Procrastination deeply affects people and is rooted within them psychologically. Chronic procrastinators also are typically perfectionists. They may become overwhelmed easily due to the fear of failure to a task that is difficult and choose to put it off, further procrastinating their work. Many would rather “do it right than do it at all” (Rider).

In most cases, people tend to procrastinate and put work off because they do not want to do it, and one may put off something because of the task’s complexity or low understanding of the task.  Another common reason people may procrastinate is if they are distracted or tired. 

Psychologists have discovered the many roots of procrastination and why people do it. These include low self-confidence, anxiety, lack of structure, and the inability for one to motivate oneself. Researchers believe that fixation on negative thoughts is also closely related to procrastination. 

There are many consequences of procrastination that deeply affect one’s day-to-day life. It frequently leads to lower grades, lower quality work, and creates poor overall well-being . Procrastination can also lessen sleep and worsen personal relationships. 

Procrastinating can also affect one’s physical health. By putting off exercise or healthy eating, one has a higher likelihood of different diseases or problems, such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease. People who procrastinate likely act in self blame and don’t seek other people’s advice in wellness or other areas of life, making it more likely for them to be unhealthy mentally, emotionally, and physically. For example, Scarlett Jones (10) believes that procrastination “has caused [her] to lose sleep and to become overwhelmed.”

Procrastination can be overcome through tremendous effort and determination. One can adopt timelines that build over time, making challenges out of monotonous tasks, limiting use of social media and online news, and breaking down large chunks of difficult tasks into smaller, easier parts to complete. 

Even though all of these are great ways to try to motivate someone to complete their work in a timely fashion, stopping procrastination all together starts with one’s mindset. To do this, one must think about their actions and think about how they will feel in the future, whether that be stressed, happy, sad, tired, etc. This starts with making a friend with oneself.  By doing this, a procrastinator will feel more motivated because they don’t want to put their friend (future self) in a tough situation. 

Overall, procrastination greatly affects someone’s mental, physical, and emotional health. In order to overcome it, one must be motivated to change their actions and mindset.