PROCRASTINATION

Prathyush SG, Shashank MS, Punith V, Srinidhi Pujar

Vivekananda Institute of Technology, Bangalore

Abstract: - Procrastination is an unsolvable problem for many students across the

globe. Procrastination is the tendency to postpone or delay performing a task or making
decisions. Many of these students are highly vulnerable to negative consequences such
as poor performance, decreased subjective well-being, negative affect, and reduced life
achievements. No single factor can be found responsible for academic procrastination.
Various factors like anxiety, fear, failure, negative perceptions, lack of motivation, low
self-efficacy, and poor organizational skills can be responsible for increasing
procrastination among students

Keywords--procrastination, consequences, anxiety, delay, productivity

INTRODUCTION and the loss of productivity. It can also

lead to missed opportunities and feelings
Procrastination, a term we're all too of regret. However, not all procrastination
familiar with, is the act of delaying or is harmful. 'Beneficial procrastination' can
postponing tasks or actions. Often viewed provide time for reflection, creativity, and
negatively, it's a common phenomenon strategic planning. Understanding and
that affects people across all walks of life. acknowledging one's procrastination
patterns is the first step toward overcoming
them. Various strategies like time
management techniques, setting realistic
goals, mindfulness, and seeking
professional help can be effective in
combating procrastination.
Remember, everyone, procrastinates to
some extent, but it's the degree and
frequency of procrastination that
determines its impact on our life

The roots of procrastination are complex. I. SURVEY ON

It's not just about laziness or poor time PROCRASTINATION
management, but also involves
psychological factors like fear of failure, Most research has focused on students and
perfectionism, and low self-efficacy. It's a has covered topics like definition,
battle between the present self, who classification, antecedents, consequences,
prefers immediate gratification, and the and interventions related to
future self, who values long-term rewards. procrastination. However, procrastination
Procrastination can lead to stress, guilt, in diverse contexts and groups remains

1
underexplored. While personality other financial losses.
Interpersonal relationships can
differences (such as the five-factor model,
also suffer due to
temperament, character, emotional procrastination. It can cause
intelligence, and impulsivity) have been tension and conflict in both
studied, external factors like task personal and professional
characteristics and environmental relationships. The failure to meet
deadlines or fulfill commitments
conditions have received less attention. can strain relationships and lead
Randomized controlled trials are to loss of trust. Lastly,
commonly used, but reliance on self- procrastination can lead to
reported data and limited longitudinal reduced well-being and missed
designs pose challenges in validation. opportunities. When tasks or
Procrastination, often viewed as opportunities are no longer
the thief of time, is the act of available when the procrastinator
delaying or postponing tasks. is finally ready to act, it can
Despite its universal prevalence, lead to feelings of regret and
it is a habit that can lead to a disappointment.
multitude of negative
consequences. In conclusion, while everyone may
procrastinate at one time or
another, chronic procrastination
One of the most significant can have serious consequences. It
impacts of procrastination is on is important to develop strategies
mental health. It can lead to to manage procrastination and stay
increased stress and anxiety and productive. Remember, time lost to
has been linked to conditions such procrastination is time that can
as attention deficit hyperactivity never be regained.
disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive
disorder (OCD), and depression. II. TYPES
The constant cycle of delaying
tasks and the subsequent rush to
complete them can create a I. Perfectionist Procrastinator:
stressful environment, leading to
poor mental health.
Issue: High standards and fear of not meeting
Procrastination also has physical
health implications. Chronic expectations.
procrastinators are more likely to
experience health problems like Behavior: They put off work because they fear
insomnia, digestive issues, and they won't do it correctly.
muscle tension. They are also less
likely to keep up with regular
medical and dental check-ups,
II. Dreamer Procrastinator:
further exacerbating health
issues. In the academic and Issue: Big goals but no concrete plan for
professional world, success.
procrastination can be
detrimental. Students who Behavior: Envisions grand outcomes but lacks
procrastinate tend to achieve practical steps to achieve them.
lower grades, and in the
workplace, procrastination can
result in lower-quality work. This III. Worrier Procrastinator:
can lead to poor job performance
and decreased job satisfaction. Issue: Fear of change and worst-case scenario
Financially, procrastination can thinking.
lead to worse financial status.
Delaying financial decisions or
tasks can lead to missed Behavior: Resists risk-taking and avoids
opportunities, late fees, and unfamiliar situations.

