short essay on procrastination

Talk to our experts

1800-120-456-456

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!

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

Travelling Essay
Picnic Essay
Our Country Essay
My Parents Essay
Essay on Favourite Personality
Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
Essay on Knowledge is Power
Essay on Gurpurab
Essay on My Favourite Season
Essay on Types of Sports

Download the App

Bipolar Disorder
Therapy Center
When To See a Therapist
Types of Therapy
Best Online Therapy
Best Couples Therapy
Managing Stress
Sleep and Dreaming
Understanding Emotions
Self-Improvement
Healthy Relationships
Student Resources
Personality Types
Sweepstakes
Guided Meditations
Verywell Mind Insights
2024 Verywell Mind 25
Mental Health in the Classroom
Editorial Process
Meet Our Review Board
Crisis Support

What Is Procrastination?

Why we keep putting things off, despite the consequences

Common Justifications

Types of Procrastination

The Negative Impact
Strategies to Stop

It's tempting to keep putting off the tasks we don't enjoy. Even though we know it will lead to more stress later, it's common to avoid starting or finishing things we don't really want to do.

Procrastination is the act of delaying or putting off tasks until the last minute or past their deadline. It's not just a time management problem. Researchers suggest that it's a failure in self-regulation that leads us to act irrationally. We put things off, even though we know this delay will lead to negative consequences.

How Common Is Procrastination?

While some people are better at motivating themselves to tackle unpleasant tasks, procrastination is a highly prevalent problem. Among college students, nearly all admitted to procrastinating sometimes, while 75% described themselves as habitual procrastinators.

No matter how well-organized and committed you are, chances are you have found yourself frittering away hours on trivial pursuits (watching TV, scrolling through your Facebook feed, shopping online, etc.) when you should have been spending that time on work or school-related projects.

At a Glance

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, grades, and life. In most cases, procrastination is not a sign of a serious problem. It's a common tendency that most people resort to at some point. Let's take a closer look at why it happens, its impact, and what you can do to stop procrastinating.

What Causes Procrastination?

Remember that time that you thought you had a week left to finish a project that was really due the next day? How about the time you decided not to clean up your apartment because you "didn't feel like doing it right now?"

We often assume that projects won't take as long to finish as they really will, which can lead to a false sense of security when we believe that we still have plenty of time to complete these tasks.

One of the biggest factors contributing to procrastination is the notion that we have to feel inspired or motivated to work on a task at a particular moment.

The reality is that if you wait until you're in the right frame of mind to do certain tasks (especially undesirable ones), you will probably find that the right time simply never comes along and the task never gets completed.

Waiting for motivation isn't the only problem that contributes to procrastination, however. The following are a few other factors that can play a role.

Researchers suggest that procrastination can be particularly pronounced among students. An estimated 75% of students procrastinate regularly, and around half of these students feel that this behavior is a persistent problem.

According to researchers, some major cognitive distortions lead to academic procrastination. Students tend to:

Overestimate how much time they have left to perform tasks
Overestimate how motivated they will be in the future
Underestimate how long certain activities will take to complete
Mistakenly assume that they need to be in the right frame of mind to work on a project

Present Bias

The present bias is a phenomenon observed in human behavior that may result in procrastination. The present bias means that we tend to be motivated more by immediate gratification or rewards than we are by long-term rewards. This is why it feels good in the moment to procrastinate.

For example, the immediate reward of staying in bed and watching TV is more appealing than the long-term reward of publishing a blog post, which would take much longer to accomplish.

Procrastination can also be a result of depression . Feelings of hopelessness , helplessness, and a lack of energy can make it difficult to start (and finish) the simplest task. Depression can also lead to self-doubt . When you can't figure out how to tackle a project or feel insecure about your abilities, you might find it easier to put it off.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Procrastination is also pretty common in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder . One reason is that OCD is often linked with maladaptive perfectionism, which causes fears about making new mistakes, doubts about whether you are doing something correctly, and worry over others' expectations of you.

People with OCD also often have a propensity toward indecision, causing them to procrastinate rather than make a decision.

Many adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggle with procrastination. When you're so distracted by outside stimuli, as well as internal thoughts, it can be hard to get started on a task, especially if that task is difficult or not interesting to you.

Is Procrastination a Mental Illness?

Procrastination itself is not a mental illness. But in some cases, it may be characteristic of an underlying mental health condition such as depression, OCD, or ADHD.

Why Do You Procrastinate?

We often come up with several excuses or rationalizations to justify our behavior. The following are just a few of the common reasons why people tend to procrastinate:

Not knowing what needs to be done
Not knowing how to do something
Not wanting to do something
Not caring if it gets done or not
Not caring when something gets done
Not feeling in the mood to do it
Being in the habit of waiting until the last minute
Believing that you work better under pressure
Thinking that you can finish it at the last minute
Lacking the initiative to get started
Blaming sickness or poor health
Waiting for the right moment
Needing time to think about the task
Delaying one task in favor of working on another

Press Play for Advice On Completing Tasks

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares how to get tasks done with a science-backed trick known as 'temptation bundling.' Click below to listen now.

Follow Now : Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts

Some researchers classify two types of procrastinators: passive and active procrastinators.

Passive procrastinators : Delay the task because they have trouble making decisions and acting on them
Active procrastinators : Delay the task purposefully because working under pressure allows them to "feel challenged and motivated"

Others define the types of procrastinators based on different behavioral styles of procrastination, including:

Perfectionist : Puts off tasks out of the fear of not being able to complete a task perfectly
Dreamer : Puts off tasks because they are not good at paying attention to detail
Defier : Doesn't believe someone should dictate their time schedule
Worrier : Puts off tasks out of fear of change or leaving the comfort of "the known"
Crisis-maker : Puts off tasks because they like working under pressure
Overdoer : Takes on too much and struggles with finding time to start and complete task

Procrastinators vs. Non-Procrastinators

If you tend to put things off, you might wonder exactly what makes non-procrastinators different. According to the American Psychological Association, people who don't procrastinate tend to focus more on the task itself. Rather than worrying about how other people see them, they are more concerned with how they see themselves.

People who don't procrastinate also tend to be high in the personality trait known as conscientiousness , one of the broad dispositions identified by the Big Five personality theory. People with high conscientiousness also tend to be high in other areas, including self-discipline, persistence, and personal responsibility.

The Negative Impact of Procrastination

It becomes a more serious issue when procrastination is chronic and begins to impact a person's daily life seriously. In such instances, it's not just a matter of poor time management skills; it's a major part of their lifestyle.

Perhaps they pay their bills late, don't start work on big projects until the night before the deadline, delay gift shopping until the day before a birthday, and even file their income tax returns late.

Unfortunately, this procrastination can have a serious impact on many life areas, including a person's mental health and social, professional, and financial well-being:

Higher levels of stress and illness
Increased burden placed on social relationships
Resentment from friends, family, co-workers, and fellow students
Consequences of delinquent bills and income tax returns

How to Overcome Procrastination

You might find yourself wondering, How can I stop procrastinating?

Fortunately, there are a number of different things you can do to fight procrastination and start getting things done on time. Consider these your procrastination exercises:

Make a to-do list : To help keep you on track, consider placing a due date next to each item.
Take baby steps : Break down the items on your list into small, manageable steps so that your tasks don’t seem so overwhelming.
Recognize the warning signs : Pay attention to any thoughts of procrastination and do your best to resist the urge. If you begin to think about procrastinating, force yourself to spend a few minutes working on your task.
Eliminate distraction : Ask yourself what pulls your attention away the most—whether it's Instagram, Facebook updates, or the local news—and turn off those sources of distraction.
Pat yourself on the back : When you finish an item on your to-do list on time, congratulate yourself and reward yourself by indulging in something you find fun.

If you put things off sometimes, don't worry; it happens to all of us. It's often the tasks we dislike the most that get pushed off until the last minute. While common, it is important to remember that this behavior can have serious consequences, including hurting your relationships, your personal achievements, and your ability to succeed at work and school.

Fortunately, you can do things to reduce that urge to stall. Understanding why you're struggling to get started can help. Remember to create a to-do list of things that need to be done and start small. When you feel the urge to procrastinate, force yourself to do just one small thing. Sometimes, just getting started is half the battle.

Prem R, Scheel TE, Weigelt O, Hoffmann K, Korunka C. Procrastination in daily working life: A diary study on within-person processes that link work characteristics to workplace procrastination . Front Psychol . 2018;9:1087. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01087

Rozental A, Forsström D, Hussoon A, Klingsieck KB. Procrastination among university students: differentiating severe cases in need of support from less severe cases . Front Psychol . 2022;13:783570. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.783570

Bisin A, Hyndman K. Present-bias, procrastination and deadlines in a field experiment . Games and Economic Behavior. 2020;119:339-357. doi:10.1016/j.geb.2019.11.010

Rogowska AM, Cincio A. Procrastination mediates the relationship between problematic TikTok use and depression among young adults . J Clin Med . 2024;13(5):1247. doi:10.3390/jcm13051247

Beutel ME, Klein EM, Aufenanger S, et al. Procrastination, distress and life satisfaction across the age range - A German representative community study . PLoS One . 2016;11(2):e0148054. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0148054

Limburg K, Watson HJ, Hagger MS, Egan SJ. The relationship between perfectionism and psychopathology: A meta-analysis . J Clin Psychol. 2017;73(10):1301-1326. doi:10.1002/jclp.22435

Altgassen M, Scheres A, Edel MA. Prospective memory (partially) mediates the link between ADHD symptoms and procrastination . Atten Defic Hyperact Disord . 2019;11(1):59-71. doi:10.1007/s12402-018-0273-x

Yan B, Zhang X. What research has been conducted on procrastination? Evidence from a systematical bibliometric analysis . Front Psychol . 2022;13:809044. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.809044

Zohar AH, Shimone LP, Hen M. Active and passive procrastination in terms of temperament and character . PeerJ . 2019;7:e6988. doi:10.7717/peerj.6988

American Psychological Association. The first step to overcoming procrastination: Know thyself .

American Psychological Association. The psychology of procrastination: Why people put off important tasks until the last minute .

Gao K, Zhang R, Xu T, Zhou F, Feng T. The effect of conscientiousness on procrastination: The interaction between the self-control and motivation neural pathways . Hum Brain Mapp . 2021;42(6):1829-1844. doi:10.1002/hbm.25333

Svartdal F, Nemtcan E. Past negative consequences of unnecessary delay as a marker of procrastination . Front Psychol. 2022;13. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.787337

Schrager S, Sadowski E. Getting more done: Strategies to increase scholarly productivity . J Grad Med Educ . 2016;8(1):10-13. doi:10.4300/JGME-D-15-00165.1

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Skip to main content
Skip to secondary menu
Skip to primary sidebar
Skip to footer

A Plus Topper

Improve your Grades

Procrastination Essay | Essay on Procrastination for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Procrastination Essay: Everyone procrastinates at some point. We put things off because we have too many other things on our plates or because we don’t want to do them. Big or small, putting things off-is part of human beings.

One always suspects themselves that could be a much better writer if only they didn’t put off their writing projects until the last minute. One love, the rush of adrenaline one gets when he/she finish a paper ten minutes before it’s due, but gets tired of pulling all-nights.

You can also find more Essay Writing articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long and Short Essays on Procrastination for Students and Kids in English

We provide students with essay samples on a long essay of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the topic ‘Procrastination’ for reference.

Long Essay on Procrastination 500 Words in English

Long Essay on Procrastination is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

All of us guilty of putting off our homework till the last minute or perhaps studied for the test only a day before. We do delay our task by putting off crucial work until a later date. This habit is termed as procrastination. The practice or action of purposefully delaying any task or activity is known as procrastination.

Procrastination is not a rare phenomenon, and almost everyone finds themselves guilty such thing at some point in their lives. It’s good to ask ourselves questions like – why do people procrastinate even when most of them are busy in all their time? Time is our most precious commodity in the 21st Century. And yet, by procrastinating we waste most our time.

The reason for procrastination varies from person to person and situation to situation. However, some cause is universal and has a particular reason to delay actions or tasks. The fear of failure is one of the most important ones. The cause of a person being disinterested in finishing a task or when delays are doing an important task could be due to a deep-rooted fear of failure. Avoid and fear failure is a pretty standard human nature, and by choosing to delay or never finish the task, we do avoid the consequences as well.

The lack of focus ad determination is another big reason for procrastination. People losing their will to do a job can cause due to the feeling of unfocused and directionless, which eventually leads them to procrastination. Lack of goals and objectives are also some other important reason behind a person losing their focus sometimes. Due to not having an end-goal in mind, most people end up in wasting energy in other useless tasks.

Suppose a person is too much of a perfectionist. In that case, he/she can end up in procrastinating his/her work and is also a major reason a person may procrastinate—other reasons like low energy levels, easy distractions, laziness, etc.

Procrastination is a very natural fault we all share, but if things get out of our hands, then it can get us into quite troublesome. Loose control of your schedules and deadlines can disrupt your life due to excessive procrastination. So one should try to get things back in control if their habit of procrastination gets out of hand.

Changing your environment may be beneficial at some times. It provides you with the necessary boost by motivating you to finish your task and make you stop procrastinating. A friend or your parents can help you to keep a check on your progress and encourages you to complete the task on time by keeping the motivation level up.

We are all a victim to procrastination from time to time in our life, so the main concern is not to blame or over-focus for procrastinating sometimes. Give yourself a few breaks and keep a check that it does not derail your entire schedule and get back to work as soon as possible. Discipline organize life solves problems.

