phd procrastination

How to Stop Procrastinating: A Guide for PhD Students and Academics

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Jayron Habibe

A finishing PhD students in Medical Biochemistry. He has a love for writing about practical tools that make life as a PhD student just a little bit easier. Learn more about Jayron

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🧠Introduction

As a PhD student or academic, you are well aware of the unique challenges that come with managing research projects and meeting deadlines. However, one common hurdle that can hinder your progress is the tendency to start procrastinating.

You may find yourself putting off important tasks, succumbing to distractions, and struggling to make the most of your time. But fear not! This comprehensive guide is specifically designed to help PhD students and academics like you overcome procrastination and maximize productivity.

In the world of academia, productivity is not just a buzzword; it is essential for achieving research goals, making significant contributions to your field, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance . By adopting effective strategies and implementing practical techniques, you can break free from the cycle of procrastination and optimize your productivity, ultimately leading to greater success and personal fulfillment.

Throughout this guide, we will explore a range of proven strategies tailored to the unique needs of PhD students and academics. You will discover how to create a daily to-do list that encompasses research tasks, deadlines, and academic responsibilities. We’ll delve into the power of time blocking and how it can help you allocate dedicated time for research, writing, teaching, and personal development. You’ll also learn how to find your optimal working style, incorporating techniques such as deep work sessions, or collaborative sessions that resonate with your workflow.

Rewarding yourself for research and academic milestones is vital for maintaining motivation, so we’ll explore how to celebrate your achievements along the way. We’ll discuss the importance of minimizing context switching, avoiding distractions, and maintaining focus during crucial work sessions. 

By implementing the strategies outlined in this guide, you will not only overcome procrastination but also unlock your full potential as a PhD student or academic. The path to success is paved with intentional, focused, and productive work. Are you ready to stop procrastinating and embark on a journey of enhanced productivity? Let’s dive in and transform your research and academic experience.

🗒️Daily To-Do List for Researchers and Academics

A well-structured and thoughtfully crafted daily to-do list is a powerful tool for PhD students and academics. It provides a roadmap for your day, helping you stay organized, focused, and on track with your research and academic commitments.

It is important to create a to-do list that reflects your priorities and aligns with your long-term goals. Start by capturing all the tasks and responsibilities you need to address, including research activities, writing assignments, teaching duties, meetings, and administrative tasks. Be thorough in this process to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

Another valuable tip is to break down larger tasks into smaller, actionable steps . This approach helps prevent overwhelm and allows you to make progress incrementally. For instance, if you have a research paper to write, break it down into phases like conducting literature reviews, collecting data, outlining, drafting, and revising. By tackling one step at a time, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and stay motivated throughout the process.

Furthermore, assigning realistic time estimates to each task helps you allocate your time effectively and avoid over-committing. This practice ensures that you have a clear understanding of the time required for each task, preventing unnecessary stress and frustration.

Once you have your list of tasks, it’s crucial to prioritize them effectively. Here, you can use the concept of “ABC prioritization,” which involves categorizing tasks into three levels of importance: A, B, and C. A-tasks are high-priority and have a significant impact, B-tasks are important but less urgent, and C-tasks are those that can be deferred or delegated if possible.

To take your prioritization a step further, you can use the Eisenhower Matrix, a productivity framework that classifies tasks into four quadrants: important and urgent, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and not important or urgent. This matrix helps you identify critical tasks that require immediate attention and separate them from tasks that can be scheduled or eliminated.

Lastly, review and update your to-do list regularly . Priorities may shift, deadlines may change, and new tasks may arise. By taking a few minutes at the beginning or end of each day to review and adjust your to-do list, you ensure that it remains relevant, up-to-date, and aligned with your overall goals.

If you’d like to use an app that makes creating to-do lists super easy I would recommend checking out Todoist . It has tons of awesome features while being extremely easy and simple to just get started with. It also happens to be my to-do list app of choice so if you’re interested just check it out.

⏳Time Blocking for Researchers and Academics

Time blocking is a powerful technique that allows PhD students and academics to optimize their productivity by allocating dedicated blocks of time for specific tasks or activities. By implementing this strategy, you can effectively manage your workload, reduce distractions, and make significant progress in your research and academic endeavors.

Time blocking involves dividing your day into distinct time slots, each dedicated to a specific task or type of activity. This structured approach helps create a sense of focus and clarity, enabling you to prioritize and complete tasks more efficiently. To make the most of time blocking, consider the following techniques:

Identify Your Key Priorities:

Before you begin time blocking, identify your most important priorities. These may include research activities, writing, data analysis, teaching responsibilities, meetings, or personal development. By having a clear understanding of your priorities, you can allocate sufficient time to each area.

Determine Optimal Time Slots

Consider your energy levels, cognitive peaks, and natural rhythms when determining your time slots. Some individuals are more productive in the morning, while others thrive in the afternoon or evening. Find the time slots that work best for you and align them with tasks that require deep focus and concentration.

