleasant, contradictory or just boring or oppressive." If a task seems overwhelming or raises serious concerns, it is usually very easy to avoid it. Another reason people put things off, says Sirois, is lack of confidence.

3. What Are The 4 Types of Retreat?

They say that there are four main types of archetypes to avoid or procrastinate: the perpetrator, the negligent, the excessive, and the person who seeks new things.

4. Is procrastination a mental illness?

Some people spend a lot of time in the monastery until they can finish important daily tasks. They may have a strong desire to stop procrastination but may feel that they will not be able to do so. Delaying yourself is not a diagnosis of mental health. But yes, less control over your mind is a sign of mental illness.

Procrastination Essay for Students and Children

500+ words on procrastination essay.

Have you ever put off your homework till the last minute? Or perhaps studied for the test only a day before? Maybe delayed writing an essay till the last possible hour? All of us are guilty of delaying tasks and putting off important work until a later date.  This is essentially procrastinating. It is the action of purposefully delaying any task or activity. In this procrastination essay, we will see the reasons and the solutions to this problem.

As we will see in this procrastination essay, this is not a rare phenomenon. Almost everyone is guilty of it at some point in their lives. So we ask ourselves this question – why do people procrastinate even when they are so busy most of the time? We live in the 21st century, where time is our most precious commodity. And yet, we waste this precious resource procrastinating our time away.

Why do we Procrastinate?

The reasons for a person procrastinating can be varied. It depends on person-to-person and situation-to-situation. However, there are some universal reasons that cause people to delay their tasks and actions. One of the most important ones is the fear of failure. When a person delays doing an important task or is disinterested in finishing it, the cause could be a deep-rooted fear of failure. It is in human nature to avoid and fear failure. So by choosing to never finish the task, we can avoid the consequences as well.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Another reason is the lack of focus and determination. Feeling directionless and unfocused can often cause people to lose their wills to do their jobs. This leads to procrastination. Sometimes the lack of goals and objectives is also the reason a person loses their focus. Since they do not have an end-goal in mind, they end up wasting energy in other useless tasks.

There are other reasons a person may procrastinate. Sometimes, a person may be too much of a perfectionist. This distracts them from other tasks. And then there are other reasons like laziness, low energy levels, easy distractions, etc.

Read 10 Ways to Stop Procrastinating here.

How to Stop Procrastinating?

While procrastinating is a very natural fault we all share, if it gets out of hand it can get quite troublesome. Excessive procrastination can disrupt your life and cause you to lose control of your schedules and deadlines. So when the procrastination gets out of hand, you need to reign it in and get back in control.

One way to stop procrastinating is to break down the dreaded task into little steps. If the work or the task is too overwhelming, we tend to procrastinate about it. But if the job is broken down, then we can tackle one step at a time without being overwhelmed. You can also create a detailed timetable or a timeline of some sort to help you with the steps.

At other times changing your work environment may be beneficial. It can provide you with the boost necessary to stop procrastinating and finish the task. If possible get a friend or a parent to keep a check on your progress. It helps keep the motivation levels up and encourages you to finish the task on time.

The main concern is not to over-focus or blame yourself for procrastinating sometimes. We are all a victim to procrastination from time-to-time. As long as it does not derail your entire schedule, give yourself a break and just get back to work!

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The Psychological Impact of Procrastination on Academic Performance

This essay about the intricate dynamics of procrastination in academic settings explores its profound psychological ramifications and tangible consequences on student performance. It highlights procrastination as a coping mechanism in the face of overwhelming pressures, leading to a cycle of stress and avoidance. Beyond academic impact, it into the erosion of self-esteem and strained relationships caused by procrastination. However, it also offers proactive strategies for overcoming procrastination, emphasizing the importance of breaking tasks into manageable goals, fostering a growth mindset, and seeking support from peers and mentors. Ultimately, it advocates for self-awareness and resilience as keys to mitigating procrastination’s effects and realizing academic potential.