Short Essay on Procrastination 150 Words in English

Short Essay on Procrastination is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

The reason for procrastination varies from person to person and situation to situation. The cause of a person being disinterested in finishing a task or when delays are doing an important task could be due to a deep-rooted fear of failure.

Discipline organize life solves problems. We are all a victim to procrastination from time to time in our life, so the main concern is not to blame or over-focus for procrastinating sometimes. Give yourself a few breaks and keep a check that it does not derail your entire schedule and get back to work as soon as possible.

10 Lines on Procrastination Essay in English

1. Procrastination was highly valued by Greek philosophers and stated that it makes you learn to manage delay. 2. Procrastination makes you think what matters most in life and what most important to you. 3. Better decision-making may result from procrastination due to rushing in to deal, task, project or items. 4. If one has a habit of putting off things, then procrastination can help to jump-start prioritization. 5. Active procrastination can lead to better engagement of other things done on your to-do- list. 6. Procrastination is experienced due to higher levels of stress, illness, and eventually yielding to poor academic performance. 7. Procrastination does lead to higher levels of stress and may link you to low self-compassion. 8. Procrastination allows you to get things done, which are the wrong things or are out of priority. 9. Procrastination creates resentment and adds to the dumped workload on other employees or colleagues and sets feelings of anxiety and piled-on resentment. 10. The end-product of chronic procrastination includes an increase in mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.

FAQ’s on Procrastination Essay

Question 1. What causes procrastination?

Answer: Trouble focusing, perfectionism, depression, fear of failure, a tendency to self-defeat, fear of criticism, avoidance, low self-esteem, etc. are some of the causes of procrastination.

Question 2. Why is procrastination bad?

Answer: Procrastination over a long period cause a reduction in productivity and make you miss out on achieving our goals.

Question 3. Is procrastination a mental illness?

Answer: Procrastination may be symptomatic of a psychological disorder.

Question 4. How common is procrastination?

Answer: Procrastination is a very common human tendency, and about 20% of adults have regular bouts of procrastination.

Picture Dictionary
English Speech
English Slogans
English Letter Writing
English Essay Writing
English Textbook Answers
Types of Certificates
ICSE Solutions
Selina ICSE Solutions
ML Aggarwal Solutions
HSSLive Plus One
HSSLive Plus Two
Kerala SSLC
Distance Education

Procrastination Essay

500+ words procrastination essay.

Procrastination is a tendency, attitude or behavioural trait of a person lacking willpower and vitality to do work. Most people have a tendency to not complete their work, and leave it for some other time. When people procrastinate, instead of working on important meaningful tasks, they find themselves performing trivial activities. They spend their time watching TV, playing video games, checking Facebook, obsessively cleaning, pacing back and forth through the office, or maybe just sitting and staring at a wall. Afterwards, they feel powerless and are overcome with feelings of guilt and frustration. They often end up doing nothing. So, the habit of procrastination is very harmful as it wastes so much time. This Procrastination Essay will help in understanding the meaning of procrastination, its effect on students’ lives and ways to overcome procrastination. So, students must go through it and take ideas which help them write an effective essay on this topic. Moreover, they can also get the list of CBSE Essays on different topics for their practice. It will help them to participate in various essay writing competitions.

What is Procrastination?

Procrastination is the tendency to delay an intended action or decision. It is defined as the act of needlessly delaying tasks to the point of experiencing subjective discomfort. The illusory idea underlying procrastination is a feeling that ‘later is better. This is also the common reason behind the ‘tomorrow’ outlook on life, which forces people to postpone everything for a ‘tomorrow’ that never comes. When the next day dawns, the pattern resurfaces, and procrastinators excuse themselves by promising again that ‘I will do it tomorrow. Hence, procrastination is seen as a ‘tomorrow syndrome’.

Effect of Procrastination on Students’ Life

Since the dawn of time, people have suffered from procrastination. It is a serious problem, especially among students. Most of the students put off their homework and studies for later, thinking that they have plenty of time to get it done. However, the work gets delayed and results in compromising the quality of education. Research has shown that it takes more time to complete a task when a student allows his focus to drift and the task becomes more difficult for him.

Some students waste up to one-third of their time procrastinating. Procrastination can take many forms. For example, a student has a paper due on Monday morning, but he went skiing with friends all weekend instead of studying. When students procrastinate, then they always have the excuse of “not having enough” time. The reasons for delaying and avoiding tasks for students are rooted in fear and anxiety. This fear is about doing poor, losing control, looking stupid, and having one’s sense of self or self-concept challenged. They avoid doing work to avoid their abilities being judged. So, what can students do to overcome their tendencies to procrastinate? Below are a few tips and methods that can help them.

Tips and Methods to Overcome Procrastination

There are many ways to break the vicious circle of procrastination. A good first step to overcoming procrastination is to identify distractions and their possible solutions. Another is to finish the work in the allocated time. If a task seems too big or overwhelming, break it down into a series of smaller, more achievable tasks or steps that will add up to completing the job. Concentrate on taking the first step, then the next, until you complete the full journey. Whenever students find themselves procrastinating, they should think about the good things that will happen when they stop procrastinating. Set specific dates and times to begin or continue the work. Put up notes or reminders in prominent places like the fridge or a mirror, to remind them that work needs to be done.

It is difficult to leave a bad habit. It also takes time and can’t be done overnight. So, don’t expect from yourself that you will suddenly break up with your procrastinating behaviour. Be realistic and figure out the strategies that work best for you. Practise them, notice small improvements in procrastinating behaviour and reward yourself. There is no quick fix for procrastination – it takes time and effort, and surely, no one else can fix it for you.

Students must have found “Procrastination Essay” useful for improving their essay writing skills. Visit BYJU’S website to get the latest updates and study material on CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive Exams, at BYJU’S.

CBSE Related Links

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Essay on Procrastination

Introduction to Procrastination

Procrastination, the deliberate delay of tasks, is a pervasive challenge that plagues individuals across various facets of life. Defined as the postponement of actions despite adverse consequences, its insidious nature extends into academic, professional, and personal spheres. With roots often grounded in psychological factors such as fear of failure, perfectionism, and a lack of motivation , procrastination wreaks havoc on productivity and achievement. This essay explores the profound consequences of procrastination, delves into its psychological underpinnings, suggests practical strategies for overcoming it, and examines its modern manifestation in the digital age. Understanding and addressing procrastination becomes increasingly crucial for personal development and success as we navigate a world of distractions.

Common Manifestations of Procrastination

Procrastination manifests in various ways, subtly infiltrating daily routines and impeding progress. Recognizing these common manifestations is crucial for individuals seeking to overcome this pervasive habit:

Watch our Demo Courses and Videos

Valuation, Hadoop, Excel, Mobile Apps, Web Development & many more.

Delaying Task Initiation: Procrastinators often struggle to commence tasks promptly, postponing the inevitable workload. Several reasons for this delay include the need for perfection or a fear of failing.
Excuse-Making: Procrastinators frequently engage in rationalization, creating elaborate excuses to justify delaying tasks. These justifications often serve as a defense mechanism against the guilt or anxiety associated with procrastination.
Time-Consuming Distractions: Engaging in non-essential activities, such as excessive social media use or mindless internet browsing, becomes a common procrastination tactic. These distractions provide a temporary escape from the task at hand.
Incomplete Planning: Procrastinators may need help with adequate planning and organization, leading to underestimating the time and effort required for a task. This lack of preparation contributes to last-minute rushes and subpar outcomes.
Perfectionism Paralysis: The pursuit of perfection can be a paralyzing force, causing individuals to delay starting a task until conditions align perfectly. This mindset often leads to missed deadlines and unrealized potential.
Indecision and Overthinking: Procrastinators may find themselves caught in a cycle of indecision, overthinking the various aspects of a task. This overanalysis can hinder progress and contribute to an overwhelming sense of being stuck.
Task Switching: Rather than focusing on a single task, procrastinators frequently engage in task-switching – moving between various activities without completing any. This behavior provides a false sense of productivity while avoiding the primary task.
Avoidance of Unpleasant Tasks: Procrastinators prioritize tasks they find more enjoyable or less challenging, avoiding those perceived as difficult or unpleasant. This selective task avoidance perpetuates a cycle of delayed responsibilities.

Impact on Personal and Professional Life

Procrastination profoundly impacts personal and professional spheres, influencing various aspects of an individual’s life. The consequences of habitual procrastination extend far beyond the immediate delay of tasks, affecting overall well-being and success:

Diminished Productivity: Procrastination impedes productivity by delaying task completion. This reduced output can hinder professional progress, limit career advancement, and undermine personal goals.
Increased Stress and Anxiety: The constant pressure of impending deadlines, coupled with the awareness of uncompleted tasks, contributes to heightened stress and anxiety levels. Procrastination creates a cycle of chronic worry that negatively impacts mental health.
Impaired Decision-Making: Procrastinators often make rushed decisions as deadlines loom, compromising the quality of choices. This impairment in decision-making can have detrimental effects on both personal and professional outcomes.
Strained Relationships: Procrastination can strain personal relationships, as delayed commitments and unmet expectations create frustration and disappointment among friends, family, and colleagues. Erosion may result in the trust.
Missed Opportunities: Procrastination leads to missed opportunities in both personal and professional realms. Opportunities for career advancement, personal growth, and meaningful experiences may be squandered due to delayed or incomplete efforts.
Negative Impact on Reputation: Consistent procrastination can tarnish one’s reputation in professional settings. Colleagues and supervisors may perceive the procrastinator as unreliable, affecting professional relationships and potential career opportunities.
Health Consequences: Adverse health effects, including increased stress-related illnesses, compromised immune function, and disrupted sleep patterns, are linked to chronic procrastination. The toll on physical well-being further exacerbates the negative impact.
Undermined Self-Esteem: Persistent procrastination erodes self-esteem and self-worth. Unable to complete tasks on time or achieve objectives can make one feel like a failure and start a vicious cycle of low self-esteem.
Financial Implications: In professional settings, missed deadlines or subpar performance resulting from procrastination may lead to financial repercussions, such as reduced bonuses, missed promotions, or job loss.
Delay in Personal Development: Procrastination hinders personal growth by delaying the pursuit of educational goals, skill development, and self-improvement initiatives. This delay impedes the realization of one’s full potential.

Psychological Roots of Procrastination

Procrastination has deep-seated psychological roots, often stemming from complex interplays of emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Understanding these psychological factors is crucial for individuals aiming to address and overcome procrastination. The key psychological roots include:

Fear of Failure: A deep-seated fear of failure frequently fuels procrastination. Individuals may delay tasks to avoid potential criticism, judgment, or the perceived negative consequences of not meeting expectations. The anticipation of failure becomes a powerful deterrent to task initiation.
Perfectionism: Procrastination is prevalent among perfectionists who set excessively high standards for themselves. The fear of not meeting these unrealistic expectations can lead to avoidance of tasks, as perfectionists may prefer not to attempt a task at all rather than risk falling short of perfection.
Lack of Intrinsic Motivation: When individuals need a genuine interest or enthusiasm for a task, they may need help finding the motivation to begin or complete it. Procrastination becomes a way to avoid engaging in activities not aligning with their intrinsic values or interests.
Time Management Skills: Poor time management skills contribute significantly to procrastination. Individuals who struggle with organizing and prioritizing tasks may be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work, leading to avoidance and delay.
Low Self-Efficacy: Low self-efficacy, where individuals doubt their abilities to complete a task, can be linked to procrastination. This lack of confidence can create a self-fulfilling prophecy, as believing in incompetence becomes a barrier to initiating and completing tasks.
Temporal Discounting: Human psychology tends to prioritize immediate rewards over future benefits. Procrastinators may succumb to the allure of short-term gratification, choosing instant pleasure or leisure over the delayed but more significant rewards of completing a task.
Cognitive Distortions: Distorted thinking patterns, such as all-or-nothing thinking or catastrophizing, contribute to procrastination. These cognitive distortions can create irrational beliefs about the consequences of task completion, further reinforcing avoidance behaviors.
Decisional Procrastination: Some individuals struggle with making decisions, fearing making the wrong choice. This indecision can lead to delayed actions as they grapple with the perceived consequences of their choices.

Consequences of Procrastination

Procrastination takes a toll on various aspects of an individual’s life, leading to negative consequences that impact personal and professional well-being. The repercussions of procrastination are far-reaching and include:

Lowered Productivity: Procrastination hampers productivity by delaying task completion. As a result, individuals may be overwhelmed by a backlog of unfinished work, leading to decreased overall efficiency.
Missed Deadlines: Procrastination often results in missed deadlines, which can have significant consequences in academic, professional, and personal contexts. This can lead to a domino effect, affecting subsequent tasks and responsibilities.
Increased Stress and Anxiety: The chronic postponement of tasks contributes to heightened stress and anxiety levels. The looming pressure of pending deadlines and uncompleted responsibilities creates a constant undercurrent of tension.
Compromised Quality of Work: Rushed efforts to meet last-minute deadlines can compromise the quality of work. Procrastinators may produce subpar outcomes compared to what they could achieve with proper planning and time allocation.
Negative Impact on Health: Various health issues, including increased stress-related ailments, disrupted sleep patterns, and compromised immune function, have been linked to procrastination. The physical toll exacerbates the overall impact on well-being.
Strained Relationships: Procrastination can strain relationships, both personally and professionally. Delays in fulfilling commitments and unmet expectations may lead to frustration and disappointment among friends, family, and colleagues.
Impaired Academic Performance: Procrastination can lead to lower grades and academic underachievement in educational settings. Missed study sessions, delayed project submissions, and postponed exam preparation contribute to diminished academic success.
Career Consequences: In professional settings, chronic procrastination may impair job performance, missed career advancement opportunities, and damage professional reputation. Employers may view consistent delays as a need for more reliability.
Financial Implications: Procrastination can have economic consequences, especially in professional contexts. Missed project deadlines or subpar performance may lead to reduced bonuses, missed promotions, or job loss.
Undermined Self-Esteem: Persistent procrastination can erode self-esteem and self-worth. The repeated inability to meet deadlines or accomplish goals may create a negative self-perception, leading to a cycle of self-doubt.
Missed Opportunities: Procrastination results in missed opportunities for personal and professional growth. Opportunities for skill development, career advancement, and personal enrichment may be overlooked or delayed.