Block Focus Time

Designate uninterrupted periods for deep work and focused tasks. During these time blocks, eliminate distractions, such as turning off notifications, closing unnecessary tabs, and creating a conducive work environment.

Include Breaks

Recognize the importance of breaks and transition time between tasks. Schedule short breaks to recharge and refresh your mind. Additionally, allocate buffer time between tasks to allow for a smooth transition and avoid feeling rushed or overwhelmed.

Flexibility

While time blocking provides structure, it’s essential to remain flexible. Unexpected events or new tasks may arise, requiring adjustments to your schedule. Embrace the flexibility to rearrange your time blocks when necessary, ensuring that you stay responsive to changing priorities.

Remember, the goal of time blocking is not to fill every minute of your day with tasks. It’s about creating a balance between focused work, breaks, and other essential activities. By allocating specific time slots for each task or responsibility, you gain clarity on your commitments and avoid the pitfalls of multitasking.

Additionally, time blocking can help manage the tendency to overcommit. By allocating realistic time slots for tasks, you gain a better understanding of how much you can accomplish within a given timeframe. This practice prevents the stress and frustration that can arise from unrealistic expectations and allows you to set achievable goals.

🛠️Discovering Your Optimal Working Style

Finding your optimal working style is crucial for enhancing productivity as a PhD student or academic. Each individual has unique preferences, strengths, and rhythms when it comes to work. By understanding and embracing your working style, you can tailor your approach to research and academic tasks, ultimately boosting your efficiency and output. Here are some key considerations to help you discover your optimal working style:

Experimentation

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different working styles and techniques. Try out various approaches such as the Pomodoro Technique, which involves working in focused sprints followed by short breaks, or deep work sessions where you dedicate uninterrupted time to intensive tasks. Evaluate the outcomes and determine what resonates with you the most.

Collaborative vs. Solitary Work

Consider whether you thrive in collaborative settings or if you perform better working independently. PhD students and academics often engage in team projects or research collaborations, but some tasks may require concentrated solitary work. Finding the right balance that suits your working style is essential for maintaining productivity.

Environmental Factors

Your physical work environment can have a significant impact on your productivity. Some individuals thrive in a quiet and organized space, while others prefer a bustling and interactive setting. Experiment with different environments, and create a workspace that promotes focus and minimizes distractions.

Workflow Tools

Explore productivity tools and technology that align with your working style. Digital tools like project management software, note-taking apps, or reference management systems can streamline your research process. Find tools that enhance your workflow and integrate seamlessly with your working preferences.

Remember, discovering your optimal working style is a continuous journey. As you progress through your academic career, your needs and preferences may evolve. Stay open to adapting and refining your approach to ensure it remains aligned with your goals and aspirations.

🍬 Rewarding Yourself While Working

Rewarding yourself while working can be a powerful motivator to overcome procrastination and maintain focus as a PhD student or academic. By incorporating intentional rewards into your work routine, you can create a positive reinforcement system that boosts your productivity and enhances your overall satisfaction. Here are some strategies to consider:

Milestone Celebrations

Break down your work into smaller milestones and celebrate each achievement along the way. For example, completing a section of a research paper, reaching a specific word count, or finishing a challenging experiment can all be acknowledged as milestones. Treat yourself to a small reward, such as a coffee break, a short walk, or a few minutes of enjoyable leisure activities.

Time-Based Rewards

Set specific time intervals during your work session, and reward yourself with short breaks or mini-rewards when you reach those intervals. This technique can be particularly effective when using the Pomodoro Technique, where you work for a set period, like 25 minutes, and then take a 5-minute break. Use these breaks to do something you enjoy, like reading a book, listening to music, or engaging in a brief mindfulness exercise.

Meaningful Incentives

Identify rewards that are personally meaningful and aligned with your interests or hobbies. This could be engaging in a favorite recreational activity, treating yourself to a delicious snack, or indulging in a leisurely activity you enjoy. The key is to choose rewards that bring you joy and provide a sense of rejuvenation and fulfillment.

Gamify Your Tasks

Turn your work into a game by setting up challenges or creating a points system. Assign point values to different tasks, and challenge yourself to accumulate a certain number of points within a specific timeframe. When you reach your goal, reward yourself with a prize or treat. This gamification approach adds an element of fun and excitement to your work, making it more engaging and enjoyable.

Social Accountability

Share your goals and progress with a trusted friend, colleague, or mentor. Establish a system of social accountability where you can celebrate your accomplishments together. This external validation and support can be a rewarding experience and provide an additional incentive to stay focused and productive.

Remember, the rewards you choose should be small, enjoyable, and in moderation. The purpose is to create positive associations with your work and maintain a healthy work-life balance. By incorporating rewards into your work routine, you can cultivate a positive mindset, boost your motivation, and reduce the likelihood of procrastination.

