Intentional delay in doing
a course of action even if they have to face worse consequences due to that
delay (Steel & Piers, 2007). Similarly, procrastination is to do less
urgent activities instead of urgent tasks or do something more pleasurable
instead of less pleasurable things, so pending the tasks later (Schraw et al.,
2007). Following are the five types of procrastination:
1. Perfectionist: such procrastinators delay their work as
they get stressed about every minor detail related to work.
2. Dreamer: these procrastinators delay their work to make an ideal
plan; they failed to complete their tasks on time due to excessive creativity.
3. Avoider: those procrastinators who fear being evaluated negatively
try to escape from the situation.
4. Crisis maker: such people procrastinate their work
because they think they can give their best at the last moment and enjoy
performing tasks on the deadlines.
5. Busy procrastinator: those individuals who
have a lot of work to do and cannot prioritize which work to do first and which
task can be done later.
In daily life,
procrastination is something everyone practices more or less. There are
different ways through which people do procrastinate and defend themselves very
well. However, procrastination is practiced very much, but it negatively
impacts an individual’s mental wellbeing. Procrastination can cause mental
issues such as stress, anxiety, tension, worry, and guilt. When one did not
complete their tasks at the time of the deadline, they became worried about it,
which causes tension and eventually triggers stress and anxiety; thus, stress
and anxiety prompt mental health issues.
Many different studies have
been conducted to examine the impact of procrastination on mental wellbeing and
how they relate to each other. The study was conducted to examine the
relationship between procrastination, mental health, and life satisfaction, and
it was revealed from the result of this study that there subsists a negative
relationship between procrastination, mental health, and life satisfaction
(Argiropoulou, Sofianopoulou, & Kalantzi-Azizi, 2016).
According to research, the prevalence of procrastination is higher in males than females, and according to age, the level of procrastination is higher in adolescence than in children (Abdullah, M. Q.). A study was conducted to determine if the level of stress rises as the level of procrastination increases among school teachers. This study revealed a strong association between procrastination and stress among teachers; as procrastination increases, the stress level also rises (Van Wyk, 2006).
- The perfectionist type should set a time limit for a task and try to finish their tasks at that certain time. The time should be ideal for the tasks; it should not be more or less than the time required to complete it.
- The dreamer should make a SMART idea to fulfill the requirement of the given task. They should try not to indulge in their imaginations and focus on their task.
- The avoider type should try to perform their task in chunks. They should make a realistic idea to do that chunk; thus, by completing all the chunks, they would be able to attain their goal.
- The crisis maker should work on thought patterns and understand that by giving rest to their brain, they can perform much better than force them to complete their task at the last minute. In this way, they will have more time to polish their work.
- The busy procrastinator firstly recognizes their priorities, and they should be clear about the importance of each activity. In this way, they will be able to make a sequence of projects on which they have to work. Their thoughts should be straight to choose which work should be done first and which one can wait to be done later.
Procrastination affects adults,
but it also has a bad impact on the students, but it can also cause them to
lower their grades and lose their interest in studies, and may develop the
habit of being lazy. Students are mostly under stress, and if they
procrastinate, it may enhance their stress level. A study was conducted on
students to find out the relationship between procrastination, stress, and
academic achievements, and it was revealed from the results that there exists a
strong correlation between procrastination, stress, and academic achievement.
Thus, it shows that as procrastination increases, stress increases among
students (Shokeen, 2018).
Procrastination also leads to
anxiety; in procrastination, people do not complete their work on time, and
when the deadline reaches, they become anxious. The result of a study showed
that the effect of procrastination on mental health is negative, and
procrastination increases the level of anxiety among students (Saplavska, &
Jerkunkova, 2018). In another study, the relationship between course anxiety
and academic procrastination was detected. In this study, procrastination was
correlated with six dimensions of anxiety. It was shown from the result that
there was a significant relationship between procrastination and anxiety
(Azure, 2011). But sometimes, emotional disturbance also the presage factor of
procrastination. Anxiety and depression are such emotional disturbances that
can cause procrastination. A research was conducted to find the link between
emotions and procrastination, and it was revealed from this research that
procrastination could also be the reaction to emotional disturbance such as
depression and anxiety (Wei, 2005).
Procrastination is something that people should avoid and need to
get rid of; because this way, they would not be stressed and anxious, eventually
helping them be mentally healthy. Following are some ways that can help an
individual to evade procrastination:
Conclusion
It can be concluded that procrastination is very common in our societies, and it has a significant impact on human beings. It mostly negatively affects an individual's mental health; however, if the emotions of the individual are disturbed, it will also elicit procrastination. Procrastination is not a good thing that should be appreciated; rather, it should evade from our societies to promote mental health and to reduce the level of stress and anxiety.
Comments
Post a Comment