Overcoming Procrastination

Overcoming procrastination is an essential step toward achieving personal and professional success. By implementing these strategies, people can empower themselves to end the cycle of procrastination and increase their output. Here’s a concise breakdown of key approaches to overcoming procrastination:

Self-awareness and Reflection: Understand the underlying causes of procrastination by identifying triggers, patterns, and emotional factors contributing to delays.
Goal Setting and Planning: Break down tasks into manageable steps and set realistic goals. Establish a clear roadmap, outlining deadlines and milestones for each project component.
Developing Effective Time Management Strategies: Prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance. Utilize time management techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, setting specific time intervals for focused work followed by short breaks.
Seeking Support: Share goals with accountability partners who can provide encouragement and hold you responsible for meeting deadlines. Professional assistance, such as a coach or therapist, can offer valuable guidance.
Positive Reinforcement: Enjoy your little successes along the road. Reward yourself for reaching goals and finishing chores to create a positive connection with productivity.
Embracing a Growth Mindset: Develop an attitude that sees obstacles as chances for development and learning. Change to a growth mindset, which views setbacks as learning opportunities, from a fixed mindset that fears failure.
Learning from Setbacks: Instead of succumbing to guilt or frustration over past procrastination, extract lessons from setbacks. Understand the factors that led to delays and use them as insights for future improvement.
Fostering a Positive Environment: Create a conducive work environment that minimizes distractions. Organize your workspace, set clear boundaries, and establish routines that promote focus and concentration.

Procrastination in the Digital Age

The constant influx of information, pervasive connectivity, and the allure of instant gratification exacerbate procrastination in the digital age. The impact of technology on procrastination is evident in various ways, and understanding these dynamics is crucial for effectively addressing this modern challenge:

Social Media Distractions: The prevalence of social media platforms provides continuous stimuli that can easily divert attention from tasks. Endless scrolling, notifications, and the need for online validation contribute to procrastination by creating a cycle of distraction.
Instant Gratification: The accessibility of information and entertainment on the internet has cultivated a culture of instant gratification. Individuals may prefer short-term pleasures, such as watching videos or browsing social media, over engaging in more labor-intensive tasks.
Multitasking Overload: The digital age encourages multitasking, with individuals attempting to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. While technology facilitates multitasking, it often leads to reduced focus, lower productivity, and an increased likelihood of procrastination.
Overwhelming Information Flow: The constant influx of emails , messages, and notifications can be overwhelming, leading to decision fatigue and a sense of being unable to manage the sheer volume of information. This may result in procrastination as individuals avoid dealing with the digital deluge.
Online Procrastination Tools: The digital landscape offers numerous tools and platforms designed for leisure and entertainment. Video streaming services, online games, and other distractions provide convenient avenues for procrastination, hindering productivity.
Perceived Availability of Time: Technology provides a false sense of unlimited time, assuming that tasks can be completed quickly or at any moment. This perception can lead to delays in initiating tasks, as individuals need to pay more attention to the time required for completion.

Addressing procrastination in the digital age involves positively leveraging technology:

Productivity Apps: Use productivity apps and tools to manage time, set goals, and track progress. These tools can serve as digital allies in the fight against procrastination.
Time-Tracking Tools: Implement time-tracking tools to gain insights into digital habits. Individuals can make informed decisions about task prioritization by understanding how they spend their time online.
Digital Detox Strategies: Periodically disconnect from digital devices to break the cycle of constant connectivity. Scheduled digital detoxes can enhance focus, reduce distraction, and combat procrastination.
Setting Digital Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries for device usage during work or study hours. Designate specific times for focused work without digital interruptions, fostering a more disciplined approach.

Case Studies

1. The Perfectionist Procrastinator

Background: Sarah, a high-achieving college student, consistently struggles with procrastination despite excelling academically. Her primary issue lies in perfectionism, as she fears that anything less than perfection is a failure.
Observations: Sarah often spends excessive time planning tasks and setting impossibly high standards. The fear of not meeting these standards paralyzes her, leading to delays in starting assignments. As deadlines approach, she experiences intense stress but manages to complete tasks quickly, albeit with compromised quality.
Intervention: To address Sarah’s perfectionism-driven procrastination, a counselor introduces her to the concept of setting realistic goals and accepting imperfections. Sarah learns to break down tasks into manageable parts, focusing on progress rather than flawless outcomes. Through cognitive-behavioral techniques, she gradually shifts her mindset, understanding that imperfections do not equate to failure.
Outcome: With newfound strategies, Sarah experiences reduced anxiety and completes tasks more efficiently. Embracing a healthier approach to perfectionism allows her to maintain high standards while overcoming the paralyzing effects of procrastination.

2. The Fear-Driven Procrastinator

Background: John, a mid-level manager in a corporate setting, consistently avoids taking on new projects or responsibilities. His procrastination stems from a deep-seated fear of failure and the associated professional consequences.
Observations: John habitually delays making decisions or taking on challenging tasks, often passing opportunities to colleagues. He experiences heightened anxiety as deadlines loom, but the fear of potential failure prevents him from seeking help or guidance.
Intervention: A coach works with John to address his fear of failure through goal-setting and positive reinforcement. The coach helps him break down tasks into manageable steps, encouraging a focus on the learning process rather than the end result. Regular check-ins and support from colleagues foster a sense of accountability.
Outcome: Through targeted interventions, John gains confidence in his abilities and becomes more willing to take on challenges. The fear-driven procrastination diminishes as he experiences success in smaller tasks, ultimately leading to increased job satisfaction and professional growth.

3. The Chronic Time Mismanager

Background: a freelance writer, Alex struggles with chronic procrastination due to poor time management skills. Despite having a flexible schedule, Alex frequently misses deadlines and experiences stress from the constant pressure to catch up.
Observations: Alex’s disorganized work routine leads to a lack of prioritization. The absence of a structured schedule results in frequent task-switching and an inability to accurately estimate the time required for each project.
Intervention: A time management coach collaborates with Alex to establish a structured daily routine. Introduce techniques such as the Pomodoro Technique to improve focus and productivity. The coach helps Alex set realistic deadlines, fostering a more organized approach to work.
Outcome: With improved time management skills, Alex experiences a notable reduction in procrastination. Meeting deadlines becomes more manageable, increasing productivity and a more balanced work-life dynamic. The newfound structure contributes to a more fulfilling and sustainable freelance career .

Cultivating a Proactive Mindset

Cultivating a proactive mindset is a transformative process that empowers individuals to take control of their actions, navigate challenges, and achieve their goals with resilience. Here’s a concise breakdown of key strategies for fostering a proactive mindset:

Embracing Growth: Adopt a growth mindset, seeing challenges as opportunities for learning and development. Embrace setbacks as natural aspects of the growth journey.
Celebrating Progress: Acknowledge and celebrate small wins regularly, creating a positive feedback loop that reinforces proactive habits and achievements.
Learning from Setbacks: Treat setbacks as valuable lessons, analyze contributing factors, and use the insights to refine future strategies.
Optimizing Environment: Create a conducive environment by organizing workspaces, minimizing distractions, and surrounding oneself with positivity and support.
Setting SMART Goals: Define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. Break down larger objectives into actionable steps to enhance clarity and focus.
Effective Time Management: Prioritize tasks, utilize time management techniques, and set realistic timelines to optimize productivity and efficiency.
Proactive Habits: Develop consistent routines and habits that align with long-term goals, reinforcing a proactive approach in daily life.
Initiating Tasks: Proactively seek opportunities for improvement, volunteer for challenges, and demonstrate a willingness to take responsibility and lead.
Solution-Oriented Approach: When faced with challenges, it’s essential to approach them by breaking down complex issues into manageable components, finding solutions, and addressing them systematically.
Balanced Living: Prioritize self-care, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and recognize the importance of well-being in sustaining long-term productivity.

Procrastination, rooted in psychological complexities, exerts a multifaceted impact on personal and professional realms. Recognizing its manifestations, understanding its psychological origins, and implementing effective strategies are crucial for overcoming this pervasive challenge. The consequences of procrastination extend beyond missed deadlines, encompassing mental well-being, relationships, and overall life satisfaction. Individuals can overcome procrastination by increasing self-awareness, adopting proactive mindsets, and seeking targeted interventions. Embracing these changes empowers a journey toward enhanced productivity, reduced stress, and the realization of personal and professional potential, fostering a more fulfilling and successful life.

*Please provide your correct email id. Login details for this Free course will be emailed to you

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .

Valuation, Hadoop, Excel, Web Development & many more.

Forgot Password?

This website or its third-party tools use cookies, which are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the cookie policy. By closing this banner, scrolling this page, clicking a link or continuing to browse otherwise, you agree to our Privacy Policy

Explore 1000+ varieties of Mock tests View more

Submit Next Question

Early-Bird Offer: ENROLL NOW

Home — Essay Samples — Psychology — Behavioral psychology — Procrastination

Essays on Procrastination

The importance of procrastination: a deep dive 🕵️‍♂️.

Ever wondered why we procrastinate? It's not just about being lazy! Understanding procrastination can unlock the secrets to boosting productivity and finding balance. Writing an essay on this topic isn't just academic—it's a journey into self-awareness and time management skills. Let's explore why diving deep into the procrastination pool is not only fascinating but essential! 🚀

Procrastination Essay Topics 📝

Choosing the perfect topic for your procrastination essay is like picking the right playlist for your study session—it sets the tone! Think about what fascinates you: Is it the psychology behind procrastination, its effects, or strategies to overcome it? Let your curiosity lead the way and select a topic that resonates with you.

Procrastination Argumentative Essay

Ready to pick a side? In an argumentative essay, present your viewpoint with evidence. It's all about convincing the reader with strong arguments and solid facts. 🔍

The psychological roots of procrastination: Nature or nurture?
Is procrastination always bad? Debating its hidden benefits
Procrastination in students: Laziness or a symptom of deeper issues?
Can deadline pressure enhance creativity?
Should schools implement strategies to combat student procrastination?
Technology: A tool for procrastination or productivity?
The impact of social media on procrastination habits
Procrastination and mental health: Is there a link?
Strategies to overcome procrastination: Do they work?
Procrastination in the workplace: Solutions and challenges

Procrastination Cause and Effect Essay

Dig into the why's and what's next in a cause and effect essay. It's about tracing the roots and understanding the impacts. 🌱 ➡️ 🌳

How procrastination can affect mental health
The domino effect: How one delay leads to many
Procrastination and academic performance: A close look
The impact of procrastination on personal relationships
Chronic procrastination: Causes and long-term effects
Financial consequences of procrastination
The role of procrastination in stress and anxiety levels
Procrastination and sleep patterns: A night owl's perspective
The effect of procrastination on career advancement
Procrastination and decision-making: An analysis

Procrastination Opinion Essay

What's your take on procrastination? An opinion essay allows you to express your thoughts and feelings on the subject. Speak your mind! 💬

Procrastination: A villain or a misunderstood hero?
My personal battle with procrastination
The benefits of last-minute work: Myth or reality?
Why the traditional schooling system may promote procrastination
Procrastination and creativity: Are they linked?
The role of environment in fostering procrastination
Is procrastination a sign of intelligence?
Procrastination: A cultural phenomenon?
Self-help books on procrastination: Helpful or not?
Reframing procrastination: A new perspective

Procrastination Informative Essay

Ready to enlighten your readers? An informative essay on procrastination provides a deep dive into the topic, offering insights and facts. 📊

The science of procrastination: What happens in the brain
Historical perspectives on procrastination
Procrastination across different cultures and ages
Psychological theories explaining procrastination
The relationship between procrastination and time management
Case studies of successful people who procrastinate
Technological tools to combat procrastination
Strategies for overcoming procrastination: A guide
The future of procrastination: Trends and predictions
Procrastination in the digital age: Challenges and solutions

Procrastination Essay Example 💼

Procrastination thesis statement examples.

"Procrastination is not merely a time management issue but a complex psychological behavior that requires a comprehensive understanding and strategic interventions."
"Although often viewed negatively, procrastination can lead to creative breakthroughs and efficient problem-solving under the right circumstances."
"The growing trend of procrastination among students highlights the need for educational reforms that address not only academic skills but also emotional and psychological well-being."
"Technological advancements, while offering numerous productivity tools, also present significant challenges that contribute to procrastination behaviors."
"Understanding the root causes of procrastination can unlock potential strategies for improving personal and professional productivity."

Procrastination Essay Introduction Examples

"In today's fast-paced world, procrastination emerges as a silent disruptor of productivity and mental health. This essay delves into the psychological underpinnings of procrastination, exploring its causes, effects, and the dual-edged sword it represents in creativity and efficiency."

"Procrastination, often dismissed as mere laziness, is a complex phenomenon with deep psychological roots. This essay examines the multifaceted nature of procrastination, its implications on personal and academic achievements, and strategies for overcoming its grip."

"At first glance, procrastination may seem like a minor hindrance to success; however, its impact is far-reaching. Through an exploration of procrastination's causes and effects, this essay aims to shed light on its role in the modern productivity paradox."