🕹️Avoiding Context Switching

Avoiding context-switching and cultivating mindfulness are essential practices for maximizing productivity and maintaining focus as a PhD student or academic. These strategies help minimize distractions, enhance concentration, and promote a sense of clarity and presence in your work. Here are some tips to minimize context switching:

Batch Similar Tasks

Group similar tasks together and allocate dedicated time blocks for them. For example, schedule a specific block of time for reading and responding to emails, another block for data analysis, and another for writing. By focusing on one type of task at a time, you reduce the need to constantly switch gears and maintain a higher level of efficiency.

Minimize Interruptions

Identify and eliminate sources of interruptions and distractions in your work environment. Silence or disable unnecessary notifications on your devices, inform colleagues or family members about your focused work time, and create boundaries to protect your uninterrupted work blocks.

Plan Transition Time

When switching between tasks or projects, allocate buffer time to mentally transition and prepare for the upcoming task. This allows you to wrap up one task effectively and transition smoothly to the next, minimizing the disruption to your focus and productivity.

🤯Conclusion

In the fast-paced world of academia, mastering productivity techniques is essential for PhD students and academics to thrive and achieve their goals. By implementing strategies such as creating a well-structured daily to-do list, practicing time blocking, finding what works for you, rewarding yourself while working, and avoiding context switching you can overcome procrastination, maintain focus, and maximize your productivity.

Remember, productivity is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It requires experimentation, self-reflection, and continuous refinement to find the strategies that work best for you as a PhD student or academic. Stay open to exploring new techniques and adapting your workflow as needed. The journey toward productivity is a personal one, and what works for others may not work the same for you.

As you apply these productivity principles, keep in mind the unique challenges and demands of being a PhD student or academic. Embrace your strengths, leverage your resources, and seek support from your peers, mentors, or productivity communities. Together, you can navigate the complexities of academic life and achieve remarkable results.

Ultimately, productivity is not just about getting more things done—it’s about creating a fulfilling and balanced academic experience. By optimizing your workflow, you can allocate time for your research, teaching, personal growth, and self-care. Remember to celebrate your accomplishments, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and prioritize your well-being along the way.

Now, armed with these productivity strategies and a commitment to action, it’s time to embark on your journey towards enhanced productivity as a PhD student or academic. Embrace the opportunities that lie ahead, stay focused on your goals, and make the most of your academic pursuits

Start by implementing one or two strategies from this blog, and gradually incorporate additional techniques into your routine. Remember, small steps can lead to significant improvements over time. Embrace the power of productivity and unleash your full potential as a successful PhD student or academic.

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The Procrastinator's Guide to a PhD: How to overcome procrastination and complete your dissertation

Procrastinating is an occupational hazard of doing a PhD. But what if you already have procrastination issues? It’s one thing to start as a well-organised, diligent student and then lapse when faced with the lack of deadlines and accountability. It’s another to have been flying by the seat of your pants for the last several years, pulling all-nighters to finish assignments and cramming for exams. What to do? As a recovering procrastinator myself, with several decades of bad habits to overcome, I want to reassure you that change is possible! You can use your well-honed skill in mind games for good instead of evil. The happy news is that if you’ve made it this far, you’ve got all the brains you need to succeed—you just have to know what to do with them. At the end of the day, it’s perseverance, not brilliance, that will get you to your goal. Whether you have long dabbled in the dark art of procrastination or you’re a relative newcomer, you’ll find something here to help you achieve your PhD. Note: The focus of this book is on the thesis or dissertation, not on the coursework and qualifying exams which are part of doctoral studies in the USA.

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Cover Story

Why wait the science behind procrastination.

• Cognitive Psychology
• Emotional Control
• Personality/Social

Believe it or not, the Internet did not give rise to procrastination. People have struggled with habitual hesitation going back to ancient civilizations. The Greek poet Hesiod, writing around 800 B.C., cautioned not to “put your work off till tomorrow and the day after.” The Roman consul Cicero called procrastination “hateful” in the conduct of affairs. (He was looking at you, Marcus Antonius.) And those are just examples from recorded history. For all we know, the dinosaurs saw the meteorite coming and went back to their game of Angry Pterodactyls.

What’s become quite clear since the days of Cicero is that procrastination isn’t just hateful, it’s downright harmful. In research settings, people who procrastinate have higher levels of stress and lower well-being. In the real world, undesired delay is often associated with inadequate retirement savings and missed medical visits. Considering the season, it would be remiss not to mention past surveys by H&R Block, which found that people cost themselves hundreds of dollars by rushing to prepare income taxes near the April 15 deadline.

In the past 20 years, the peculiar behavior of procrastination has received a burst of empirical interest. With apologies to Hesiod, psychological researchers now recognize that there’s far more to it than simply putting something off until tomorrow. True procrastination is a complicated failure of self-regulation: experts define it as the voluntary delay of some important task that we intend to do, despite knowing that we’ll suffer as a result. A poor concept of time may exacerbate the problem, but an inability to manage emotions seems to be its very foundation.