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IV. Deifier Procrastinator: small victories becomes challenging, as
self-doubt lingers. Building self-esteem
Issue: Promise-maker with poor follow- involves practicing self-care, positive
through. affirmations, and focusing on the positives.
Recognizing signs of low confidence is
Behaviour: Offers excuses or reasons for not crucial for personal growth. It signifies
doing the task trust in one’s abilities to achieve goals.
Positive attitudes from parents, peers, and
V. CAUSES OF PROCRASTINATION teachers foster self-confidence, while
negative attitudes hinder it. Self-
1. . Lack of motivation Motivation is the confidence significantly influences
driving force behind our actions, academic performance, learning, and
influencing our behavior, goals, and overall success. Students with positive
overall well-being. However, there are self-confidence exhibit a realistic self-
times when we experience a lack of image, handle criticism effectively, and
motivation. External Pressure: When we approach challenges optimistically. Past
feel pressured by external expectations— successes play a crucial role in developing
such as academic performance, work self-confidence. It encourages risk-taking,
deadlines, or societal norms—we may lose the pursuit of novel ideas, and the
motivation. The fear of failure or acquisition of new skills
disappointing others can be overwhelming.
Lack of Clarity: Unclear goals or a vague Distraction is the process of diverting the
sense of purpose can lead to demotivation. attention of an individual or group from a desired
Without a clear direction, it’s challenging area of focus and thereby blocking or
to stay motivated. diminishing the reception of desired information.
Monotony and Routine: Repetitive tasks or Distraction is caused by: the lack of ability to
a monotonous routine can drain our pay attention; lack of interest in the object of
attention; or the great intensity, novelty, or
enthusiasm. A lack of novelty can make us attractiveness of something other than the object
lose interest. of attention. Distractions come from both
Burnout: Excessive stress, long hours, and external sources and internal sources. External
constant demands can lead to burnout. distractions include factors such as visual
When we’re mentally and physically triggers, social interactions, music, text
exhausted, motivation wanes. messages, and phone calls. There are also
Negative Self-Talk: Our inner dialogue internal distractions such as hunger, fatigue,
illness, worrying, and daydreaming. Both
matters. If we constantly doubt ourselves external and internal distractions contribute to
or focus on our shortcomings, motivation the interference of focus
suffers. use of technology, and overstimulation has
increased levels of distraction in the school
Low self-confidence is characterized by a setting. At school, distraction is often
lack of belief in oneself and one’s abilities. viewed as a source of poor performance
People with low confidence often feel and misbehavior. Distraction makes
inadequate, unlovable, or awkward. focusing on singular, assigned tasks more
Negative self-talk becomes a constant difficult. Digital components of learning
companion, eroding their sense of self- are an emerging component of classroom
worth. Fear of making mistakes or distraction. Parents, teachers, students, and
disappointing others keeps them from scholars all have opinions about how
taking risks. They hesitate to assert technology either benefits or harms a
themselves, fearing judgment or rejection. student's focus in an academic setting.
Low confidence affects relationships, Research studies show that neuron circuits
work, and overall well-being. Celebrating

3
indicate a decrease in the ability to be Students often report that
attentive to goal-relative stimuli with the procrastination occupies over a third of
addition of distracting stimuli interference. their daily activities.
School-aged students, with developing
brains, are more apt to conflicting stimuli
while trying to focus.