Procrastination Conclusion Essay Examples

"In conclusion, procrastination is a pervasive issue that affects individuals across various aspects of life. By understanding its psychological basis and implementing targeted strategies, it is possible to mitigate its negative effects and harness its potential for positive outcomes."

"Ultimately, the journey to overcoming procrastination is personal and requires a blend of self-awareness, strategic planning, and the willingness to change. This essay has explored the intricate dance between procrastination and productivity, offering insights for a more balanced approach."

"As this essay concludes, it's clear that procrastination is more than just a barrier to efficiency; it's a window into our psychological and emotional landscapes. Addressing procrastination not only improves productivity but also enhances well-being and life satisfaction."

Procrastination is a Waste of Time

The negative effect of procrastination on the lives of students, made-to-order essay as fast as you need it.

Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences

+ experts online

Problems and Solutions of Procrastination Regarding Time Management and Academic Success

Influence of procrastination on academic performance, life satisfaction and stress, the art of procrastination and the solution to change the bad habit, effect of procrastination on self-critical emotions, let us write you an essay from scratch.

450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Factors that Become a Reason for Procrastination Amongst University Students

The problem of procrastination among students around the world, the contributions of technology to modern procrastination, role of procrastination in life, get a personalized essay in under 3 hours.

Expert-written essays crafted with your exact needs in mind

The Fear of Failure and The Fear of Success as Factors of Procrastination

Active procrastination as a viable method of studying for university students, understanding laziness and procrastinator lifestyle, discussion about procrastination in 300 words, the effects of daydreaming: nurturing creativity and fostering reflection, dissecting the disadvantages of procrastination, procrastinating persuasive speech outline, how to avoid procrastination.

Procrastination is the action of unnecessarily and voluntarily delaying or postponing something despite knowing that there will be negative consequences for doing so.

The word has originated from the Latin word procrastinatus, which itself evolved from the prefix pro-, meaning "forward," and crastinus, meaning "of tomorrow." Oftentimes, it is a habitual human behaviour. It is a common human experience involving delay in everyday chores or even putting off salient tasks such as attending an appointment, submitting a job report or academic assignment, or broaching a stressful issue with a partner.

Procrastination can lead to poor academic performance. Procrastination may have a genetic component. Procrastination is self-defeating behavior. Prioritization may be the offshoot of procrastination.

Relevant topics

Growth Mindset

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Bibliography

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

Instructions Followed To The Letter
Deadlines Met At Every Stage
Unique And Plagiarism Free

Essay Service Examples Psychology Procrastination

Essay on Procrastination

Essay Example #1

Exploring the causes of procrastination: is it reasonable.

Proper editing and formatting
Free revision, title page, and bibliography
Flexible prices and money-back guarantee

Bad Is Better Than Nothing

Always later, how to escape from procrastination, essay example #2.

Our writers will provide you with an essay sample written from scratch: any topic, any deadline, any instructions.

Cite this paper

Join our 150k of happy users

Get original paper written according to your instructions
Save time for what matters most

Fair Use Policy

EduBirdie considers academic integrity to be the essential part of the learning process and does not support any violation of the academic standards. Should you have any questions regarding our Fair Use Policy or become aware of any violations, please do not hesitate to contact us via [email protected].

We are here 24/7 to write your paper in as fast as 3 hours.

Provide your email, and we'll send you this sample!

By providing your email, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy .

Say goodbye to copy-pasting!

Get custom-crafted papers for you.

Enter your email, and we'll promptly send you the full essay. No need to copy piece by piece. It's in your inbox!

Essay on Procrastination

Students are often asked to write an essay on Procrastination in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Procrastination

Understanding procrastination.

Procrastination is when you delay or postpone tasks. It’s a common issue among students. It often leads to stress, as tasks pile up.

Why We Procrastinate

There are many reasons why we procrastinate. Some feel overwhelmed by tasks, while others lack motivation or fear failure.

Effects of Procrastination

Procrastination can lead to poor grades, stress, and a lack of self-confidence. It can also create a cycle of delaying tasks.

Overcoming Procrastination

To overcome procrastination, break tasks into smaller parts. Also, set deadlines and rewards for completing tasks. It’s important to start tasks early.

250 Words Essay on Procrastination

Procrastination, a ubiquitous phenomenon, is the act of delaying or postponing tasks. This habit, often perceived as harmless, can lead to detrimental impacts on productivity, mental health, and overall life satisfaction.

The Psychology Behind Procrastination

Psychologically, procrastination is not merely a lack of time management or laziness, but a complex interplay of fear, anxiety, and perfectionism. Individuals procrastinate due to the fear of failure, the anxiety of the unknown, or the desire to perfect a task, which can lead to a paralysis of action. This cognitive dissonance between the ideal self and the actual self fuels the cycle of procrastination.

Consequences of Procrastination

Procrastination can lead to a plethora of negative outcomes. It often results in poor performance, as tasks completed in haste lack quality. Moreover, it can cause stress, guilt, and a decrease in self-confidence. In extreme cases, it can lead to serious mental health issues like depression and anxiety disorders.

Overcoming procrastination requires a multifaceted approach. Techniques such as time management, goal setting, and mindfulness can help. However, it is crucial to address the underlying psychological issues. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has shown promise in helping individuals understand and change their procrastination habits.

In conclusion, procrastination is a complex issue that requires a comprehensive understanding and targeted strategies to overcome. It is not merely a character flaw but a psychological issue that can be addressed with the right tools and mindset.

500 Words Essay on Procrastination

Introduction.

Procrastination is not merely a matter of time management or laziness; it’s a complex interplay of psychological factors. The Temporal Motivation Theory, for instance, posits that individuals are more likely to procrastinate when the reward for a task is distant in time, and the task is perceived as unpleasant or challenging.

Moreover, procrastination can also be linked to self-regulation failure, where individuals struggle to control their responses and give in to immediate gratification. This is often exacerbated by factors such as fear of failure, perfectionism, and low self-efficacy, which can create a vicious cycle of avoidance and further procrastination.

Impacts of Procrastination

In the workplace, procrastination can result in missed deadlines, subpar work quality, and strained relationships with colleagues. Furthermore, on a personal level, chronic procrastination can lead to increased stress, diminished mental health, and a pervasive sense of guilt and regret.

Overcoming procrastination requires a strategic and multifaceted approach. One effective strategy is time management, where individuals plan and allocate time for tasks in advance, breaking larger tasks into smaller, manageable parts.

Lastly, self-compassion can be instrumental in mitigating procrastination. By being kind to oneself during instances of failure or delay, individuals can reduce the associated guilt and anxiety, thereby breaking the cycle of procrastination.

In conclusion, procrastination is a complex, multifaceted issue that extends beyond mere laziness or poor time management. It is deeply rooted in psychological factors and can have significant impacts on various aspects of life. However, with strategic interventions like effective time management, cognitive restructuring, and self-compassion, it is possible to overcome procrastination. Understanding and addressing procrastination is crucial in today’s fast-paced world, where efficiency and productivity are highly valued.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Happy studying!

Procrastination

The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair. —Mary Heaton Vorse

What this handout is about

This handout will help you understand why you procrastinate and offer strategies to combat this common writer’s ailment.

Introduction

Everyone procrastinates. We put things off because we don’t want to do them, or because we have too many other things on our plates. Putting things off—big or small—is part of being human. If you are reading this handout, however, it is likely that your procrastination is troubling you. You suspect that you could be a much better writer if only you didn’t put off writing projects until the last minute. You find that just when you have really gotten going on a paper, it’s time to turn it in; so, you never really have time to revise or proofread carefully. You love the rush of adrenaline you get when you finish a paper ten minutes before it’s due, but you (and your body) are getting tired of pulling all-nighters. You feel okay about procrastinating while in college, but you worry that this habit will follow you into your working life.

You can tell whether or not you need to do something about your procrastination by examining its consequences. Procrastination can have external consequences (you get a zero on the paper because you never turned it in) or internal consequences (you feel anxious much of the time, even when you are doing something that you enjoy). If you put off washing the dishes, but the dishes don’t bother you, who cares? When your procrastination leaves you feeling discouraged and overburdened, however, it is time to take action.

Is there hope?

If you think you are a hopeless procrastinator, take heart! No one is beyond help. The fact that you procrastinate does not mean that you are inherently lazy or inefficient. Your procrastination is not an untamable beast. It is a habit that has some specific origin, and it is a habit that you can overcome. This handout will help you begin to understand why you procrastinate and give you some strategies for turning things around. For most procrastinators, however, there are no quick fixes. You aren’t going to wake up tomorrow and never procrastinate again. But you might wake up tomorrow and do one or two simple things that will help you finish that draft a little earlier or with less stress.

You may not be surprised to learn that procrastinators tend to be self-critical. So, as you consider your procrastination and struggle to develop different work habits, try to be gentle with yourself. Punishing yourself every time you realize you have put something off won’t help you change. Rewarding yourself when you make progress will.

If you don’t care why you procrastinate—you just want to know what to do about it—then you might as well skip the next section of this handout and go right to the section labeled “What to do about it.” If you skip to the strategies, however, you may only end up more frustrated. Taking the time to learn about why you procrastinate may help you avoid the cycle whereby you swear up and down that you will never procrastinate again, only to find that the next time you have a paper due, you are up until 3 a.m. trying to complete the first (and only) draft—without knowing why or how you got there.

Why we do it

In order to stop putting off your writing assignments, it is important to understand why you tend to do so in the first place. Some of the reasons that people procrastinate include the following:

Because we are afraid

Fear of failure: If you are scared that a particular piece of writing isn’t going to turn out well, then you may avoid working on it in order to avoid feeling the fear.
Fear of success: Some procrastinators (the author of this handout included) fear that if they start working at their full capacity, they will turn into workaholics. Since we procrastinate compulsively, we assume that we will also write compulsively; we envision ourselves locked in a library carrel, hunched over the computer, barely eating and sleeping and never seeing friends or going out. The procrastinator who fears success may also assume that if they work too hard, they will become mean and cold to the people around them, thus losing their capacity to be friendly and to have fun. Finally, this type of procrastinator may think that if they stop procrastinating, then they will start writing better, which will increase other people’s expectations, thus ultimately increasing the amount of pressure they experience.
Fear of losing autonomy: Some people delay writing projects as a way of maintaining their independence. When they receive a writing assignment, they procrastinate as a way of saying, “You can’t make me do this. I am my own person.” Procrastinating helps them feel more in control of situations (such as college) in which they believe that other people have authority.
Fear of being alone: Other writers procrastinate because they want to feel constantly connected to other people. For instance, you may procrastinate until you are in such a bind that someone has to come and rescue you. Procrastination therefore ensures that other people will be involved in your life. You may also put off writing because you don’t want to be alone, and writing is oftentimes a solitary activity. In its worst form, procrastination itself can become a companion, constantly reminding you of all that you have to do.
Fear of attachment: Rather than fearing separation, some people procrastinate in order to create a barrier between themselves and others. They may delay in order to create chaos in their lives, believing that the chaos will keep other people away.

Whether these fears appear in our conscious or subconscious minds, they paralyze us and keep us from taking action, until discomfort and anxiety overwhelms us and forces us to either a) get the piece of writing done or b) give up. (The preceding is a summary of Chapters 2-4 of Jane B. Burka and Lenora M. Yuen’s Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It.)

Because we expect ourselves to be perfect

Procrastination and perfectionism often go hand in hand. Perfectionists tend to procrastinate because they expect so much of themselves, and they are scared about whether or not they can meet those high standards. Perfectionists sometimes think that it is better to give a half-hearted effort and maintain the belief that they could have written a great paper, than to give a full effort and risk writing a mediocre paper. Procrastinating guarantees failure, but it helps perfectionists maintain their belief that they could have excelled if they had tried harder. Another pitfall for perfectionists is that they tend to ignore progress toward a goal. As long as the writing project is incomplete, they feel as though they aren’t getting anywhere, rather than recognizing that each paragraph moves them closer to a finished product.

Because we don’t like our writing

You may procrastinate on writing because you don’t like to re-read what you have written; you hate writing a first draft and then being forced to evaluate it, in all its imperfection. By procrastinating, you ensure that you don’t have time to read over your work, thus avoiding that uncomfortable moment.

Because we’re too busy

Practical concerns: jobs, other classes, etc.

Because it works

Unfortunately, procrastination helps reinforce itself. When we avoid doing something we dread (like writing) by doing something we enjoy (such as watching TV, hanging out with friends, etc.), we escape the dreaded task. Given such a choice, it’s no wonder that many of us choose to procrastinate. When we write a paper at the last minute and still manage to get a good grade, we feel all the more compelled to procrastinate next time around.

What to do about it

Now that you know a little bit about why you may have procrastinated in the past, let’s explore some of the strategies you might use to combat your procrastination tendencies, now and in the future. Experiment with whichever of these strategies appeals to you; if you try something and it doesn’t work, try something else! Be patient; improvement will come with practice.

Take an inventory

Figuring out exactly when and how you procrastinate can help you stop the behavior. It can be difficult to tell when you are procrastinating. Think about the clues that tell you that’s what you’re doing: for example, a nagging voice in your head, a visual image of what you are avoiding or the consequences of not doing it, physical ailments (stomach tightness, headaches, muscle tension), inability to concentrate, inability to enjoy what you are doing.

How do you procrastinate?