“What I’ve found is that while everybody may procrastinate, not everyone is a procrastinator,” says APS Fellow Joseph Ferrari, a professor of psychology at DePaul University. He is a pioneer of modern research on the subject, and his work has found that as many as 20 percent of people may be chronic procrastinators.

“It really has nothing to do with time-management,” he says. “As I tell people, to tell the chronic procrastinator to just do it would be like saying to a clinically depressed person, cheer up .”

Suffering More, Performing Worse

A major misperception about procrastination is that it’s an innocuous habit at worst, and maybe even a helpful one at best. Sympathizers of procrastination often say it doesn’t matter when a task gets done, so long as it’s eventually finished. Some even believe they work best under pressure. Stanford philosopher John Perry, author of the book The Art of Procrastination , has argued that people can dawdle to their advantage by restructuring their to-do lists so that they’re always accomplishing something of value. Psychological scientists have a serious problem with this view. They argue that it conflates beneficial, proactive behaviors like pondering (which attempts to solve a problem) or prioritizing (which organizes a series of problems) with the detrimental, self-defeating habit of genuine procrastination. If progress on a task can take many forms, procrastination is the absence of progress.

“If I have a dozen things to do, obviously #10, #11, and #12 have to wait,” says Ferrari. “The real procrastinator has those  12 things, maybe does one or two of them, then rewrites the list, then shuffles it around, then makes an extra copy of it. That’s procrastinating. That’s different.”

One of the first studies to document the pernicious nature of procrastination was published in Psychological Science back in 1997. APS Fellow Dianne Tice and APS William James Fellow Roy Baumeister, then at Case Western Reserve University, rated college students on an established scale of procrastination, then tracked their academic performance, stress, and general health throughout the semester. Initially there seemed to be a benefit to procrastination, as these students had lower levels of stress compared to others, presumably as a result of putting off their work to pursue more pleasurable activities. In the end, however, the costs of procrastination far outweighed the temporary benefits. Procrastinators earned lower grades than other students and reported higher cumulative amounts of stress and illness. True procrastinators didn’t just finish their work later — the quality of it suffered, as did their own well-being.

“Thus, despite its apologists and its short-term benefits, procrastination cannot be regarded as either adaptive or innocuous,” concluded Tice and Baumeister (now both at Florida State University). “Procrastinators end up suffering more and performing worse than other people.”

A little later, Tice and Ferrari teamed up to do a study that put the ill effects of procrastination into context. They brought students into a lab and told them at the end of the session they’d be engaging in a math puzzle. Some were told the task was a meaningful test of their cognitive abilities, while others were told that it was designed to be meaningless and fun. Before doing the puzzle, the students had an interim period during which they could prepare for the task or mess around with games like Tetris. As it happened, chronic procrastinators only delayed practice on the puzzle when it was described as a cognitive evaluation. When it was described as fun, they behaved no differently from non-procrastinators. In an issue of the Journal of Research in Personality from 2000, Tice and Ferrari concluded that procrastination is really a self-defeating behavior — with procrastinators trying to undermine their own best efforts.

“The chronic procrastinator, the person who does this as a lifestyle, would rather have other people think that they lack effort than lacking ability,” says Ferrari. “It’s a maladaptive lifestyle.”

A Gap Between Intention and Action

There’s no single type of procrastinator, but several general impressions have emerged over years of research. Chronic procrastinators have perpetual problems finishing tasks, while situational ones delay based on the task itself. A perfect storm of procrastination occurs when an unpleasant task meets a person who’s high in impulsivity and low in self-discipline. (The behavior is strongly linked with the Big Five personality trait of conscientiousness.) Most delayers betray a tendency for self-defeat, but they can arrive at this point from either a negative state (fear of failure, for instance, or perfectionism) or a positive one (the joy of temptation). All told, these qualities have led researchers to call procrastination the “quintessential” breakdown of self-control.

“I think the basic notion of procrastination as self-regulation failure is pretty clear,” says Timothy Pychyl of Carleton University, in Canada. “You know what you ought to do and you’re not able to bring yourself to do it. It’s that gap between intention and action.”

Social scientists debate whether the existence of this gap can be better explained by the inability to manage time or the inability to regulate moods and emotions. Generally speaking, economists tend to favor the former theory. Many espouse a formula for procrastination put forth in a paper published by the business scholar Piers Steel, a professor at the University of Calgary, in a 2007 issue of Psychological Bulletin . The idea is that procrastinators calculate the fluctuating utility of certain activities: pleasurable ones have more value early on, and tough tasks become more important as a deadline approaches.

