Procrastination By Aneek Gupta

1. BY ANEEK GUPTA
DEDICATED TO
MY FATHER CAPT. N.K. GUPTA,
MY MOTHER MRS. MAYA GUPTA,
MY WIFE MRS. DEEPA GUPTA,
MY SON AVEEK GUPTA
AND TO ALL WELL WISHER
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2. The word comes from the
Latin word Procrastinatus
•Pro- (Forward)
•Crastinus (Of Tomorrow)
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3. Procrastination Is The
Deferment, Delay, Suspension,
Postponement Or Avoidance Of
An Action, Job, Assignment,
Duty Or Task And Is Often
Linked To Exactness, Precision
Or Perfectionism.
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4. For The Person Procrastinating This
May Effect, Outcome, Consequence Or
Result In Stress, A Sense Of Guilt, The
Loss Of Productivity, The Creation Of
Crisis, And The Disappointment,
Embarrassment, Chagrin Of Others
For Not Fulfilling One's
Responsibilities Or Commitments.
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5. While It Is Normal For Individuals To
Procrastinate To Some Degree, It
Becomes A Problem When It Slows
Down, Delays, Impedes Normal
Functioning.
Chronic Or Unending Procrastination
May Be A Sign Of Fundamental,
Underlying Psychological Or
Physiological Disorder.
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6. 1. The Psychological Causes Of Procrastination Vary Significantly AND Greatly, But
Generally Envelop, Surround Issues Of Anxiety, Low Sense Of Self-worth And A
Self-defeating Mentality.
2. Procrastinators Are Also Thought To Have A Higher-than-normal Level Of
Conscientiousness, More Based On The quot;Dreams And Wishesquot; Of Perfection Or
Achievement In Contrast To A Realistic Appreciation Of Their Obligations And
Potential.
3. Author David Allen Brings Up Two Major Psychological Causes Of Procrastination
At Work And In Life Which Are Related To Anxiety, Not Laziness.
A. The First Category Is Things Too Small To Worry About, Tasks That Are An
Annoying Interruption In The Flow Of Things, And For Which There Are Low-
impact Workarounds; An Example Might Be Organizing A Messy Room.
B. The Second Category Is Things Too Big To Control, Tasks That A Person Might
Fear, Or For Which The Implications Might Have A Great Impact On A
Person's Life; An Example Might Be The Adult Children Of A Deteriorating
Senior Parent Deciding What Living Arrangement Would Be Best.
4. It Is Important To Note That A Person Might Unconsciously Overestimate Or
Underestimate The Scale Of A Task, If Procrastination Has Become A Habit.
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7. 1. Research On The Physiological Roots Of Procrastination
Mostly Surrounds The Role Of The Prefrontal Cortex.
2. This Area Of The Brain Is Responsible For Executive Brain
Functions Such As Planning, Impulse Control, Attention,
And Acts As A Filter By Decreasing Distracting/off-putting
Stimuli From Other Brain Regions.
3. Damage Or Low Activation In This Area Can Reduce An
Individual's Ability To Filter Out Distracting/off-putting
Stimuli, Ultimately Resulting In Poorer Organization, A
Loss Of Attention And Increased Procrastination.
4. This Is Similar To The Prefrontal Lobe's Role In Attention-
deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Where Under
Activation Is Common.
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8. 1. Procrastination Can Be A Pushy/Persistent And Weakening/Debilitating
Disorder In Some People, Causing Significant Psychological Disability And
Dysfunction.
2. These Individuals May Actually Be Suffering From An Underlying/Basic Mental
Health Problem Such As Depression Or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
3. While Procrastination Is A Behavioral Condition, These Underlying/Basic
Mental Health Disorders Can Be Treated With Medication And/Or Therapy.
4. Medication Can Improve An Individual's Attention Span/Duration (In The Case
Of ADHD) Or Improve Overall Mood (In The Case Of Depression).
5. Therapy Can Be A Useful Tool In Helping An Individual Learn New Behaviors,
Overcome Fears And Anxieties, And Achieve An Improved Quality Of Life.
6. Thus It Is Important For People Who Continually/Chronically Struggle With
Weakening/Debilitating Procrastination To See A Trained Therapist Or
Psychiatrist To See If An Underlying/Basic Mental Health Issue May Be Present.
7. Severe Procrastination And/Or Add Can Cross Over Into Internet Addiction Or
Computer Addiction. In This Instance The Individual Has A Compulsion To
Avoid Reality By Surfing The Web Or Playing Video Games (Game Addiction) Or
Looking At Online Pornography (Pornography Addiction).
8. Although These Are Relatively New Phenomena, They Are Being Considered As
Psychiatric Diagnoses By Mental Health Professionals.
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9. 1. Traditionally/Usually, Procrastination Has Been Associated
With Perfectionism/Exactness, A Tendency To Negatively
Evaluate/Assess Outcomes And One's Own Performance.
2. Intense/Extreme Fear And Avoidance Of Evaluation Of One's
Abilities By Others, Heightened Social Self-consciousness
And Anxiety, Recurrent/frequent Low Mood, And
Workaholism.
3. Slaney (1996) Found That
A. Adaptive Perfectionists Were Less Likely To Procrastinate
Than Non-perfectionists,
B. While Maladaptive Perfectionists (People Who Saw Their
Perfectionism As A Problem) Had High Levels Of
Procrastination (And Also Of Anxiety).
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10. 1. While Academic/Educational Procrastination Is Not A Special
Type Of Procrastination, Procrastination Is Thought To Be
Particularly Prevalent In The Academic/Educational Setting,
 Where Students Are Required To Meet Deadlines For
Assignments And Tests In An Environment Full Of Events And
Activities Which Compete/Battle For The Students' Time And
Attention.