Try to ignore the task, hoping against hope that it will go away?
Over- or under-estimate the degree of difficulty that the task involves?
Minimize the impact that your performance now may have on your future?
Substitute something important for something really important? (For example, cleaning instead of writing your paper.)
Let a short break become a long one, or an evening in which you do no work at all? (For example, claiming that you are going to watch TV for ½ hour, then watching it all night.)
Focus on one part of the task, at the expense of the rest? (For example, keep working on the introduction, while putting off writing the body and conclusion).
Spend too much time researching or choosing a topic

Once you better understand how you procrastinate, you will be better able to catch yourself doing it. Too often, we don’t even realize that we are procrastinating—until it’s too late.

Create a productive environment

If you have made the decision to stop delaying on a particular writing project, it is critical that you find a place to work where you have at least half a chance of actually getting some writing done. Your dorm room may not be the place where you are most productive. Ditto the computer lab. If you have a laptop computer, try going someplace where you can’t connect to the Internet (e-mail and the Web are the bane of the procrastinator’s existence—as you probably already know). If you are a procrastinator, then chances are you are already pretty exasperated; don’t risk frustrating yourself even more by trying to write in an environment that doesn’t meet your needs.

CAUTION: The most skilled procrastinators will be tempted to take this suggestion too far, spending an inordinate amount of time “creating a productive environment” (cleaning, filing, etc.) and not nearly enough time actually writing. Don’t fall into that trap! While cleaning and filing are indeed worthy and necessary activities, if you only do this when you have an approaching writing deadline, then you are procrastinating.

While you are thinking about where to write, consider also when you will write. When are you most alert? Is it at 8 a.m., mid-morning, mid-afternoon, early evening, or late at night? Try to schedule writing time when you know you will be at your best. Don’t worry about when you “should” be able to write; just focus on when you are able to write.

Challenge your myths

In order to break the procrastination habit, we need to get past the idea that in order to write, we must have all the information pertaining to the topic, and we must have optimal writing conditions. In reality, writers never have all the information, and conditions are never optimal.

Think of a writing project that you are currently putting off. On one side of a piece of paper, write down all the reasons for your delay. On the other side, argue (as convincingly as possible!) against the delay.

Myth #1: “I can’t function in a messy environment. I can’t possibly write this paper until I have cleaned my apartment.”

Challenge: There are no conditions that are necessary in order for you to write, save two: 1) You must have a writing implement (e.g., a keyboard or a pen) and 2) you must have someplace for writing to go, such as into a computer or onto a piece of paper. If, when faced with a writing project, you start piling up prerequisites for all the things you must do before you can possibly start writing, consider whether you might in fact be making excuses—in other words, procrastinating.

Myth #2: “I know it’s time for me to start writing, but I just haven’t done enough research yet. I’ll spend one more night at the library, and then I’ll start writing my paper.”

Challenge: Truth be told, you will never collect all the information you possibly could for your paper. Better to write a tightly-crafted argument with the information you have NOW, AT THIS VERY MOMENT, than to keep doing research and risk throwing your paper together at the last minute.

Myth #3: “I do my best work under pressure.”

Challenge: There are lots of other ways to create pressure for yourself, besides waiting until the night before the paper is due to start writing it. You can set a time limit for yourself—for example, “I will write this paragraph in ½ hour”—or you can pretend that the paper is a timed essay exam. If you do this a week or two before the paper is due, you’ll have a draft in plenty of time to revise and edit it.

Myth #4: “In order to work on my paper, I must have six uninterrupted hours.”

Challenge: You can and should work on a paper in one hour blocks (or shorter). This will help you break the writing task down into smaller pieces, thereby making it seem more manageable. If you know that you can work on one part of the paper for one hour, then it won’t seem so daunting, and you will be less likely to procrastinate.

Some writers find, however, that they do need longer blocks of time in order to really produce anything. Therefore, like all of the strategies outlined here, if this one doesn’t work for you, throw it out and try something else. You might still find, however, that you are more productive when you plan to write “all morning” rather than “all day.”

Myth #5 : “What I write has to be perfect, ” AND/OR “I can’t write anything until I have a perfect thesis statement/intro.”

Challenge: A first draft (or a second, or a third, or even—egad!—the final product) does not have to be perfect. When we write an early draft, we need to turn off our internal critic and just get some words down on the page. The great thing about starting early on a writing project is that it leaves us plenty of time for revision, editing, and proofreading; so, we can set ourselves free to just let our writing flow, without worrying about sentence-level concerns such as grammar, punctuation, and style. You’ll find some other thoughts on editing in our video on proofreading and our handout on revision .

Break it down

The day you get the paper assignment (ideally), or shortly thereafter, break the writing assignment up into the smallest possible chunks. By doing this, the paper never has a chance to take on gargantuan proportions in your mind. You can say to yourself, “Right now, I’m going to write the introduction. That’s all, just the introduction!” And you may be more likely to sit down and do that, than you will to sit down and “write the paper.”

Get a new attitude

We shoot ourselves in the foot, to begin with, by telling ourselves how horrible a particular writing assignment is. Changing our attitude toward the task, when possible, may go a long way toward keeping us from procrastinating. Tell yourself that the task isn’t so bad or difficult, that you either know how to do it, or that you can learn how while you’re doing it. You may find, too, that if you start early on a particular assignment, your attitude never has a chance to get very negative in the first place! Simply starting to write can often help us feel more positive about writing.

Ask for help

Get an anti-procrastination coach. If you are really determined not to procrastinate, then get help from the supportive people in your life. Tell someone about your writing goal and timeline, and ask them to help you determine whether or not your plan is realistic. Once or twice a week, email with a friend, relative, or mentor, in order to report (admit?) on your progress, and declare your promise for the next week (or few days). If, despite your very good intentions, you start procrastinating again, do not think, “All is lost!” Instead, talk to someone about it. They may be able to help you put your slip into perspective and get back on track.
Get a buddy. See if you can find a friend to work alongside you. They don’t have to be writing a paper; in fact, they can be playing Solitaire, for all you care. What matters is that you arrange to meet them at the library (or wherever you have decided to write) at a particular time and stay there for a specific period of time, thus creating accountability.
Get help with your writing. If you are procrastinating because you think you are a weak writer, then ask someone (a Writing Center writing coach, a current or former professor or teaching assistant, a friend) to help you improve.
Form a writing group. A writing group is a great way for undergraduate and more advanced writers alike to create accountability, get feedback, and simply get reminded that you are not alone in the struggle to produce and to improve your writing. See our writing group packet at for more information on how to form and sustain a writing group. Dissertation writers may benefit not only from joining a writing group but also from reading our handout on the dissertation . This handout was written by a former Writing Center staff member who eventually completed her dissertation.

Get unblocked

Sometimes, we procrastinate because we feel stuck on a particular essay or section of an essay. If this happens, you have several options:

Turn off the screen. Type with a dark screen, so you can’t see what you’ve written, decide you don’t like it, and delete it immediately. Sometimes procrastination stems from insecurity about what to say, or whether we have anything to say. The important thing, in that case, is to get started and KEEP GOING. Turning off the screen may help lessen your fear and turn off your internal critic. When you turn it back on (or print out what you’ve written), you may find that you do have something to say, after all.
Write about writing. Take 15 minutes and write a letter to yourself about why you don’t want to write this. This lets you vent your frustrations and anxieties. Then, Take 15 minutes and write about what you could do to get unstuck. You can also try writing about what you’re going to write, making an initial assessment of the assignment. You won’t have the pressure of writing an actual draft, but you will be able to get something down on paper.
Write the easiest part first. You don’t have to start at the beginning. Whatever section you can do, do it! If you think that’s wimpy, and you would rather do the hardest part first so that you can get it out of the way, that’s fine—whatever works for you. If you start writing and you get stuck, write about why you’re stuck.
Talk it out. Try tape-recording yourself speaking the ideas you want to include in the paper, and then transcribe the tape.

Make yourself accountable

Set a writing deadline (other than the paper’s due date) for yourself by making an appointment at the Writing Center or telling your TA (or a former TA) that you’re going to give them a draft on such-and-such a date. If you make your Writing Center appointment for several days before the paper is due, then you may be motivated to have a draft finished. Or set an earlier appointment at the Writing Center to have a conversation about your plans for the draft. Talking out your ideas with someone will help you get them organized for subsequent writing.

Leave your work out

Keeping your work (books, notes, articles, etc.) physically out, in full view, gives you a reminder that you are in the middle of the paper, or that you need to start. Also, if you write in more than one shift, it can be helpful to leave off in the middle of a paragraph and leave your ‘tools’ where they are. When you return to the paper, you’ll be able to “warm up” by finishing that paragraph. Starting a new section cold may be more difficult.

Work on improving your writing when you don’t have a deadline

Investigate your writing process. First of all, you may not think you have a thing called a “writing process.” But you do—everyone does. Describe your writing process in detail.

Ask yourself:

When do I usually start on a paper?
What tools do I need (or think I need) in order to write?
Where do I write?
Do I like quiet or noise when I write?
How long a block of time do I need?
What do I do before I start?
What do I do at the end?
How do I feel at the end (after I have turned it in)?

Then ask yourself:

What do I like about my writing process?
What do I want to change?

Once you can see your writing process, then you can make a decision to change it. But take it easy with this—only work on one part at a time. Otherwise, you’ll get overwhelmed and frustrated—and we all know where that leads, straight down the procrastination road.

Evaluate your writing’s strengths and weaknesses

If you aren’t ready to evaluate your writing process completely (and it’s okay if you aren’t), then you could try just listing your strengths and weaknesses as a writer. For instance, perhaps you are great at creating thesis statements, but you have trouble developing arguments. Or, your papers are very well-organized, but your thesis and argument tend to fall a little flat. Identifying these issues will help you do two things: 1) When you write, you can play to your strength; and 2) You can choose one weakness and do something about it when you DON’T have a deadline.

Now, doing anything when you don’t have a deadline may sound strange to a procrastinator, but bear with me. Let’s say you’ve decided that your writing is too wordy, and you want to work on being more concise. So, some time when you don’t have a paper—but you do have a free hour—you waltz into the Writing Center and tell your tutor, “Hey, I want learn to how to write more clearly.” You confer, and you come away with some simple strategies for eliminating wordiness.

Here is why this may make a difference the next time you write a paper, regardless of whether or not you have procrastinated (again!): You print out your draft. It’s 1 a.m. You go to bed. The next morning, you read over your paper (it’s due at noon). You say to yourself, “Hmmm, I notice I’m being too wordy.” BUT, rather than concluding, “Oh, well, it’s too late, there isn’t anything I can do about that,” (as you may have in the past), you can choose to employ some of what you learned (previously, when you weren’t under the gun) to make your writing more concise. You edit the paper accordingly. You turn it in.

When your instructor hands the papers back the following week, there are far fewer instances of “awkward,” “unclear,” etc. in the margins. Voila! You’ve made a positive change in your writing process!

What does this have to do with procrastination? Well, making one small change in your writing process creates momentum. You begin to feel more positive about your writing. You begin to be less intimidated by writing assignments. And—eventually—you start them earlier, because they just aren’t as big a deal as they used to be.

Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses in your writing gives you a sense of control. Your writing problems are solvable problems. Working on your writing when you don’t have a deadline helps you gain insight and momentum. Soon, writing becomes something that, while you may not look forward to it, you don’t dread quite as much. Thus, you don’t procrastinate quite as much.

This strategy also accounts for the fact that if you perceive procrastination as having been successful for you in the past, you aren’t going to give it up right away

Hone your proofreading and editing skills

If you procrastinate on writing because you don’t like to re-read what you have written, the good news is this: you can learn specific proofreading , revising , and editing strategies. If you finish your paper ahead of time, and you re-read it, and you don’t like it, you have options. Writing a first draft that you don’t like doesn’t mean you’re a terrible writer. Many writers—in fact, I would venture to say most—hate their first drafts. Neither Leo Tolstoy nor Toni Morrison produce(d) brilliant prose the first time around. In fact, Morrison (a big fan of revision) said recently that you don’t have to love your writing just because you wrote it! If you practice some revision and editing strategies, you may feel more comfortable with the idea of re-reading your papers. You’ll know that if you find weaknesses in the draft (and you will), you can do something to improve those areas.

Learn how to tell time

One of the best ways to combat procrastination is to develop a more realistic understanding of time. Procrastinators’ views of time tend to be fairly unrealistic. “This paper is only going to take me about five hours to write,” you think. “Therefore, I don’t need to start on it until the night before.” What you may be forgetting, however, is that our time is often filled with more activities than we realize. On the night in question, for instance, let’s say you go to the gym at 4:45 p.m. You work out (1 hour), take a shower and dress (30 minutes), eat dinner (45 minutes), and go to a sorority meeting (1 hour). By the time you get back to your dorm room to begin work on the paper, it is already 8:00 p.m. But now you need to check your email and return a couple of phone calls. It’s 8:30 p.m. before you finally sit down to write the paper. If the paper does indeed take five hours to write, you will be up until 1:30 in the morning—and that doesn’t include the time that you will inevitably spend watching TV.

And, as it turns out, it takes about five hours to write a first draft of the essay. You have forgotten to allow time for revision, editing, and proofreading. You get the paper done and turn it in the next morning. But you know it isn’t your best work, and you are pretty tired from the late night, and so you make yourself a promise: “Next time, I’ll start early!”

Make an unschedule

The next time you have a writing deadline, try using an unschedule to outline a realistic plan for when you will write. An unschedule is a weekly calendar of all the ways in which your time is already accounted for. When you make an unschedule, you consider not only your timed commitments such as classes and meetings, but also your untimed activities such as meals, exercise, errands, laundry, time with friends and family, and the like. It is not a list of what you should do in a given week; rather it is an outline of the time that you will necessarily spend doing other things besides writing.