Psychologists like Ferrari and Pychyl, on the other hand, see flaws in such a strictly temporal view of procrastination. For one thing, if delay were really as rational as this utility equation suggests, there would be no need to call the behavior procrastination — on the contrary,  time-management would fit better. Beyond that, studies have found that procrastinators carry accompanying feelings of guilt, shame, or anxiety with their decision to delay. This emotional element suggests there’s much more to the story than time-management alone. Pychyl noticed the role of mood and emotions on procrastination with his very first work on the subject, back in the mid-1990s, and solidified that concept with a study published in the Journal of Social Behavior and Personality in 2000. His research team gave 45 students a pager and tracked them for five days leading up to a school deadline. Eight times a day, when beeped, the test participants reported their level of procrastination as well as their emotional state. As the preparatory tasks became more difficult and stressful, the students put them off for more pleasant activities. When they did so, however, they reported high levels of guilt — a sign that beneath the veneer of relief there was a lingering dread about the work set aside. The result made Pychyl realize that procrastinators recognize the temporal harm in what they’re doing, but can’t overcome the emotional urge toward a diversion.

A subsequent study, led by Tice, reinforced the dominant role played by mood in procrastination. In a 2001 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , Tice and colleagues reported that students didn’t procrastinate before an intelligence test when primed to believe their mood was fixed. In contrast, when they thought their mood could change (and particularly when they were in a bad mood), they delayed practice until about the final minute. The findings suggested that self-control only succumbs to temptation when present emotions can be improved as a result.

“Emotional regulation, to me, is the real story around procrastination, because to the extent that I can deal with my emotions, I can stay on task,” says Pychyl. “When you say task-aversiveness , that’s another word for lack of enjoyment. Those are feeling states — those aren’t states of which [task] has more utility.”

Frustrating the Future Self

In general, people learn from their mistakes and reassess their approach to certain problems. For chronic procrastinators, that feedback loop seems continually out of service. The damage suffered as a result of delay doesn’t teach them to start earlier the next time around. An explanation for this behavioral paradox seems to lie in the emotional component of procrastination. Ironically, the very quest to relieve stress in the moment might prevent procrastinators from figuring out how to relieve it in the long run.

“I think the mood regulation piece is a huge part of procrastination,” says Fuschia Sirois of Bishop’s University, in Canada. “If you’re focused just on trying to get yourself to feel good now, there’s a lot you can miss out on in terms of learning how to correct behavior and avoiding similar problems in the future.”

A few years ago, Sirois recruited about 80 students and assessed them for procrastination. The participants then read descriptions of stressful events, with some of the anxiety caused by unnecessary delay. In one scenario, a person returned from a sunny vacation to notice a suspicious mole, but put off going to the doctor for a long time, creating a worrisome situation.

Afterward, Sirois asked the test participants what they thought about the scenario. She found that procrastinators tended to say things like, “At least I went to the doctor before it really got worse.” This response, known as a downward counterfactual , reflects a desire to improve mood in the short term. At the same time, the procrastinators rarely made statements like, “If only I had gone to the doctor sooner.” That type of response, known as an upward counterfactual , embraces the tension of the moment in an attempt to learn something for the future. Simply put, procrastinators focused on how to make themselves feel better at the expense of drawing insight from what made them feel bad.

Recently, Sirois and Pychyl tried to unify the emotional side of procrastination with the temporal side that isn’t so satisfying on its own. In the February issue of Social and Personality Psychology Compass , they propose a two-part theory on procrastination that braids short-term, mood-related improvements with long-term, time-related damage. The idea is that procrastinators comfort themselves in the present with the false belief that they’ll be more emotionally equipped to handle a task in the future.

“The future self becomes the beast of burden for procrastination,” says Sirois. “We’re trying to regulate our current mood and thinking our future self will be in a better state. They’ll be better able to handle feelings of insecurity or frustration with the task. That somehow we’ll develop these miraculous coping skills to deal with these emotions that we just can’t deal with right now.”

The Neuropsychology of Procrastination

Recently the behavioral research into procrastination has ventured beyond cognition, emotion, and personality, into the realm of neuropsychology. The frontal systems of the brain are known to be involved in a number of processes that overlap with self-regulation. These behaviors — problem-solving, planning, self-control, and the like — fall under the domain of executive functioning . Oddly enough, no one had ever examined a connection between this part of the brain and procrastination, says Laura Rabin of Brooklyn College.

“Given the role of executive functioning in the initiation and completion of complex behaviors, it was surprising to me that previous research had not systematically examined the relationship between aspects of executive functioning and academic procrastination — a behavior I see regularly in students but have yet to fully understand, and by extension help remediate,” says Rabin.

To address this gap in the literature, Rabin and colleagues gathered a sample of 212 students and assessed them first for procrastination, then on the nine clinical subscales of executive functioning: impulsivity, self-monitoring, planning and organization, activity shifting, task initiation, task monitoring, emotional control, working memory, and general orderliness. The researchers expected to find a link between procrastination and a few of the subscales (namely, the first four in the list above). As it happened, procrastinators showed significant associations with all nine , Rabin’s team reported in a 2011 issue of the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology .

Rabin stresses the limitations of the work. For one thing, the findings were correlative, meaning it’s not quite clear those elements of executive functioning caused procrastination directly. The assessments also relied on self-reports; in the future, functional imaging might be used to confirm or expand the brain’s delay centers in real time. Still, says Rabin, the study suggests that procrastination might be an “expression of subtle executive dysfunction” in people who are otherwise neuropsychologically healthy.

“This has direct implications for how we understand the behavior and possibly intervene,” she says.

Possible Interventions

As the basic understanding of procrastination advances, many researchers hope to see a payoff in better interventions. Rabin’s work on executive functioning suggests a number of remedies for unwanted delay. Procrastinators might chop up tasks into smaller pieces so they can work through a more manageable series of assignments. Counseling might help them recognize that they’re compromising long-term aims for quick bursts of pleasure. The idea of setting personal deadlines harmonizes with previous work done by behavioral researchers Dan Ariely and Klaus Wertenbroch on “precommitment.” In a 2002 issue of Psychological Science , Ariely and Wertenbroch reported that procrastinators were willing to set meaningful deadlines for themselves, and that the deadlines did in fact improve their ability to complete a task. These self-imposed deadlines aren’t as effective as external ones, but they’re better than nothing.

The emotional aspects of procrastination pose a tougher problem. Direct strategies to counter temptation include blocking access to desirable distraction, but to a large extent that effort requires the type of self-regulation procrastinators lack in the first place. Sirois believes the best way to eliminate the need for short-term mood fixes is to find something positive or worthwhile about the task itself. “You’ve got to dig a little deeper and find some personal meaning in that task,” she says. “That’s what our data is suggesting.”

Ferrari, who offers a number of interventions in his 2010 book Still Procrastinating? The No Regrets Guide to Getting It Done , would like to see a general cultural shift from punishing lateness to rewarding the early bird. He’s proposed, among other things, that the federal government incentivize early tax filing by giving people a small break if they file by, say, February or March 15. He also suggests we stop enabling procrastination in our personal relationships.

“Let the dishes pile up, let the fridge go empty, let the car stall out,” says Ferrari. “Don’t bail them out.” (Recent work suggests he’s onto something. In a 2011 paper in Psychological Science , Gráinne Fitzsimons and Eli Finkel report that people who think their relationship partner will help them with a task are more likely to procrastinate on it.)

But while the tough love approach might work for couples, the best personal remedy for procrastination might actually be self-forgiveness. A couple years ago, Pychyl joined two Carleton University colleagues and surveyed 119 students on procrastination before their midterm exams. The research team, led by Michael Wohl, reported in a 2010 issue of Personality and Individual Differences that students who forgave themselves after procrastinating on the first exam were less likely to delay studying for the second one.

Pychyl says he likes to close talks and chapters with that hopeful prospect of forgiveness. He sees the study as a reminder that procrastination is really a self-inflicted wound that gradually chips away at the most valuable resource in the world: time.

“It’s an existentially relevant problem, because it’s not getting on with life itself,” he says. “You only get a certain number of years. What are you doing?”

I am writing my seventh speech for my Toastsmasters meeting and I am speaking about procrastination. This article provided me with great research and information about this subject. Thanks.

I too am writing my 7th speech for Toastmasters on the same subject. Hope yours went well. Mine is due tomorrow!

Me too! 7th ToastMaster Speech. I’ve procrastinated over every speech topic so far, so decided to research into the meaning of my procrastination to overcome the problem. Hence, it has become the topic for my speech!This article has been very informative.

mis hijos lo padecen. Como ayudar a mis hijos esta de pormedio su vida.

this could be a great article to use for one of my classes.

As a counselor, this article is powerful. I don’t think I will ever be stuck with a client who presents procastination as a distress issue.

Thanks Eric for publishing this

I’m currently researching an apt second show topic behind the science of procrastination and this has been quite helpful.

I’ll be sure to send my listeners this way.

People say that procrastination reduces the productivity. But scientifically it actually increases the productivity. People tend to work more and try to be more productive in the last few hours before the deadline. On the other hand, it also increases the internal stress. So it is better to avoid procrastination for a perfect work-life balance. To avoid procrastination, I chose Habiliss virtual assistant services, which really helped me in increasing my productivity.

it helped me so much to write my essay and it has so many information, thanks.

My daughter belongs to the type of people who will procrastinate or avoid anything that implies making an effort. Or she will start something and leave it unfinished to do something else. I don’t know what to do, rowing just makes things worse.

tell her this steps: 1. Chop the whole task in small pieces. 2. Observe the small task very deeply. 4. make a mind map of how you are going to do it. 3. make an expected and meaningful deadline’ 4. and most importantly try to visualize the small tasks you are completing before the deadline.