2. More Specifically, A 1992 Study Showed That quot;52% Of Surveyed
Students Indicated Having A Moderate To High Need For Help
Concerning Procrastinationquot;
3. Some Students Struggle With Procrastination Due To A Lack Of
Time Management Or Study Skills, Stress, Or Feeling Overwhelmed
With Their Work.
4. Students Can Also Struggle With Procrastination For Medical
Reasons Such As ADD/ADHD Or A Learning Disorder Such As
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11. 1. The Situation Is Worse At The Graduate Level, Where The Conditions Are
Perfect For Procrastination — Intangible/Indefinable Mental Work With
Flexible Deadlines And Unclear Goals.
2. Instructors Have Coined The Term ABD Students (All But
Dissertation{Study}) For People Who Are Especially Vulnerable
/Susceptible.
3. Teachers, School Counselors, And Others In School Administration
Should Be Trained To Address These Issues When They Arise.
4. Many Colleges And Universities Offer Classes, Coaching, And Tutoring In
Study Skills For Students Who Are Struggling With Procrastination Or A
Learning Disorder.
5. Students With ADD Or Learning Disorders Often Qualify For Special
Considerations Such As Increased Time For Test-taking.
6. It Is Not Known How Often A Severe Case Of Procrastination Caused By A
Mental Health Problem May Fail To Be Noticed When The Person Is In An
Academic Situation/Context, Because It Is Merely Categorized As
quot;Academic Procrastinationquot;.
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12. 1. The Relaxed Type,
2. The Tense-Afraid
Type
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13. 1. The Relaxed Type Of Procrastinators View Their
Responsibilities Negatively And Avoid Them By Directing
Energy Into Other Tasks.
2. It Is Common, For Example, For Relaxed Type
Procrastinating Children To Abandon Schoolwork But Not
Their Social Lives. This Type Of Procrastination Is A Form Of
Denial.
3. The Procrastinator Avoids Situations That Would Cause
Displeasure, Indulging Instead In More Enjoyable Activities.
In Freudian Terms, Such Procrastinators Refuse To
Renounce The Pleasure Principle, Instead Sacrificing The
Reality Principle.
4. They May Not Appear To Be Worried About Work And
Deadlines, But This Is Simply An Evasion.
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14. 1. The Tense-Afraid Type Of Procrastinator Usually Feels Overwhelmed
With Pressure, Unrealistic About Time, Uncertain About Goals And Many
Other Negative Feelings.
2. Feeling That They Lack The Ability Or Focus To Successfully Complete
Their Work, They Tell Themselves That They Need To Unwind And Relax,
That It's Better To Take It Easy For The Afternoon, For Example, And Start
Afresh In The Morning. Their 'Relaxing' Is A Temporary And Ineffective
Measure, And Leads To Even More Stress As Time Runs Out, Deadlines
Approach And The Person Feels Increasingly Guilty And Apprehensive.
3. This Behavior Becomes A Cycle Of Failure And Delay, As Plans And Goals
Are Put Off, Penciled Into The Following Day Or Week In The Diary Again
And Again.
4. It Can Also Have A Debilitating/Weakening Effect On Their Personal Lives
And Relationships.
5. Since They Are Uncertain About Their Goals, They Often Feel Awkward
With People Who Appear Confident And Goal-Oriented, Which Can Lead
To Depression.
6. Tense-Afraid Procrastinators Often Withdraw From Social Life, Avoiding
Contact Even With Close Friends.
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15. 1.Complex Projects Often Seem Daunting And Cause
Many People To Procrastinate.
2.Projects That Are Viewed As Being Unpleasant Are
Also Often The Victim Of Procrastination.
3.The Inability To Prioritize Also Contributes To
Procrastination.
4.The Inability To Make Decisions Also Contributes To
Procrastination.
5.A Fear Of Failure Also Causes Some People To
Procrastinate.
6.Distractions Are A Major Cause Of Procrastination.
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16. Procrastination Doesn't Have To Play A Big Role In Your Life.
Here Are Eight Tips To Beat Procrastination - That Ultimately Will Leave You Accomplishing
More, Feeling Less Stress, And Having More Fun.
1. If You Don't Absolutely Need To Get It Done, Don't Put It On Your To-do List. Adding Tasks
That You Don't Have To Do Only Makes The List Longer And Eventually Overwhelming. It
Provides The Excuse For Doing Something Other Than What You Really Need To Do.
2. Substitute A Less Daunting Task For The One You Are Thinking Of Putting Off. Make Sure It
Accomplishes The Same Thing. Instead Of Writing A Letter, Can You Send A Postcard? Instead
Of Making Chocolate Filled Cookies That Must Be Rolled, Cut, Filled, And Folded, How About
Making A Pan Of Layer Bars?
3. Remember That You Don't Have To Do It Perfectly.
4. Check E-mail Only When You Have Time To Answer New Messages.
5. Answer The Telephone Only When You Have Time To Visit. Screen Calls With An Answering
Machine. You Will Still Be Able To Hear If It Is An Emergency.
6. If You Procrastinate Because You Don't Like Doing The Task, Ask Yourself If You Are The One
Who Really Needs To Do It. Maybe Another Family Member Could Handle It. Or, You Could
Hire Someone To Do It, Or Trade Jobs With Another Mom.
7. Decide That Some Things Don't Have To Be Done. You Don't Procrastinate About Things That
You Don't Think You Need To Do. So, Free Yourself From The Headache By Making The
Decision Not To Do It.
8. Just Start It! The Most Difficult Part Of Many Chores/Everyday Jobs Is Getting Started. Once
You Begin, The Task Is Often Easier Than You Expected. And, When You Have Completed It,
The Feeling Is Terrific. Stop Procrastinating And Take The First Step Now.
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