Once you have made your unschedule, take a look at the blank spaces. These represent the maximum number of hours that you could potentially spend writing. By starting with these blank spaces as a guide, you will be able to more accurately predict how much time you will be able to write on any given day. You may be able to see, for instance, that you really don’t have five hours to spend writing on the night before the paper is due. By planning accordingly, you will not only get a better night’s sleep, you may also end up with a better paper!

The unschedule might also be a good way to get started on a larger writing project, such as a term paper or an honors thesis. You may think that you have “all semester” to get the writing done, but if you really sit down and map out how much time you have available to write on a daily and weekly basis, you will see that you need to get started sooner, rather than later. In addition, the unschedule may reveal especially busy weeks or months, which will help you budget time for long-term projects.

Perhaps most importantly, the unschedule can help you examine how you spend your time. You may be surprised at how much (or how little) time you spend watching television, and decide to make a change. It’s especially important that you build time for fun activities into your unschedule. Otherwise, you will procrastinate in order to steal time for relaxation.

You can also use the unschedule to record your progress towards your goal. Each time you work on your paper, for example, mark it on the unschedule. One of the most important things you can do to kick the procrastination habit is to reward yourself when you write something, even if (especially if) that writing is only a little piece of the whole. Seeing your success on paper will help reinforce the productive behavior, and you will feel more motivated to write later in the day or week.

Set a time limit

Okay, so maybe one of the reasons you procrastinate on writing projects is that you just plain hate writing! You would rather be at the dentist than sitting in front of your computer with a blank Microsoft Word document staring you in the face. In that case, it may be helpful to set limits on how much time you will spend writing before you do something else. While the notation “Must work on Hemingway essay all weekend” may not inspire you to sit down and write, “Worked on Hemingway essay for ½ hour” just might. Or, if you tell yourself that you will write “all weekend,” for instance, the sheer agony of the thought may keep you from doing any writing at all. If, however, you say that you will write for two hours on Saturday afternoon, you may actually accomplish something. The important thing here is to keep your commitment to yourself. Even if, at the end of the two hours, you think you could keep going, stop. Go outside and enjoy the weather. Your procrastinating self needs to be able to trust your new non-procrastinating self the next time you say you will only write for a certain amount of time. If you go overboard this time, then the next time you say, “I’ll write for two hours and then stop,” the procrastinator within will respond, “Yeah, right! I’m going rollerblading!”

On the other hand, it may work better for you to trick yourself into working on your paper by telling yourself you’re only going to write for two hours, but then continuing to work if you’re feeling inspired. Experiment with both approaches and see which one seems to work best for you.

Be realistic about how long it takes you to write

Procrastinators tend to be heroic about time; they estimate that it will take them two hours to complete a task that would take most people four. Once you have determined that procrastination is hurting your writing, begin taking notice of how long it actually takes you to write. Many students have a “page an hour” rule. Perhaps you can write a page in an hour if you are totally rested, fed, and focused, your roommate isn’t home, and the wind is blowing just right. But what if the phone rings, what if you are tired, and what if you have to go to the bathroom? When you estimate how long it will take you to write something, expect that there will be interruptions along the way.

Parting thoughts

As you explore why you procrastinate and experiment with strategies for working differently, don’t expect overnight transformation. You developed the procrastination habit over a long period of time; you aren’t going to stop magically. But you can change the behavior, bit by bit. If you stop punishing yourself when you procrastinate and start rewarding yourself for your small successes, you will eventually develop new writing habits. And you will get a lot more sleep.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Burka, Jane M., and Lenora M. Yuen. 1983. Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It Now . Boston: Addison-Wesley Publishing.

Ellis, Albert, and William J. Knaus. 1977. Overcoming Procrastination . New York: Signet.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a Gift

Procrastination: Why We Do It and How to Deal with It

Search Grad Grow

Procrastination is one of the most common issues graduate students struggle with, putting off a task in favor of something more pleasurable, only to feel even worse later. For insight into why people procrastinate, check out this article from The New York Times addressing it from a mood management perspective. You may also be interested in these related resources from the Center for Teaching and Learning and this unique essay from a Stanford professor on " structured procrastination ."

View Website

Grad Grow Competencies

Essay Curve

Essay on Procrastination – Short Essay & Long Essay upto 1500 Words

Essay on Procrastination: Procrastination is a common struggle that many people face, often leading to stress, missed deadlines, and a sense of unfulfilled potential. In this essay, we will explore the reasons behind procrastination, its impact on productivity and mental health, and strategies to overcome this habit. By understanding the root causes of procrastination and implementing effective techniques to combat it, we can improve our time management skills and achieve our goals more efficiently.

Table of Contents

Procrastination Essay Writing Tips

1. Start by defining procrastination: Begin your essay by explaining what procrastination is and why it is a common problem for many people. You can define procrastination as the act of delaying or postponing tasks or responsibilities, often leading to negative consequences such as stress, anxiety, and poor performance.

2. Discuss the reasons behind procrastination: Explore the various factors that contribute to procrastination, such as fear of failure, lack of motivation, perfectionism, or poor time management skills. By understanding the root causes of procrastination, you can better address and overcome this behavior.

3. Highlight the consequences of procrastination: Illustrate the negative impact that procrastination can have on one’s personal and professional life. Discuss how procrastination can lead to missed deadlines, decreased productivity, increased stress, and damaged relationships. By emphasizing the consequences of procrastination, you can motivate readers to take action to change their behavior.

4. Provide strategies to overcome procrastination: Offer practical tips and techniques to help readers combat procrastination and improve their time management skills. Some strategies may include breaking tasks into smaller, more manageable steps, setting specific goals and deadlines, creating a schedule or to-do list, eliminating distractions, and seeking support from others.

5. Share personal anecdotes or examples: Share personal stories or examples of times when you have struggled with procrastination and how you were able to overcome it. By sharing your own experiences, you can make the essay more relatable and engaging for readers.

6. Emphasize the importance of taking action: Encourage readers to take proactive steps to address their procrastination habits and make positive changes in their lives. Remind them that overcoming procrastination requires effort and commitment, but the benefits of improved productivity, reduced stress, and increased success are well worth it.

7. Conclude with a call to action: End your essay by encouraging readers to reflect on their own procrastination tendencies and commit to making positive changes. Remind them that overcoming procrastination is a gradual process that requires practice and persistence, but the rewards of increased productivity and success are well worth the effort.

By following these writing tips and incorporating them into your essay on procrastination, you can create a compelling and informative piece that inspires readers to take action and overcome their procrastination habits.

Essay on Procrastination in 10 Lines – Examples

1. Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing tasks that need to be completed. 2. It is a common behavior that affects many people, leading to feelings of guilt and stress. 3. Procrastination can be caused by a variety of factors, such as fear of failure, lack of motivation, or poor time management skills. 4. It often results in rushed work, lower quality outcomes, and missed deadlines. 5. Procrastination can have negative consequences on one’s academic, professional, and personal life. 6. It can lead to increased levels of anxiety, depression, and overall dissatisfaction. 7. Overcoming procrastination requires self-awareness, discipline, and effective strategies for time management. 8. Breaking tasks into smaller, more manageable steps can help reduce the tendency to procrastinate. 9. Setting specific goals, creating a schedule, and eliminating distractions can also be effective in combating procrastination. 10. By understanding the root causes of procrastination and implementing proactive measures, individuals can improve their productivity and overall well-being.

Sample Essay on Procrastination in 100-180 Words

Procrastination is a common behavior that many people struggle with. It is the act of delaying or postponing tasks that need to be accomplished. This can lead to feelings of stress, guilt, and anxiety as deadlines approach.

There are many reasons why people procrastinate, including fear of failure, lack of motivation, or poor time management skills. However, procrastination can have negative consequences, such as poor performance, missed opportunities, and increased stress.

To overcome procrastination, it is important to identify the root cause of the behavior and develop strategies to address it. This may include breaking tasks into smaller, more manageable steps, setting specific goals and deadlines, and seeking support from others.

By taking proactive steps to address procrastination, individuals can improve their productivity, reduce stress, and achieve their goals more effectively.

Short Essay on Procrastination in 200-500 Words

Procrastination is a common behavior that many people struggle with at some point in their lives. It is the act of delaying or postponing tasks or responsibilities, often to the point where they become urgent or even overdue. While procrastination may seem harmless at first, it can have serious consequences on a person’s mental health, productivity, and overall well-being.

One of the main reasons why people procrastinate is due to a lack of motivation or interest in the task at hand. When a task is perceived as boring, difficult, or unimportant, it is easy to put it off in favor of more enjoyable or easier activities. However, this can lead to a cycle of avoidance and procrastination, making it even harder to start and complete the task in the future.

Another common reason for procrastination is fear of failure or perfectionism. Some people may avoid starting a task because they are afraid of not doing it perfectly or meeting their own high standards. This fear of failure can be paralyzing and prevent them from even attempting the task, leading to procrastination and feelings of inadequacy.

Procrastination can also be a result of poor time management skills or a lack of prioritization. When people have too many tasks to complete and not enough time to do them, they may feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to start. This can lead to procrastination as they struggle to decide which tasks to tackle first or how to allocate their time effectively.

The consequences of procrastination can be significant. Not only does it lead to increased stress and anxiety, but it can also have a negative impact on a person’s productivity and performance. Procrastination can result in missed deadlines, poor quality work, and strained relationships with colleagues or supervisors. In the long run, chronic procrastination can hinder a person’s ability to achieve their goals and reach their full potential.

To overcome procrastination, it is important to identify the underlying reasons for the behavior and develop strategies to address them. This may involve breaking tasks down into smaller, more manageable steps, setting realistic goals and deadlines, and finding ways to increase motivation and interest in the task. Seeking support from friends, family, or a therapist can also be helpful in overcoming procrastination and developing healthier habits.

In conclusion, procrastination is a common behavior that can have serious consequences on a person’s mental health, productivity, and overall well-being. By understanding the reasons behind procrastination and developing strategies to address them, individuals can overcome this behavior and improve their ability to manage tasks and responsibilities effectively.

Essay on Procrastination in 1000-1500 Words

Procrastination is a common phenomenon that affects people of all ages and backgrounds. It is the act of delaying or postponing tasks or activities that need to be accomplished. While everyone procrastinates from time to time, chronic procrastination can have negative consequences on one’s productivity, mental health, and overall well-being.

There are many reasons why people procrastinate. One of the main reasons is poor time management skills. When individuals do not prioritize their tasks or set realistic deadlines, they are more likely to put off important responsibilities until the last minute. This can lead to increased stress and anxiety as deadlines approach, making it even more difficult to complete the task at hand.

Another common reason for procrastination is fear of failure. Some individuals may avoid starting a task because they are afraid of not being able to complete it successfully. This fear of failure can be paralyzing and prevent individuals from even attempting to work on the task. As a result, they may procrastinate and avoid the task altogether, leading to feelings of guilt and self-doubt.

Perfectionism is also a common factor that contributes to procrastination. People who have high standards for themselves may put off starting a task because they are afraid of not being able to meet their own expectations. They may feel overwhelmed by the thought of not being able to produce perfect work, so they delay starting the task in order to avoid potential disappointment.

Procrastination can also be a result of poor self-regulation and impulsivity. Some individuals may struggle with controlling their impulses and may give in to distractions or temptations instead of focusing on the task at hand. This lack of self-control can lead to procrastination and hinder one’s ability to stay on track and complete tasks in a timely manner.

The consequences of procrastination can be significant. Procrastination can lead to missed deadlines, poor performance, and increased stress and anxiety. When individuals put off important tasks, they may find themselves rushing to complete them at the last minute, resulting in subpar work and a sense of dissatisfaction with their efforts. This can have a negative impact on one’s academic or professional success and can damage one’s reputation as a reliable and responsible individual.

Procrastination can also have negative effects on one’s mental health. The constant stress and anxiety that come with procrastination can take a toll on one’s emotional well-being. Feelings of guilt, shame, and self-doubt can arise as a result of procrastinating, leading to a cycle of negative thoughts and emotions that can be difficult to break. Chronic procrastination can also contribute to feelings of low self-esteem and a lack of motivation, making it even harder to overcome the habit of procrastinating.

Despite the negative consequences of procrastination, there are strategies that individuals can use to overcome this habit and improve their productivity. One effective strategy is to break tasks down into smaller, more manageable steps. By breaking a large task into smaller, more achievable goals, individuals can make progress towards completing the task without feeling overwhelmed. This can help to reduce feelings of anxiety and make it easier to get started on the task.

Setting specific, realistic deadlines can also help to combat procrastination. By establishing clear deadlines for tasks and holding oneself accountable for meeting those deadlines, individuals can create a sense of urgency and motivation to complete the task in a timely manner. This can help to prevent procrastination and ensure that tasks are completed on time.

Creating a structured schedule can also be helpful in overcoming procrastination. By planning out one’s day and allocating specific blocks of time for different tasks, individuals can stay organized and focused on their priorities. This can help to reduce distractions and prevent procrastination by providing a clear roadmap for completing tasks efficiently.

Another effective strategy for overcoming procrastination is to eliminate distractions and create a conducive work environment. By removing potential distractions such as social media, television, or other temptations, individuals can create a focused and productive workspace that is conducive to completing tasks. This can help to reduce the likelihood of procrastination and improve one’s ability to stay on track and complete tasks in a timely manner.

In conclusion, procrastination is a common habit that can have negative consequences on one’s productivity, mental health, and overall well-being. While everyone procrastinates from time to time, chronic procrastination can be detrimental to one’s success and happiness. By understanding the reasons why people procrastinate and implementing strategies to overcome this habit, individuals can improve their productivity, reduce stress and anxiety, and achieve their goals more effectively. By taking proactive steps to combat procrastination, individuals can create a more fulfilling and successful life for themselves.

