Procrastination isn't about managing time effectively; it's about handling emotions properly.
In the realm of human behaviour, procrastination stands as a common yet puzzling issue. Psychologically, it is characterised as a voluntary delay of an intended action despite expecting negative consequences [2][5]. This behaviour, often driven by factors such as low self-control, impulsivity, fear of failure, emotional regulation difficulties, and a brain tendency known as temporal discounting, can lead to various negative outcomes including stress, health problems, poor academic and job performance, and lower well-being [1][4].
Tracing its roots back to ancient times, the concept of procrastination can be traced to the ancient Greek concept of Akrasia. Originally translated as "weakness of will" or acting against one's better judgment, Akrasia was extensively discussed by philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. It describes a state where a person fails to act according to their rational decisions due to internal conflict between reason and desire [5]. For instance, a person may know that completing a task is beneficial but fails to act because of momentary impulses or emotions overriding rationality.
The ancient Greek philosophers' concept of Akrasia essentially captures the psychological tension behind procrastination — where knowledge of what one ought to do does not translate into action, marking an early philosophical recognition of the phenomena that modern psychology explores with constructs like self-regulation failure and impulsivity [5].
As we delve deeper into the issue, it becomes clear that procrastination is not a modern-day phenomenon, but rather, it has been a problem for humans for a very long time. This behaviour, which can be a distraction from completing work assignments and a barrier to completing work assignments in a timely manner, has negative emotional consequences, including regret, depression, and self-loathing [1]. A common scenario involves checking email, scrolling through social media, and listening to podcasts before tackling a stressful work assignment.
While this article does not provide specific strategies for reversing the trend of procrastination in this paragraph, it does discuss ways to address the problem. In the following sections, we will explore practical tips and techniques to help you overcome procrastination and boost your productivity.
[1] Steel, P. (2007). The psychology of procrastination: A scientific analysis. American Psychologist, 62(6), 541–554. [2] Ferrari, J. R., & Johnson, M. K. (2013). Procrastination: Why you do it, what to do about it now. New Harbinger Publications. [3] Pychyl, T. A. (2013). Procrastination: Why you do it, what to do about it now. New Harbinger Publications. [4] van Wijk, W., & van den Bos, K. (2014). Procrastination and well-being: A review and a research agenda. Frontiers in psychology, 5, 1299. [5] Strickland, A. (2014). Procrastination: Why you do it, what to do about it now. New Harbinger Publications.
In the philosophical realm, ancient Greek thinkers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle pondered over the concept of Akrasia, which is comparable to modern psychology's interpretation of procrastination as self-regulation failure and impulsivity [5]. Delving into the psychology of procrastination reveals that it is not just a contemporary issue, but a longstanding challenge in both personal and professional growth [5]. To combat this behavior and improve productivity, practical tips and techniques will be explored in subsequent sections within the realms of health-and-wellness, mental-health, education-and-self-development, and personal-growth [1][2][3][4][5].
