The issue of Procrastination
Fellow 7 Cups Members and Listeners,
The topic of Procrastination is nothing new to any of us. We have all at least heard about it, if not faced with this issue. So I believe we all have something to say about this, and share our own experiences and view points on this.
I came across several blog and research articles which say that maybe 'procrastination' is a symptom of several mental disorders, if not a mental disorder on it's own. In light of this, I understand and am very well aware that procrastination is like the common cold, and probably even more common than that, because it's prevalent in every one of us in way or another.
However, for some of us it's a serious issue because it significantly hampers our productivity and motivation to get things done and the consequences of this is just quite high.
I myself have been a chronic procrastinator for several years now. I am a student and part of the labor force as well. But I'm unable to produce the level of productivity as a student that I want to achieve.
I have read a plethora of Self Help Books on motivation, procrastinations, changing habits, believing in oneself, realism, completed one of the 7 Module workbooks posted on this sub-section on procrastination and watched as many Ted Talks as possible.
However, despite all those teachings, here I am drafting a post which I believe is a distraction in itself from the work I'm supposed to get done.
So my question to you is that: Is it time that we consider procrastination as a mental illness than just laziness or bad habit? And Do we actually need professional help and medication to get over this. And this question applies to people who are chronic procrastinators, who are seriously worried about their condition and are unable to get out of it on their own.
Hello, @reverecrivain
I took a Psychology course last semester, and there was a small section on procrastination and how it affects us. One thing that really stuck to me was, when it comes to our studies, the more we procrastinate studying for an exam or starting on an assignment, the more stress and anxiety we end up having as the deadlines are nearing. So, to prevent ourselves from feeling overwhelmed with these stresses, is to stop procrastinating when we catch ourselves being unproductive. Think of how "if I continue to put off with my studies/assignments, the more stressed I will become later", "I will end up failing the course because I've been putting things off", "if only I had started studying and doing my assignment earlier on, I wouldn't be struggling so much now." I'm sure these are the most common thoughts someone who procrastinated would be thinking as they are near the end of the semester.
Why do we put ourselves through excess stress and worries when we could've started on that assignment right when it was assigned or started studying ahead of time as we already know when our test/quiz/exam day will be on?
I, myself, will sometimes procrastinate too and end up taking a break for the entire day. Then, set a time the next day to work on my studies, with breaks in between and a reward at the very end. I'd like to think that procrastination is more of a bad habit than a mental illness, but to procrastinate for long periods of time, may result in affecting our mental health. As we will start blaming ourselves for not staying on track of our studies, then, the more we blame ourselves, the more we panic and become afraid of failing the class. Then, we become so stressed that it feels like nothing stays in our minds when we study, and struggle with completing assignments.
I'd liked to think that procrastination can be overcome with self-control, discipline, and responsibility.~
@Jaeteuk
From my understanding, I myself have experienced this, well everyone. From what I think, to me, the main reason I procrastinate is because of time. We always feel we have the time to do other things that we do to avoid the actual things that are supposed to be done. Also, there is a feeling that you get, I don't know how to explain it, but it's like I am not in the mood to do it. Everyone's reasons might be different, whether it is like it's hard or easy, but back to the main person that said something about it being a mental disorder, I haven't heard of that before.
Agreed, @KBeauty12
Everyone has their own reasons. I think some people overestimate their abilities too. That they may think they could get something done in a specific time frame, but when that time comes, it turns out that they had been procrastinating too long and end up with the lack of time to complete it.
Our brains work in funny ways, the more we tell it that we are procrastinating and making excuses to not do our work, the more it believes that it is true. We're the ones that feeds our minds into believing that procrastination is the best way to deal with work we don't feel like doing, but must be done. We make ourselves feel like it's a valid reason, and our brains will be geared towards that belief. Like many other habits, we must change our mindset, how we feed our brains with specific thoughts will affect the way we react. This is how cycles can turn vicious if we feed our brains with negativity. (This is a whole different topic).
All in all, everyone definitely has different reasons for it and possible underlying problems that may contribute to procrastination, and I agree that it is difficult to pull ourselves away from procrastinating. I think it will help to set goals or set a certain period of time to study or work on an assignment. You might need to force yourself to get started, but usually, once you've got the ball rolling, things get easier~
@Jaeteuk That is actually a very useful perspective and very true. Procrastination is sadly a vicious cycle and getting out of it is very tricky and takes a lot of willingness and discipline to do it. What I noticed that the motivation on last for a moment there. It's like the spark, it probably just shows you the direction in which you want to go, if only for a split second. Rest depends on your will.
Thank you for your reply. I appreciate it.