Related Essays

Essay on A Visit To A Fair – 10 Lines, 100 to 1500 Words

Value of Games And Sports – Essay in 10 Lines, 100 to 1500 Words

Essay on Importance of Teacher – 100, 200, 500, 1000 Words

Essay on A Visit To A Museum – 100, 200, 500, 1000 Words

Essay on Effect of Social Media On Youth

Essay on Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji – Short & Long Essay Examples

Essay on Nuclear Family – Short Essay & Long Essay upto 1500 Words

Essay on Anudeep Durishetty – 10 Lines, 100 to 1500 Words

Essay on Non Violence – Samples, 10 Lines to 1500 Words

Covid 19 Responsive School – Essay in 10 Lines, 100 to 1500 Words

McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning

Understanding and overcoming procrastination.

Classroom Resources for Addressing Procrastination, by Dominic J. Voge Source: Research and Teaching in Developmental Education excerpted from Vol. 23, No. 2 (Spring 2007), pp. 88-96

Why do so many people procrastinate and how do you overcome it?

For most people procrastination, irrespective of what they say, is NOT about being lazy. In fact, when we procrastinate we often work intensely for long stretches just before our deadlines. Working long and hard is the opposite of lazy, so that can't be the reason we do it. So, why do we procrastinate and, more importantly, what can we do about it?

As suggested above, some say they procrastinate because they are lazy. Others claim they "do better" when they procrastinate and "work best" under pressure. I encourage you to be critical and reflective of these explanations. Virtually everyone who says this habitually procrastinates and has not completed an important academic task in which they made a plan, implemented it, had time to review, etc. before their deadline. So, in reality, they can't make a comparison about the circumstances they work best under. If you pretty much always procrastinate, and never really approach your tasks systematically, then you can't accurately say that you know you "do better" under pressure. Still other people say they like the "rush" of leaving things to the end and meeting a deadline. But they usually say this when they are NOT working under that deadline. They say this works before or after cramming when they have forgotten the negative consequences of procrastinating such as feelings of anxiety and stress, fatigue, and disappointment from falling below their own standards and having to put their life on hold for chunks of time. Not to mention, leaving things to the end dramatically increases the chances something will go wrong - like getting sick or a computer problem - and you not being able to pull off the desired grade. So, procrastination can be hard on us and actually increase our chances of failing, but we do it anyway. How come?

Procrastination is not a matter, solely, of having poor time management skills, either, but rather can be traced to underlying and more complex psychological reasons. These dynamics are often made worse by schools where students are constantly being evaluated, and especially in college where the pressure for grades is high and a lot can be riding on students' performance. In reality, procrastination is often a self-protection strategy for students. For example, if you procrastinate, then you always have the excuse of "not having enough" time in the event that you fail, so your sense of your ability is never threatened. When there is so much pressure on getting a good grade on, say, a paper, it's no wonder that students want to avoid it and so put off their work. For the most part, our reasons for delaying and avoiding are rooted in fear and anxiety-about doing poorly, of doing too well, of losing control, of looking stupid, of having one's sense of self or self-concept challenged. We avoid doing work to avoid our abilities being judged. And, if we happened to succeed, we feel that much "smarter." So, what can we do to overcome our tendencies to procrastinate?

Awareness: The First Step

First, to overcome procrastination you need to have an understanding of the REASONS WHY you procrastinate and the function procrastination serves in your life. You can't come up with an effective solution if you don't really understand the root of the problem. As with most problems, awareness and self-knowledge are the keys to figuring out how to stop procrastinating. For a lot of people acquiring this insight about how procrastination protects them from feeling like they are not able enough, and keeping it in mind when they are tempted to fall into familiar, unproductive, procrastinating habits goes a long way to solving the problem. For instance, two psychologists, Jane Burka and Lenora Yuen, who have helped many people overcome procrastination, report in their article, "Mind Games Procrastinators Play" (Psychology Today, January, 1982), that for many students "understanding the hidden roots of procrastination often seems to weaken them" (p.33). Just knowing our true reasons for procrastinating makes it easier to stop.

Time Management Techniques: One Piece of the Puzzle

To overcome procrastination time management techniques and tools are indispensable, but they are not enough by themselves. And, not all methods of managing time are equally helpful in dealing with procrastination. There are some time management techniques that are well suited to overcoming procrastination and others that can make it worse. Those that reduce anxiety and fear and emphasize the satisfaction and rewards of completing tasks work best. Those that arc inflexible, emphasize the magnitude of tasks and increase anxiety can actually increase procrastination and are thus counter-productive. For instance, making a huge list of "things to do" or scheduling every minute of your day may INCREASE your stress and thus procrastination. Instead, set reasonable goals (e.g. a manageable list of things to do), break big tasks down, and give yourself flexibility and allot time to things you enjoy as rewards for work completed.

Motivation: Finding Productive Reasons for Engaging in Tasks

To overcome procrastination it's critical that you stay motivated for PRODUCTIVE REASONS. By productive reasons I mean reasons for learning and achieving that lead to positive, productive, satisfying feelings and actions. These reasons are in contrast to engaging in a task out of fear of failing, or not making your parents angry, or not looking stupid, or doing better than other people to "show off." While these are all reasons - often very powerful ones - for doing something, they are not productive since they evoke maladaptive, often negative feelings and actions. For example, if you are concerned with not looking dumb you may not ask questions, delve into new areas, try new methods, or take the risks necessary to learn new things and reach new heights. A good way to put positive motives in motion is to set and focus on your goals. Identify and write down your own personal reasons for enrolling in a course and monitor your progress toward your goals using a goal-setting chart. Remember to focus on your reasons and your goals. Other people's goals for you are not goals at all, but obligations.

Staying Motivated: Be Active to be Engaged

Another key to overcoming procrastination is to stay actively engaged in your classes. If you are passive in class you're probably not "getting into" the course and its topics, and that weakens your motivation. What's more, if you are passive you are probably not making as much sense out of the course and course materials as you could. Nonsense and confusion are not engaging; in fact, they are boring and frustrating. We don't often want to do things that are boring or frustrating. Prevent that by aiming to really understand course material, not memorize it or just "get through it." Instead, try (1) seeking out what is interesting and relevant to you in the course materials, (2) setting your own purpose for every reading and class session, and (3) asking yourself (and others) questions about what you are learning.

Summary of Tips for Overcoming Procrastination

Awareness – Reflect on the reasons why you procrastinate, your habits and thoughts that lead to procrastinating.

Assess – What feelings lead to procrastinating, and how does it make you feel? Are these positive, productive feelings: do you want to change them?

Outlook – Alter your perspective. Looking at a big task in terms of smaller pieces makes it less intimidating. Look for what's appealing about, or what you want to get out of an assignment beyond just the grade.

Commit – If you feel stuck, start simply by committing to complete a small task, any task, and write it down. Finish it and reward yourself. Write down on your schedule or "to do" list only what you can completely commit to, and if you write it down, follow through no matter what. By doing so you will slowly rebuild trust in yourself that you will really do what you say you will, which so many procrastinators have lost.

Surroundings – When doing school work, choose wisely where and with whom you are working. Repeatedly placing yourself in situations where you don't get much done - such as "studying" in your bed, at a cafe or with friends - can actually be a kind of procrastination, a method of avoiding work.

Goals – Focus on what you want to do, not what you want to avoid. Think about the productive reasons for doing a task by setting positive, concrete, meaningful learning and achievement goals for yourself.

Be Realistic – Achieving goals and changing habits takes time and effort; don't sabotage yourself by having unrealistic expectations that you cannot meet.

Self-talk – Notice how you are thinking, and talking to yourself. Talk to yourself in ways that remind you of your goals and replace old, counter-productive habits of self-talk. Instead of saying, "I wish I hadn't... " say, "I will ..."

Un-schedule – If you feel stuck, you probably won't use a schedule that is a constant reminder of all that you have to do and is all work and no play. So, make a largely unstructured, flexible schedule in which you slot in only what is necessary. Keep track of any time you spend working toward your goals and reward yourself for it. This can reduce feelings of being overwhelmed and increase satisfaction in what you get done. For more see the book Procrastination by Yuen and Burka.

Swiss Cheese It – Breaking down big tasks into little ones is a good approach. A variation on this is devoting short chunks of time to a big task and doing as much as you can in that time with few expectations about what you will get done. For example, try spending about ten minutes just jotting down ideas that come to mind on the topic of a paper, or skimming over a long reading to get just the main ideas. After doing this several times on a big task, you will have made some progress on it, you'll have some momentum, you'll have less work to do to complete the task, and it won't seem so huge because you've punched holes in it (like Swiss cheese). In short, it'll be easier to complete the task because you've gotten started and removed some of the obstacles to finishing.

null. It will open in a new tab Connect With Us
Procrastination Psychology: Understanding Effects, Causes, And Solutions

Procrastination Psychology: Understanding Effects, Causes, and Solutions

What is procrastination?

The word procrastination comes from the Latin procrastinare: “deferred until tomorrow” and the Greek akrasia: “acting against one’s better judgment.” The word itself suggests that procrastination is an active process: you choose to do something other than the task at hand, despite knowing that its delay will cause you to suffer in the future.

Procrastination can vary from chronic (perpetual problems finishing tasks) to situational (the delaying of tasks that may seem unattractive or boring). At some point in our lives, nearly everyone has delayed completing a task, with a number of studies showing that “procrastination appears to go hand-in-hand with the human condition.” Numbers are particularly high among students, with 80-95% of this group being estimated to engage in procrastination.

Dr. Joseph Ferrari , professor of psychology at DePaul University and a leading voice in the study of procrastination, says that a true procrastinator “has twelve things to do, maybe does one or two of them, then rewrites the list, shuffles it around, then makes an extra copy of it. That’s procrastinating.”

Procrastinators often seek “ephemeral pleasures” such as watching a TV show or spending time with friends instead of working on an important task. This type of procrastination is easy to identify. However, procrastination may take a more subtle form, disguised as the pursuit of “ephemeral chores.” If you have ever convinced yourself that organizing your spice cabinet or color-coding your agenda is more important than starting a task, you may employ this form of procrastination disguised as productivity.

The harmful effects of procrastination

Contrary to popular belief, procrastination is not caused by poor time management or a fear of failure. Rather, studies show that procrastination is due to self-regulation failure and a poor ability to manage emotions. Procrastinators recognize the harmful effects of putting tasks off, but can’t overcome the emotional urge of a diversion.

When discussing procrastination, Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius reminded himself to “stop letting your emotions override what your mind tells you,” suggesting that the Romans had insight into the causes of procrastination that psychologists are studying today. According to Dr. Timothy Pychyl , author of Solving the Procrastination Puzzle , “emotional regulation is the real story around procrastination because, to the extent that I can deal with my emotions, I can stay on task.”

The link between procrastination and struggles with self-regulation can play a role in substance abuse disorders or impulse control, suggesting that missing a deadline or rushing to finish a task can have more severe consequences than a bad grade or poor performance at work. The poor emotional regulation that comes with a tendency to procrastinate can also lead to a higher likelihood of developing mood disorders such as depression, anxiety, and even bipolar disorder.

Choosing short-term rewards over long-term benefits

Several studies have linked procrastination to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and overall poor mental health. One of the earliest studies to investigate the negative effects of procrastination followed a group of students throughout the course of a semester in 1997. Students who engaged in procrastination experienced less stress at the beginning of the semester, but their bliss was short-lived. By the end of the semester, the procrastinators not only earned lower grades than other students but also reported significantly higher stress levels and cases of illness, suggesting that procrastination had an influence not only on their performance but on their overall well-being.

When it comes to the link between procrastination and mental health conditions, it can be hard to identify which came first. The decreased energy, negative thoughts, and low self-esteem that come with depression can lead us to believe we cannot carry out the task at hand. In turn, putting off important tasks can increase our stress levels, decrease our self-worth and lead to elevated levels of anxiety and a higher likelihood of depression. A 2017 study found that the way participants felt influenced how and when they approached a task. Similarly, in research settings, people who procrastinate have higher levels of stress and lower well-being.

Don’t delay: take care of your mental health today

Due to the complicated underlying causes that lead us to procrastinate, telling a procrastinator to “just do it” can be as counterproductive as telling a person who suffers from depression to “cheer up.”

Training your mind and body to prioritize important tasks may be difficult, but the long-term benefits can not only improve your professional and academic performance but also improve your mental health and overall well-being.

3 tips to help you procrastinate less

Change the narrative.

Due to the reciprocal nature of the link between mental health and procrastination, approaching tasks with a more positive outlook can trick your brain into prioritizing them instead of dreading them. Instead of seeing tasks as something you have to do, reframe them from a more positive point of view.

Instead, try:

“I can’t wait to show off my writing skills in this paper”

“Studying this topic is going to set me up for success in my career”

“This project is a great chance to showcase my analytical skills to my manager”

Practice self-compassion

A 2012 study that looked at the links between procrastination, stress, and self-compassion found that lower levels of self-compassion can lead to higher stress levels and a greater tendency to procrastinate. Lower self-esteem reduces our confidence in completing a task, leading our bodies and minds to opt for the short-lived pleasure of avoidance, instead of the long-term reward of overcoming a task.

