What Is Procrastination?

Take our Procrastination Test

Find a therapist near me

Putting off doctor’s visits, exercise, and other healthy behaviors can be dangerous.

Sometimes beliefs about what can affect health are false.

Procrastination may actually be caused by low health literacy.

Procrastination abounds. If you ask anyone, they will probably say that they procrastinate from time to time. Sometimes it is a mild tendency that is fairly harmless, perhaps causing some guilt or annoyance. But, sometimes, procrastination is a constant, causing stress, anxiety, and possibly having adverse life consequences.

The debilitating kinds of procrastination have been described simply as having a single cause: dysfunctional delay. Others go deeper and suggest that it is driven by emotions—specifically, anxiety, fear, shame, guilt, regret, boredom, frustration, anger, and revenge. Based on these causes, some research suggests mood repair and emotional regulation as potential cures. Others have suggested learning time management skills. Still others refer to research indicating that procrastination is 46 percent genetic.

Some do not bother with deeper causes and simply call it an inefficient coping mechanism. In many cases, procrastination is linked to low self-esteem and feelings of failure. Indeed, many procrastinators are discouraged by it, which can lead to further dips in self-esteem.

However, some ways of coping and getting relief have been identified. It’s been found that interventions such as time management or structured goal setting have had limited success. What has worked is emotion-focused strategies, including mindfulness practices, self-compassion training, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Procrastination and Health

There is a type of procrastination that may not be addressed completely by those descriptions or interventions.

Procrastination can have negative impacts on health and well-being. Individuals........

© Psychology Today