How it works

Procrastination, that ever-present obstacle looming over academic endeavors, unveils intricate psychological implications often overlooked. Despite its reputation as mere habit or laziness, procrastination unveils a complex interplay of internal and external stressors that significantly impact academic performance.

At its core, procrastination serves as a coping mechanism amidst the overwhelming pressures students face. The relentless pursuit of academic excellence, alongside balancing extracurricular activities, social obligations, and personal responsibilities, provides fertile ground for procrastination to take root. Rather than confronting daunting tasks directly, students turn to procrastination as a way to alleviate the anxiety accompanying their academic endeavors. Need a custom essay on the same topic? Give us your paper requirements, choose a writer and we’ll deliver the highest-quality essay! Order now

However, the respite offered by procrastination is but a fleeting illusion. As deadlines loom closer and unfinished assignments pile up, students find themselves trapped in a cycle of panic and desperation. The very avoidance that initially brought relief now becomes a source of heightened stress and anxiety, exacerbating feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.

Moreover, procrastination exacts a toll on students' psychological well-being beyond academia's realm. It chips away at their self-esteem, fostering a pervasive sense of incompetence and reinforcing negative self-talk. This, in turn, perpetuates a cycle of avoidance, further solidifying procrastination's grip on students' lives.

The consequences of procrastination extend beyond psychology, manifesting in tangible outcomes that impact academic success. Students who succumb to procrastination are more likely to produce subpar work, lacking the time and mental clarity required for thorough research and critical analysis. Consequently, grades suffer, opportunities for academic enrichment diminish, and long-term educational and career prospects are put at risk.

Furthermore, procrastination strains relationships with peers, instructors, and family members, as students struggle to balance their academic responsibilities with other commitments. The stress and tension stemming from procrastination spill over into interpersonal interactions, leading to conflicts and feelings of isolation.

However, overcoming procrastination is not an insurmountable challenge. By embracing proactive strategies and cultivating self-awareness, students can reclaim control over their academic pursuits and mitigate its negative effects.

One effective approach is to break tasks down into manageable chunks and establish realistic deadlines. By setting specific, achievable goals and holding oneself accountable for progress, students can alleviate the overwhelming nature of large assignments and maintain a steady pace of productivity.

Additionally, fostering a growth mindset—viewing challenges as opportunities for growth rather than indicators of failure—empowers students to transcend procrastination's limitations. Viewing setbacks as learning experiences and cultivating resilience in the face of adversity are essential components of this mindset shift.

Furthermore, seeking support from peers, mentors, or academic advisors can provide invaluable encouragement and guidance in navigating procrastination's challenges. Accountability partnerships, study groups, and counseling services offer opportunities for students to connect with others who have experienced similar struggles and learn from their experiences.

In conclusion, procrastination exerts a multifaceted impact on students' academic performance, affecting both their psychological well-being and tangible outcomes. However, by recognizing its underlying causes and implementing proactive strategies for intervention, students can break free from its grasp and realize their full potential in the pursuit of knowledge and achievement. Through self-awareness, goal-setting, and a commitment to growth, students can navigate the complexities of academic life with confidence and resilience.

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Solving Procrastination

Procrastination Dangers: The Negative Effects of Procrastination

Procrastination is the act of unnecessarily postponing decisions or actions. For example, if someone delays working on an assignment until right before its deadline for no reason, despite intending to work on it earlier, that person is procrastinating.

Procrastination is associated with a variety of dangers and negative effects, including worse academic performance, worse financial status, increased interpersonal relationship issues, reduced wellbeing, and worse mental and physical health.

Furthermore, many of these issues are connected with one another, which means that they tend to occur together, and that some of them can cause or exacerbate others. For example, procrastination can lead to mental health issues such as stress, which in turn can lead to issues such as reduced wellbeing, worse physical health, and worse academic and job performance.

Understanding the dangers of procrastination is important, because it can help you identify when and how procrastination is negatively affecting someone, including you, and because being aware of these issues can increase your and other people’s motivation to overcome procrastination. As such, in the following article you will learn more about the dangers of procrastination, which will allow you to identify and handle them as effectively as possible.

