World News | Procrastination linked to health and occupational problems – but there are things you can do to stop it

Durham (UK), 17 August (conversation) Do you blame yourself for procrastination? You may be writing this message to a friend you have to let down, or a big report for school or work, and doing everything you can to avoid it, but deep down you know you should keep going.

Unfortunately, telling yourself won’t stop you from procrastinating again. In fact, it’s one of the worst things you can do. This is important because, as my research shows, procrastination isn’t just a waste of time, it’s actually related to real problems.

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Procrastination is not the result of laziness or poor time management. Scientific research shows that procrastination is caused by poor emotional management.

This makes sense if we consider that people are more likely to delay starting or completing tasks they hate. If just thinking about a task makes you anxious or threatens your sense of self-worth, you’re more likely to put it off.

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The study found that people who procrastinated for a long time had different brain regions associated with threat detection and emotion regulation than those who procrastinated infrequently.

When we avoid unpleasant tasks, we also avoid the negative emotions associated with them. This is beneficial and the condition we use procrastination to repair our emotions. Conversely, if we engage in more enjoyable tasks, our mood gets another boost.

Emotionally loaded or difficult tasks such as preparing for an exam or preparing for a public speaking are prime candidates for procrastination. People with low self-esteem are more likely to procrastinate, and people with high levels of perfectionism are more likely to procrastinate, fearing that their work will be judged harshly by others. If you haven’t done that report or done those home repairs, then what you’ve done can’t be assessed.

But guilt and shame often linger when people try to distract themselves with more enjoyable activities.

Procrastination is not an effective way to manage emotions in the long run. The emotional repair you experience is temporary. Afterwards, people tend to engage in self-critical reflection, which not only increases their negativity but also reinforces their tendency to procrastinate.

What are the dangers of procrastination?

So why does such a problem occur? When most people think about the cost of procrastination, they think about lost productivity. For example, studies have shown that academic procrastination can negatively impact student performance.

But academic procrastination can affect other areas of a student’s life. In a six-month study of more than 3,000 German students, those who reported academic procrastination were also more likely to engage in academic misconduct, such as cheating and plagiarism. But the most closely related to procrastination is the use of fraudulent excuses to extend deadlines.

Other studies have shown that employees procrastinate on average nearly a quarter of their workdays, which in turn is associated with worse outcomes. In a U.S. survey of more than 22,000 employees, participants who said they procrastinated frequently had lower annual incomes and less job security. For the measure of chronic procrastination, each additional point reduces wages by $15,000 (£12,450).

Procrastination is also associated with serious health and well-being problems. The tendency to procrastinate is associated with poor mental health, including higher levels of depression and anxiety.

In numerous studies, I have found that people who procrastinate frequently report more health problems, such as headaches, flu and colds, and digestive problems. They also experience higher levels of stress and poorer sleep quality.

They are less likely to adopt healthy behaviors, such as eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, and use destructive coping strategies to manage their stress. In a study of more than 700 people, I found that people prone to procrastination had a 63% increased risk of poor heart health after accounting for other personality traits and demographics.

How to stop procrastinating

Learning not to procrastinate will not solve all your problems. But finding better ways to regulate your emotions may be the way to improve your mental health and well-being.

An important first step is managing your environment and how you view your tasks. There are a number of evidence-based strategies that can help you isolate distractions and set your tasks to reduce anxiety and feel more meaningful. For example, reminding yourself why the task is important and valuable to you can increase your positive feelings about it.

Forgiving yourself and showing compassion when you procrastinate can help break the cycle of procrastination. Admit that you feel bad without judging yourself. Remind yourself that you are not the first to procrastinate, nor will you be the last.

Doing so removes the negative feelings we have about ourselves when we procrastinate. This can make it easier to get back on track. (conversation)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from the Syndicated News feed, the body of the content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)