How Procrastination Affects Everyday Life
Procrastination is a nasty habit. Some consider it a weakness, while others see it as an imperfection. If you’ve procrastinated once or twice in your life, you are not alone. Out of 1,000 UK adults, 84% admit they procrastinate.
In other words, 1 in 5 people procrastinates every single day. The question is, how is this affecting our everyday lives? Let’s take a look at all the statistical analyses on procrastination and its effect on the global population.
Why Do People Procrastinate?
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Children, teenagers, and adults procrastinate for the same reasons. They view the project or task as irrelevant, can’t understand what they are supposed to do, or have no clue how to start doing it.
Simply put, procrastination is a mix of lack of comprehension, confidence, and motivation.
Eventually, procrastination affects our decision making and makes us feel lazy or inadequate. But, what most people don’t realize is that procrastination has nothing to do with laziness or the lack of interest. It is a problem on a deeper level.
For example, if a person is a perfectionist, they will like to do things the best they can. But, if they are dealing with procrastination, they would rather skip the difficult task than try and fail. That’s because they are afraid of failure or don’t have the confidence to make an effort.
The Effect of Procrastination on Day-To-Day Lives
Procrastination can affect peoples’ lives on various levels. For example, you have students who have to focus on their grades and homework. Then you have the adults, who always need to pay attention to their work schedule or tasks at hand.
When people procrastinate on a regular basis, they tend to feel guilty, frustrated, stressed, or anxious, experts advise. In the long run, this will have a serious impact on their mental and physical health. This pressure will take a toll on their self-esteem and self-worth.
The effects, however, are more noticeable in teenage and college students. When they receive an assignment, they often leave it for the last minute. But, it’s also because, in college and high school, students have more responsibilities. This means more work and more procrastination.
That’s why we have an endless cycle of low self-esteem and poorer grades. If you are writing an essay on this topic, taking a look at procrastination essays may come in handy. You can read about its negative effects, including its impact on mental health. This bad habit has a great deal of influence on most of the population. So, there is a lot to cover.
Why Is Procrastination Such a Big Problem?
Over 20% of people could be dealing with chronic procrastination. A study found that there is an emotional and temporal side of this habit. It’s a method in which people seek comfort when they are not prepared to handle a certain task.
They are not trying to overcome their insecurities or frustrations, but postpone them for another time. Hoping it will eventually turn outright. This is a well-known negative impact that not everyone knows how to deal with.
But, what they don’t realize is that procrastination is robbing them of one of the most valuable things in life. Clinical experts refer to this as an expression of subtle executive dysfunction.
- What About Physical Health?
Procrastination is not just bad for emotional health, and it directly affects your physical well-being too. Its negative effects can be noticed when health problems start popping up. Individuals with chronic procrastination are prone to:
- Headache
- Cold & flu
- Digestive health issues
- Lack of sleep
These negative effects happen as a result of the stress. While the negative things may seem scary, you can fix it. That’s why it is essential to find the right things and tactics to stop procrastinating.
How Can People Break the Cycle of Procrastination?
Every negative problem can be solved, no matter how hard it looks. People can topple their need to procrastinate and get the work done. You just need time and a little bit of effort. Here are a few tactics that can stop procrastination and overcome its negative influence.
- Breaking the task into smaller sections. If the current task is too overwhelming, it can be divided into smaller sections. Each part will become more manageable, and you can tackle the task at hand.
- Finding meaning and interest in the work you do. Find motivation, inspiration, or meaning in the work you need to finish, like your goals, for example.
- Creating a deadline. A self-imposed deadline is just as efficient as any deadline determined by a professor or employer. As long as you stick to it, you can find the punctuality you need.
- Building up confidence. If you think you are not good enough, you have to think about the things you’ve achieved in the past. All the reasons that brought you here will be a stepping-stone for building confidence.
- Try helping people with their work. It is possible to turn the negative effect of procrastination into a positive one. You can do that by helping others finish their tasks on time. By watching them put in the effort, you can find the inspiration to do it yourself.
- Planning an area specifically meant for studying. Everyone needs a special study/workspace without any social media distractions or appliances. Creating a quiet room with all the materials you need can be immensely helpful.
Conclusion
With the constant cultural shifts, people have to learn to adapt, process, and integrate themselves in areas where they don’t feel comfortable in. Procrastination gives them the illusion of relaxation and peace. But, it’s taking a toll on their psychological and physical well-being. With the strategies listed here, you can overcome this problem in no-time.