Dangers and negative effects of procrastination

Academic issues.

For students, procrastination is associated  with a  wide range  of  academic issues ,  such as worse exam scores, worse grades, having to repeat assignments , increased course failures, increased course withdrawals, longer study duration, and an increased likelihood of dropping out (rather than graduating).

These issues are associated with the fact that procrastination tends to consume a lot of the students’ time, as students often report  that procrastination occupies over a third of their daily activities, usually in the form of behaviors such as sleeping, watching TV, or playing video games.

Employment and financial issues

Procrastination is  associated  with various employment and financial issues , like earning a lower salary, having shorter durations of employment, having a higher likelihood of being unemployed or under-employed (as opposed to working full‐time), and engaging in problematic financial behaviors (e.g., postponing paying bills or saving for retirement).

For example, a  large-scale study found that an increase of a single point on a 5‐point scale measuring the tendency to procrastinate is associated with approximately a $15,000 drop in salary. Furthermore, the study also found that when people are split into two groups based on how much they procrastinate, those who tend to procrastinate more comprise 57% of the unemployed.

Procrastination is also problematic from the employer’s perspective, as it can reduce productivity and performance among employees. For example, procrastination often means that employees spend large portions of their day wasting time , and that they often rush to complete tasks right before deadlines , which can lead to low-quality work . Furthermore, because procrastination can make people more frustrated and stressed out at work, it can also make them more interested in leaving their current employer for a different one. Finally, procrastination can cause other types of issues for employers, for example when decisional procrastination among people in leadership positions negatively impacts the innovation of their employees.

Social issues

Procrastination can cause various social issues, like fighting with important people in your life, and making them have a worse perception of you. This is especially an issue when it comes to interpersonal relationships with people like:

• Coworkers, for instance if you repeatedly fail to take care of your part of shared assignments on time.
• Family and friends, for instance if you constantly show up late to events that you’re supposed to attend together .
• Romantic partners, for instance if you always postpone taking care of household chores.

These social issues can cause various negative consequences, like loneliness .

Reduced wellbeing

Procrastination can reduce people’s wellbeing and happiness , for example by causing them to experience various negative emotions , like guilt, shame , frustration, and sadness.

In  one survey , for instance, 94% of people indicated that procrastination has a negative effect on their happiness, and 18% indicated that this effect is extremely negative. Similarly, when students were asked how they felt after procrastinating, over 80% of their responses were categorized  as negative.

Worse mental and physical health

Procrastination is associated with a wide range of mental health issues , like stress , as well as physical health issues , like an increased rate of illness .

Furthermore, procrastination is also associated with issues in adjusting to and coping with health conditions . This can be due to various issues, like poor lifestyle habits (e.g., in terms of nutrition and self-care), and poor adherence to necessary monitoring and treatment.

In addition, specific types of procrastination are associated with specific types of health issues. For example, bedtime procrastination , which involves unnecessarily delaying going to bed, is associated with issues like lack of sleep and increased fatigue.

Finally, procrastination is also associated with various disorders, like depression and  insomnia , but it’s unclear whether these associations are correlational or causational, and if they are causational, then in what direction, meaning that it’s unclear whether procrastination leads to these issues directly.

Delay in getting help

Not only does procrastination lead to various issues, but it’s also associated with an increased tendency to delay getting help for those issues, for example when it comes to seeking treatment for problems with mental and physical health.

Furthermore, procrastinators may delay or avoid other behaviors that can help them deal with their issues, as in the case of not exercising even though doing so could help them feel better both mentally and physically.

Increased future procrastination

Procrastination can increase the likelihood of future procrastination, which can bring people into vicious self-perpetuating procrastination cycles . For example, bedtime procrastination often leads to lack of sleep, which can lead  to  reduced capacity  for self-regulation, and consequently to  increased procrastination , which can lead to further lack of sleep, and so on. Similarly, when someone repeatedly procrastinates on a certain task due to anxiety , this can make them more anxious about dealing with it, which can increase the likelihood that they’ll procrastinate on the task again in the future, as well as on related tasks.