Ways to increase self-esteem and practice self-compassion can include the following:

Forgive yourself for your mistakes

Take care of your body and mind with a healthy diet and exercise

Be kind to yourself

Acknowledge your strengths

Recognize your weaknesses not as shortcomings, but as opportunities for improvement

Create a reward system

Our tendency to procrastinate is intrinsically connected with the regulation of our emotions. When we procrastinate, we often choose immediate pleasure over long-term reward. By creating a reward system, you can train your mind to associate accomplishing difficult tasks with positive emotions.

Try rewarding yourself with a refreshing walk after completing half of the day’s tasks (just remember to get back on track) or spend time with friends getting coffee once you complete a hard assignment.

Facebook. It will open in a new tab facebook
Twitter. It will open in a new tab twitter
Linkedin. It will open in a new tab linkedin
Whatsapp. It will open in a new tab whatsapp

Procrastination and Time Management Essay

To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
As a template for you assignment

Time management is a college-success strategy and a life success skill

The causes of procrastination and how procrastination can be prevented, why college students have difficulties managing time.

Normally, individuals and groups have had the perception that time management is merely a success strategy in college. However, the notion is quite misleading. Time is key factor that determines and fosters the achievement of our career objectives and long life goals.

While in college, proper time management helps students to balance between studies, class schedules, extracurricular activities, jobs, and personal life. This does not imply that effective time management is merely a success strategy in college. In fact, in life there are various activities that an individual would want to accomplish within a given time period.

In case the available time is not properly allocated to all activities to be achieved within a given period, then the available time will not be allocated to the correct event. Thus, there will be overlaps and postponement of activities that are supposed to be achieved within a given time.

Just like proper time management helps college students to be successful, in life the skill is important in determining how every minute could be better used. This implies that time management skills assist individuals to prioritize activities to be accomplished, plan properly, and focus on each activity that is supposed to be achieved or finished within a given period. Hence, in life, time still appears as a scarce resource that calls for effective management.

Procrastination is the tendency to defer, postpone, or suspend an activity that can be done now to a future date. Procrastination usually results into a tendency given that when new tasks are deferred they become stressful to accomplish on time. Procrastinating behaviors normally result from the availability of time to complete a project or if the task appears too difficult to accomplish. However, the causes of procrastination can be grouped in to three categories according to Knaus William and Ellis Albert.

First, procrastination may result from the hostile feelings towards classmates, workmates, managers, or tutors and it can make an individual postpone the assignments.

Secondly, low frustration tolerance may make an individual to stop working on an assignment and set it aside prior to completing it. Finally, procrastinating behaviours may result from self-downing. This occurs when students have feelings that a project is difficult to accomplish effectively based on the stipulated time.

There are numerous ways of preventing procrastination. These include mixing boring, challenging, and enjoyable activities; sparing time for the unanticipated events; effective and wise utilization of the free time; rewarding oneself after completing a given project on time; allocating time for socialization, relaxation, and exercise, as well as setting realistic and attainable goals.

Besides, procrastination may be prevented through breaking larger projects into units, avoiding overworking yourself, creating conducive environment for work, and accomplishing the assignments when the morale is still high.

Time management skills are important to all college students, but such students usually find it difficult managing their time. First, given that, there are numerous college activities to be carried out within a given period, college student find themselves wasting a lot of time because they prefer management by crises. For instance, college students are prone to living from drama to drama, crises to crises, and from minute to minute.

Secondly, college students are fond of wishful thinking and this makes them lack actual worked out plans or inadequate plans. Besides, college students have poor communication strategies, which make them assume that each person encounters similar time constraints, scheduling, as well as the assumption that everybody understands their interests and time requirements.

Conversely, the inability to turn down certain suggestions when it is necessary coupled with leaving some well-planned tasks unfinished because of excessive socialization have led to difficulties in managing college time. Such socializations increase the number of stop in visitors, telephone timeouts, and personal disorganization. When a college student’s life is in continuous disarray, the student will attempt to handle many tasks ones to an extent of being irritated and beset.

First-Year Students and Issues to Cope with
Boys and Girls Should Study in Separate Classes
Time Management: How to Beat Your Procrastination?
Frequent Tests as the Ways to Overcome Procrastination and Anxiety
Procrastination in the Fields of Education and Psychology
School Is Bad for Children: Making Mistakes and Being Wrong
Asperger syndrome, the universe and everything by Kenneth Hall
The Increasing Fees of Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Join Us is the Program about Teenagers’ Needs
Cultural Bias and Research Testing
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2018, June 18). Procrastination and Time Management. https://ivypanda.com/essays/procrastination-and-time-management/

"Procrastination and Time Management." IvyPanda , 18 June 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/procrastination-and-time-management/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'Procrastination and Time Management'. 18 June.

IvyPanda . 2018. "Procrastination and Time Management." June 18, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/procrastination-and-time-management/.

1. IvyPanda . "Procrastination and Time Management." June 18, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/procrastination-and-time-management/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Procrastination and Time Management." June 18, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/procrastination-and-time-management/.

Share full article

Supported by

Why You Procrastinate (It Has Nothing to Do With Self-Control)

If procrastination isn’t about laziness, then what is it about.

By Charlotte Lieberman

If you’ve ever put off an important task by, say, alphabetizing your spice drawer, you know it wouldn’t be fair to describe yourself as lazy.

After all, alphabetizing requires focus and effort — and hey, maybe you even went the extra mile to wipe down each bottle before putting it back. And it’s not like you’re hanging out with friends or watching Netflix. You’re cleaning — something your parents would be proud of! This isn’t laziness or bad time management. This is procrastination.

Etymologically, “procrastination” is derived from the Latin verb procrastinare — to put off until tomorrow. But it’s more than just voluntarily delaying. Procrastination is also derived from the ancient Greek word akrasia — doing something against our better judgment.

“It’s self-harm,” said Dr. Piers Steel, a professor of motivational psychology at the University of Calgary and the author of “The Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Stuff Done . ”

That self-awareness is a key part of why procrastinating makes us feel so rotten. When we procrastinate, we’re not only aware that we’re avoiding the task in question, but also that doing so is probably a bad idea. And yet, we do it anyway.

“This is why we say that procrastination is essentially irrational,” said Dr. Fuschia Sirois, professor of psychology at the University of Sheffield. “It doesn’t make sense to do something you know is going to have negative consequences.”

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

Want all of The Times? Subscribe .

Home / Essay Samples / Psychology / Behavior / Procrastination

Procrastination Essay Examples

Essays about procrastination aim to delve into the phenomenon of delaying tasks, its underlying causes, and its impact on personal and professional life. The purpose of such essays is to raise awareness about the negative consequences of procrastination, provide insights into effective strategies to overcome it, and inspire readers to cultivate better time management and productivity habits. These essays offer valuable guidance to individuals struggling with procrastination and help foster a proactive and goal-oriented mindset. Self-Awareness and Reflection One of the primary goals of essays about procrastination is to encourage self-awareness and reflection. These essays prompt readers to identify the reasons behind their tendency to procrastinate, such as fear of failure, lack of motivation, or perfectionism. Essays on this topic emphasize the negative consequences of procrastination, such as missed opportunities, increased stress, compromised quality of work, and a sense of unfulfillment. By highlighting these drawbacks, the essays motivate readers to take action and change their procrastination habits. Procrastination informative essay offer practical strategies and techniques to overcome this habit. These strategies may include setting specific goals, breaking tasks into smaller steps, using time management tools, and practicing self-discipline. These topic guide readers toward adopting healthier and more productive habits. Tips for Writing Essays About Procrastination:

Thesis Statement: Start with a clear thesis statement that introduces the topic and the main points you will address in the essay. Personal Anecdotes: Share personal stories or experiences related to procrastination to create a relatable connection with readers. Causes and Effects: Discuss the common causes of procrastination and the negative effects it can have on various aspects of life. Research and Evidence: Include psychological research and expert opinions to support your arguments and provide credibility. Strategies for Improvement: Offer a range of practical strategies and techniques to help readers overcome procrastination. Real-Life Examples: Provide real-life examples of individuals who have successfully conquered procrastination and achieved their goals. Encourage Action: Conclude the essay by encouraging readers to take steps to overcome procrastination and improve their time management skills.

Essays about procrastination serve as a valuable resource for individuals seeking to overcome the challenges of delaying tasks. By shedding light on the reasons behind procrastination and providing practical solutions, these essays empower readers to take control of their habits, enhance their productivity, and lead more fulfilling lives.

The Causes of Procrastination Among University Students and the Solution to It

Procrastination is the act of delaying something that has to be done within a certain time. According to Ferrari and Díaz-Morales (2014), there are 20% - 25% of adults from all over the world affected by the issue of procrastination, it is a common problem...

Phenomenological Look at Workplace Procrastination Through the Eyes of an Employee

Phenomenological look at workplace procrastination through the eyes of an employee. Aim: The major purpose of this study is to explore procrastination at the workplace from a phenomenological perspective. The present study aims to look through the eyes of a procrastinator and understand one’s individual...

The Main Causes and Consequences of Procrastination

Procrastination in time management is no stranger to the modern society. Statistics estimated that 40 percent to over 50 percent of students were procrastinating. 'Procrastination arises from the Latin 'pro,' indicating 'ahead, forward, either for,' as well as 'crastinus,' meaning 'future''. On that basis, procrastination...

The Concept of Procrastination in Psychology

Psychology is a study of human behavior and cognitive operations. By studying particular human behavior or mental performances it could be used to treat mental issues, understand events, and even improve the way of life. Procrastination is common phenomenon when individual postpone their work to...

Procrastination, Its Causes and Negative Effects

Have you ever put off an important project or task until the very last minute? If this sounds like something your familiar with then you may be suffering from chronic procrastination. According to Dr. John Riddle, an author of several books whose byline has appeared...

The Hidden Benefits of Procrastination

Imagine this, it is a first week of February your programming professor asked you to design a website which was to be due on 3rd week of the same month. You just acknowledged it and play your favorite online computer game. Afterwards, in the second...

The First Steps in College Life

Starting college is a new and exciting time. Most Students look back on college life with fond and happy memories. It is a time to learn new skills, meet new people and work towards your dream career. However, the college life does come with a...

The Link Between Procrastination and Personal Well-being

Procrastination is repeatedly seen as self-regulatory failure, affecting many people in their everyday lives. From putting off tasks on the basis that they will later complete them. It has been suggested from research that procrastination may negatively impact professional advancement and our general well-being, such...

The Reasons Why Procrastination Occurs and How to Fight It

Each of us happened to postpone important things for later, dragging out their implementation as much as possible, doing anything instead of them. Unable to explain to ourselves why we are doing this, after that we are tormented by guilty feelings because of the deadlines,...

Positive and Negative Sides of Procrastination

Procrastination is the avoidance of doing a task that needs to be accomplished by a certain time; an intentional delay of starting or finishing the assignment despite knowing it might have negative consequences in the future. Most students have procrastinated at some point, doing more...

Trying to find an excellent essay sample but no results?

Don’t waste your time and get a professional writer to help!

About Procrastination

Procrastination is the action of delaying or postponing something.

The origins of procrastinate come from the Latin prefix pro-, meaning "forward, " and crastinus, "of tomorrow." The word means moving or acting slowly so as to fall behind, and it implies blameworthy delay, especially through laziness or apathy.

samplius.com uses cookies to offer you the best service possible.By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .--> -->

Essay on Procrastination

About Procrastination

Reasons for Procrastinating

Procrastination is Harmful

How to Avoid Procrastinating?

Why Do We Procrastinate?

How Can You Stop Procrastination?

Short Essay on Procrastination

FAQs on Procrastination Essay

Procrastination Essay for Students and Children

Why do we Procrastinate?

How to Stop Procrastinating?

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Download the App

What Is Procrastination?

Types of Procrastination

How Common Is Procrastination?

At a Glance

What Causes Procrastination?

Present Bias

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Is Procrastination a Mental Illness?

Why Do You Procrastinate?

Press Play for Advice On Completing Tasks

Procrastinators vs. Non-Procrastinators

The Negative Impact of Procrastination

How to Overcome Procrastination

Procrastination Essay | Essay on Procrastination for Students and Children in English

Long and Short Essays on Procrastination for Students and Kids in English

Long Essay on Procrastination 500 Words in English

Short Essay on Procrastination 150 Words in English

10 Lines on Procrastination Essay in English

FAQ’s on Procrastination Essay

Procrastination Essay

What is Procrastination?

Effect of Procrastination on Students’ Life

Tips and Methods to Overcome Procrastination

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Essay on Procrastination

Introduction to Procrastination

Common Manifestations of Procrastination

Impact on Personal and Professional Life

Psychological Roots of Procrastination

Consequences of Procrastination

Overcoming Procrastination

Procrastination in the Digital Age

Case Studies

Cultivating a Proactive Mindset

Essays on Procrastination

Procrastination Essay Topics 📝

Procrastination Argumentative Essay

Procrastination Cause and Effect Essay

Procrastination Opinion Essay

Procrastination Informative Essay

Procrastination Essay Example 💼

Procrastination Essay Introduction Examples

Procrastination Conclusion Essay Examples

Procrastination is a Waste of Time

Problems and Solutions of Procrastination Regarding Time Management and Academic Success

Factors that Become a Reason for Procrastination Amongst University Students

The Fear of Failure and The Fear of Success as Factors of Procrastination

Relevant topics

Essay on Procrastination

Essay Example #1

Bad Is Better Than Nothing

Cite this paper

Related articles

Most popular essays

Join our 150k of happy users

Essay on Procrastination

100 Words Essay on Procrastination

Why We Procrastinate

Effects of Procrastination

Overcoming Procrastination

250 Words Essay on Procrastination

The Psychology Behind Procrastination

Consequences of Procrastination

500 Words Essay on Procrastination