Interesting that no procrastinators have posted. Does that demonstrate the guilt and shame they feel for wasting their lives?

Hello Christina, I’ve been waiting a year to reply to you comment in order to maximize my creativity in doing so. Uhm wait, Catfish just came on and it’s a really good episode! I’ll get back to you about the gilt and shame another day, hope you understand.

Comments from a procrastinator; I don’t know what to say. It is so stressful to always feel like you are behind the eight ball. I have always taken on a little more than most sensible people would. So, I set myself up from the get go. I have a long history of depression, so when I get depressed, my chores, projects, whatever seem to be too heavy to deal with. I have a totally unrealistic sense of time. I am chronically late. As I have gotten older, this has gotten worse.My career was mostly in nursing management, which worked out for me because I didn’t have an exact time to be at work unless I had meetings. I often stayed late to finish projects when everyone was gone for the day and I could focus in total peace and quiet. Of course, when I worked late, I felt the inner guilt of neglecting my family. I am almost 70, raising 2 grandchildren and unable to find the peace and quiet or the time to work on the projects I saved for retirement. This was voluntary and I really felt I could give them the best environment for their special needs. So, maybe I have given myself an acceptable, selfless reason to procrastinate. But, it only makes me feel more stressed. I really want to be relaxed, happy and unstressed.

I’m right there with you, Elyse. I wonder if anyone has ever studied procrastination from the perspective of someone who just perpetually takes on more than they can handle. I’m so sick of it. I’m a PhD student and I see peers turning things in early and I’m always last. It’s a horrible feeling. My work is usually very good, but almost always late. I empathize with you and hope that we can both beat this problem soon.

Well…Sometimes thing come into my life to make my nightmares a bit more manageable. This article showed me the STRONG effect that emotions have on procrastination. I identified with every single thing in it and I am grateful I came across it.

Finally, I begin to understand the psychology behind my chronic procrastination. My levels of distraction are such that I rarely get through an article without feeling like I must be doing something else. Not this one. Words and phrases that leaped off the page (screen) to me were “self-defeating behavior”, “intention” vs. “action”, “self-regulating”. True. True. True. Now I must delve into my belief system to pull out the reasons why these negative behaviors take precedence over those that are far more positive. Clearly, I feel I am getting some benefit out of my self-defeating behavior or else why repeat it? I’ll have to be careful when attempting to reason this out though. I AM a ponder-er by nature which means I tend to over-think to the degree that by the time I believe I understand my ‘whys’, the opportunity for action has already passed. The irony in this is that my pondering IS procrastinating.

Countless times I have wanted desperately to attach my inability to move forward in my tasks, projects, etc. to the fact that I’m just lousy at managing my time. And then I read this:

“It really has nothing to do with time-management,” he says. “As I tell people, to tell the chronic procrastinator to just do it would be like saying to a clinically depressed person, cheer up.”

THANK YOU! This explains why every single Day Planner I’ve ever attempted to use failed so miserably. Bullet Journals? Ha! Nope. Productivity Apps? Not for me. I confess to being inadequate at anything that requires planning. Planning, then, requires taking the time to sit quietly and write out some kind of an action plan. Action plans require lists. Lists become my number one enemy. It’s at times like this that I feel It’s an almost physical reaction that comes over me when I force myself to think through to the natural end of an action. This snowballs into an overwhelming sense of confusion. My thoughts begin to scramble which triggers my impulse to get up and distract myself with something that will return an immediate sense of accomplishment. “I need to water my plants”.

Has anyone else experienced this? Does all this mean I am now officially becoming OCD? ADD?

I work full-time in a position that requires intense focus (which I love) but also requires that I am organized enough to prioritize my daily workload. It’s as though I recognize the importance of this but I feel I constantly fall short due to that sense of confusion that distracts me (remember that list thing?) and I end up just ‘winging’ it in order to complete the task. I’ve been known to work overtime (w/o pay) just to feel I’ve accomplished what I should have done all day. I have been known to work 10-12 hour workdays which, I realize, is simply ridiculous. And then begins that cycle of negative feelings: unproductive, inadequate, guilt, shame…etc. To say it is exhausting on all levels would be a gross understatement.

Perhaps you can point me (us) to articles that will help me begin to better understand — and help to end — such cycles of negative patterns.

Thank you for addressing the psychology of procrastination. It’s as though my name was written all over it.

