5 lifestyle-changing facts about

Procrastination
People usually think of procrastination as one form: an easy way out on homework
assignments. But it is not so risk-free as people think. Procrastination has serious eects
that influence student performance and individual well being in the long run.

(Burns, 2013)

1) Procrastination is a lifestyle.
People procrastinate due to issues in self-management and regulation, as well as a means
of deflection. When faced with stress, the brain will naturally seek relief by doing something
it finds pleasure in. This can lead to a student surfing the web for extended periods of time,
deciding which shoes to buy for the upcoming track meet rather than the assignment at
hand. However, as the deadline for the task nears, the stress felt by the student increases.
So, the student will set the task aside for later. Issues in self-regulation early in life can lead
to a tendency to procrastinate more in the future.

2)

Procrastination is a cycle.

Procrastination is a time bomb. People who procrastinate are unable to recognise the harm
in accomplishing a task last-minute, and as a result will continue down the road to their
1

[Procrastinators]
actually choose paths
that hurt their
performance.
-Hara Estro Marano

destruction. They will set a standard for themselves

and get into a routine, even without noticing. In
actuality, procrastination reflects that an individual is
unable to regulate his or her actions independently
(Marano, 2003). Another reason for procrastination is
the rush of adrenaline produced as a result of stress.
When a task is accomplished after the student is
exposed to stress, he or she will feel relief. This can
make a student feel alive, and they will seek this
kick in the future. So, procrastination can also be
seen as a form of addiction.

3) Procrastination hampers the brains ability to solve problems.

Practice makes perfect, as they say, but how can you practice if you keep delaying the
studying until later? As a way of compensating, students are more likely to pull all-nighters
in order to catch up upon the studying that they could have done the previous week. 20
percent of students pull all nighters monthly and 35 percent stay up past 3 in the morning,
and around 68 percent of these students are kept up on the basis of stress overload (Hoyt,
2015). Sleep allows the brain to store and process information, which enables the student
to recall facts easier on the day of an exam. Inability to remember information comes from
attempting to cram everything into the brain at one time, which is not possible.

4) Procrastination impacts social relationships

Constant procrastination can put significant stress on relationships between individuals. In
a home environment, if chores like cooking or washing the floors are put o, the spouse will
be forced to take up the job to ensure their completion. This puts strain on the relationship
by making the procrastinator seem lazy and irresponsible. In a business environment,
procrastination places strain on others as the coworkers are expecting you to complete
your share of the task. Procrastinators are also more likely to depend on others to help
them accomplish tasks for them, which can put pressure on casual relationships.

5) Procrastination has severe health consequences

Procrastination is well associated to high stress. But, something you may not be aware of is
that procrastinators are at higher risk of getting headaches, digestive trouble, and colds or
the flu. A recent study by Dr. Fuchsia Sirois of Bishop University says that procrastination is
even directly linked to heightened risk or cardiovascular disease (Jae, 2015). Hypertension
caused by high-stress conditions may release adrenaline, but it also puts considerable
strain on the mind, which aects other systems as well. Also, people who procrastinate are
less likely to maintain their health, delaying monotonous tasks like exercising or eating well
until later (Castillo, 2015).

Sources
1) Marano, Hara Estro. "Procrastination: Ten Things To Know." Psychology Today. N.p.,
23 Aug. 2003. Web. 01 Jan. 2016.

2) Burns, Katie. "Productive Procrastination: Overcoming Workload Paralysis." RSS. N.p.,

31 July 2015. Web. 01 Jan. 2016.

3) Hamilton, Audrey. "Psychology of Procrastination: Why People Put O Important Tasks

Until the Last Minute." Http://www.apa.org. N.p., 5 Apr. 2010. Web. 01 Jan. 2016.

4) Hoyt, Elizabeth. "Sleep and the Student." Fastweb. N.p., 8 Dec. 2015. Web. 01 Jan.
2016.

5) Castillo, Stephanie. "Why Procrastination May Be The Death Of You." Medical Daily.
N.p., 27 Mar. 2015. Web. 01 Jan. 2016.

6) Jae, Eric. "Procrastination Is Literally Killing You." Co.Design. N.p., 07 Apr. 2015. Web.
01 Jan. 2016.