EFFECTS ON ACADEMICS

Today, students in tutorial environments

face plenty of activity habits that inhibit their
tutorial accomplishment. A number of these
habits embody suspending preparation and
doing preparation on the last due dates.
These activity habits are called
Procrastination. Procrastination is outlined
as a self-adjusting performance and activity
orientation for suspending what's necessary
METHODOLOGY
for achieving goals (Hosseini and Kheiri,
2009). In easier words, we tend to mean
Procrastination suspending study for the Focus on your “why.” Procrastinators
sake of preparation in associate degree focus more on short-term gains (avoiding
inappropriate time and one of the clear the distress associated with the task), as
samples of this development is learning for opposed to long-term results (the stress of
preparation for a test that is thought of as test not doing it, as well as the consequences of
night study. Consistent with quality level avoiding this task). Instead, try focusing
and psychological features, emotional and on why you are doing this task: What are
activity parts, procrastination has completely the benefits of completing it?
different aspects; like a tutorial, higher
cognitive process, and temptation
procrastination the foremost necessary of If you've been putting off cleaning out a
that is tutorial procrastination. closet, imagine walking into the closet
when it is decluttered and how good that
will feel. And consider how much money
For example student who has a week you will make by selling the items on
to study for an exam but ends up eBay, or how those in need will feel when
cramming the night before, despite they receive these items as donations.
intending to start earlier.
If it is an exercise program you have been
Another example is a student who avoiding, focus on how exercising will
procrastinates working on an important help you have more positive energy, give
project until right before the deadline. you a boost of self-esteem, and serve as a
great role model for your children.
Other instances include wasting time
on social media before starting Get out of your calendar. Projects that
homework, delaying test preparation will get done "when I have time” (as in “I
by doing unimportant chores, or will do it when I have time”) tend not to
repeatedly postponing work on a get done very often, if ever. You need to
thesis. schedule when you are going to work on a
project and block out that time, just as you

4
 would an important meeting. When it is when another stimulus demands their
time to do your work, set a timer so you attention, students become distracted. The
can be focused for the entire allotted time. researchers identified three overarching
themes in the interview data describing
Be realistic. As you establish your sources of distraction and engagement: social
schedule, set yourself up for success. presence and social responsibility, effects on
Projects often take much longer than cognitive load, and virtual and physical
expected, so bake in some extra time. environments. Social presence. Findings from
Look for ways to make it easier on this research are consistent with other studies
yourself: If, for example, you are not a suggesting that a majority of students prefer
morning person, don't expect yourself to in-person over remote classes because of the
get up an hour early to start the exercise high salience of social presence (Grieve et al.,
program you have put off for months. It 2016; O'Neill et al., 2021). Interviewees
might be better to schedule that activity connected greater social presence with higher
during lunch or before dinner. engagement; many expressed a preference for
in-person classes. This study provides a
nuanced understanding of how low social
presence contributes to students violating
typical social and classroom norms,
Set Clear Goals: Begin by defining your particularly attending to and being respectful
objectives for the day. What tasks or activities of instructors and other students. Similarly, the
do you want to accomplish? Prioritize Tasks: findings indicate that greater social presence
Identify the most important and urgent tasks. makes social accountability more salient and
Focus on these first. Allocate Time Blocks: increases students' ability to perform student
Divide your day into chunks of time. Assign roles and pay attention. This study also hints at
specific tasks to each block. the difficulty for instructors in trying to
simulate social presence in the synchronous
Include Breaks: Don’t forget to schedule short remote learning environment. Interviewees felt
breaks. They help maintain productivity and that some of the teaching methods intended to
prevent burnout. Be Realistic: Set achievable create social presence were artificial or
goals. Avoid overloading your schedule. Time associated with grades, rather than achieving
for Self-Care: Allocate time for exercise, the desired social connection. Cognitive load.
relaxation, and self-care. Use a Planner or Environmental role strain, self-consciousness,
App: Write down your schedule or use a and "Zoom fatigue" increased cognitive load,
digital tool to keep track. Review and Adjust: putting non-academic issues into working
Regularly assess your progress and adjust your memory and interfering with the ability of
schedule as needed. Void Multitasking: Focus students to attend to course content and
on one task at a time to improve efficiency. constructive interaction. Students in this study
Stick to It: Consistency is key. Follow your reported that they experienced symptoms of
schedule consistently to build good habits. role strain not because of their interpersonal
roles with others, but because of
CONCLUSION environmental factors. Compartmentalization,
a method of managing role strain by ignoring
Distraction for students in this study derived inconsistency, is more difficult when one is
both from a lack of satisfaction with class limited to a certain physical environment in
stimuli and factors competing for their their classroom. Students found themselves
attention. When interest in what is happening using a single physical environment to
in class wanes, students easily find something accommodate inconsistent role obligations and
else to occupy their attention. Additionally, as a result, experienced increased cognitive

5
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