Additional dangers

In addition to the main dangers outlined above, procrastination can also lead to various other types of issues.

For example, procrastination can cause people to miss out on important opportunities, like the opportunity to apply for a prestigious scholarship, or the opportunity to ask out a potential romantic partner.

Similarly, procrastination can delay people’s personal growth, for instance when it causes them to postpone learning valuable skills that they’re interested in, such as programming, or when it causes them to postpone developing useful habits that they’re interested in, such as reading.

Finally, procrastination is also associated with a wide range of other issues that can occur as a result of unnecessary delay, such as increased clutter and increased regret .

The dangers of procrastination are connected

The dangers of procrastination are often interrelated in various ways, especially when one issue that’s caused by procrastination can itself cause additional issues. For example, this is the case when procrastination causes someone to struggle at school, and their poor performance causes them to feel stressed, and consequently to also feel worse physically . Likewise, this is the case when procrastination causes someone to perform poorly at work, which causes them to suffer from anxiety and shame, which in turn cause them to isolate themselves socially, and makes them struggle to fall asleep.

Procrastination is a common problem

In addition to being associated with a wide range of dangers and negative effects, procrastination is also a highly prevalent phenomenon, as it chronically affects around 20% of adults.

Furthermore, many more people than that engage in various forms of procrastination in general. For example, in a study on an adult sample, 74% of people who were surveyed indicated that they go to bed later than they planned to at least once a week, with no external reason for doing so.

In addition, procrastination is especially common among certain populations. Notably, around 50% of college students procrastinate in a consistent and problematic manner, around 75% consider themselves to be procrastinators, and around 80%–95%  engage in procrastination to some degree.

How to avoid the negative effects of procrastination

To avoid the negative effects of procrastination, you should use appropriate anti-procrastination techniques , such as breaking large tasks into manageable pieces, which will reduce your procrastination, and consequently also the negative effects that you experience as a result of it.

To figure out which anti-procrastination techniques you should use, start by reading the guide about why people procrastinate , to identify the causes of your own procrastination, and then read the guide on how to stop procrastinating , to select the anti-procrastination techniques that will be most appropriate in your particular situation.

Home — Essay Samples — Psychology — Procrastination — Problems And Solutions Of Procrastination Regarding Time Management And Academic Success

Problems and Solutions of Procrastination Regarding Time Management and Academic Success

• Categories: Academic Performance Procrastination Time Management

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Words: 1150 |

Published: Mar 18, 2021

Words: 1150 | Pages: 3 | 6 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, procrastination, the comfort zone, stability and commitment, sticking to a plan, works cited.

• Cornell University. (2015, October). A Simple, Effective Time Management System. Retrieved November 30, 2018, from http://lsc.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/A-Simple-Effective-Time-Management-System.pdf
• Olaniyi, A. A. (2013, September 09). Effects of job stress and motivation on performance of employees in Hotel Industry. Retrieved November 30, 2018, from http://trap.ncirl.ie/910/
• Princeton University. (2012). Understanding and Overcoming Procrastination | McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved November 30, 2018, from https://mcgraw.princeton.edu/understanding-and-overcoming-procrastination
• Vitasaria, P. (2010, December 23). The Relationship between Study Anxiety and Academic Performance among Engineering Students. Retrieved November 30, 2018, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042810021725

Should follow an “upside down” triangle format, meaning, the writer should start off broad and introduce the text and author or topic being discussed, and then get more specific to the thesis statement.

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After each piece of evidence is provided, the author should explain HOW and WHY the evidence supports the claim.

Should follow a right side up triangle format, meaning, specifics should be mentioned first such as restating the thesis, and then get more broad about the topic at hand. Lastly, leave the reader with something to think about and ponder once they are done reading.

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