I’m similar, I think, since I’ve wanted to only get things done perfectly or I’d see myself as a total failure. Avoiding trying to take care of this test, etc., means my not wanting to face seeing myself as a failure. I never expected to do anything as good as it should be. I’ve always suffered from a strong fear of rejection… I have been linked with AvPD, DPD, OCD, GAD, depression, bulimia, perf ectionism, agoraphobia… According to a psychiatrist, I saw things only in extremes, i.e. all or nothing, good or bad, black or white… I now have to believe, that according to tests run by this current psychiatrist that I suffer from Asperger’s Syndrome… I have been put under the 1% of the population with memory but I do not remember any of my growing up years… Only faced accepting someone as a friend at the age of 28. I saw her as a guardian angel…

Ditto. I wrote a post I aim to publish on the subject. I was the worst procrastinator. When I ceased depriving myself of all the things I love to do. It made it easier to tackle any task I dreaded. Try to strike a balance between work and play. Familiarise yourself with prioritizing important and urgent tasks. And getting them done. Focus a little more on the future, of where you’d like to see yourself. It’ll help you get past the immediate feeling of anxiety. The emotion that underlies the prolonged periods of procrastination the chronic procrastinator is prone to feeling.

Wow this was great how they took this one concept that sometimes cripples most of us, and turned it into a science! Wonderful and highly informative reading! I even posted this to Facebook!

Amazing article, lot of research and efforts, thanks for sharing this abundance of information

WOW!! This was an extremely helpful AND educational article! And I think I can speak for many! And I thank all the contributors to this piece who offered there insight along with case studies that actually break down this human nemesis that has plagued the human race since man learned to walk upright! But there is one thing that I do that most other people do and maybe you could do an article on this subject also. And that is impulsivity. Before I finish one task I jump to do something else! I am just now learning to recognize mine, and am making a strong effort to an alias and correct it.

WOW! This was quite an article! Never before have I read anything so descriptive about a long time human nemesis such as this, what it actually is and how it can be dealt with. I certainly did not know that this is an issue that dates back hundred of years before Jesus Christ was born! But not until now has this problem been looked at and broken down. I will definitely apply these principles! Thank you!

This article is more helpful than others I have read, but my own reasons for procrastination are still elusive to me. Sometimes I will work on a project for a little while, which relieves anxiety. Then I set it aside, saying that I want to see it with fresh eyes a day or two later. Other times I have had the experience of doing something too early, like prepping a presentation, and when I go to make it, I have lost the train of thought. Some tasks are just boring, like many household chores, or present a knotty problem which I just don’t feel like dealing with. Oddly enough, I have no trouble downloading bank and credit card statements and balancing the checkbook. I think it’s the short term pleasure of knowing my finances are in order, even if I still owe money on something, at least the numbers are going down.

Very interesting and educating article with so much research. Thanks for putting this together

I really liked this article. I’ve been going thru a mid life crisis because of a battle I have with chronic procrastination. Like many of the others I read above it’s not one thing it’s many different emotions one has to deal with while h in turn leads one to live one very stressful life. I have a deadline at midnight tonight for something I’ve been wanting/needing to do for a couple months now. Just by reading this article and seeing that I am not alone in this fight has given me the desire to get it done! I pray that everyone that struggles with this nemesis gets closer to defeating our life long enemy. Never give up!

Whoa. I’m writing a speech for school on procrastination, since I have been a chronic procrastinator for pretty much as long as I can remember. I hit an all time low at one point, where I basically never did my homework. For many years, I tried and failed to come up with a reason for that. I very much enjoyed school and my work, I was more than capable of completing the work, and I did have enough time on my hands. I have concluded that the only plausible reason is that, like now, there is something in my brain that simply cannot get work done. When I read the comparison between telling a chronic procrastinator to “get it done” and a clinically depressed person to “cheer up” I was shocked. People never seemed to understand how much I desperately want to be able to just get it done. Even the act of procrastinating is not enjoyable in the slightest – I feel too guilty and self-loathing. I have looked at a number of resources for my speech regarding why we procrastinate, and have disagreed with every one, knowing that I did not fall under those reasons. I agreed with Every. Single. Thing. mentioned in this article. Whoa. Where has this been all my life.

P.S. – if you, like me, are a chronic procrastinator I would very much recommend a brief TedTalk entitled “Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator”. Blew me away.

Thank you so so much for your work. Reading this article helps me feel that I’m not alone. Procrastination is a thief, a liar, a destroyer. I’m in midlife now and I’m seeing how much procrastination has stolen from me, I’ve let it and now I live with the consequences of dreams unfulfilled and shattered. My quilt literally leaves me in a state of numbness and it’s like I’m frozen and not moving forward. Slowly, through prayer and acceptance through my faith, I’m realizing that, and this is key: that forgiving myself and knowing that God loves me unconditionally that I can move forward. I thank God for people like you that are able to gather info and better help all of us.

Everything is coming together now, I now know why I am the way that I am. Thank you so much for this article

I just turned 60. Since my 30s I’ve not been able to keep table surfaces clean of piled up mail, papers, etc. I clean it off and slowly over time it magically piles up again. I want my home to be clutter free but can’t keep up with it, or am I putting off cleaning? I’m always too busy and find activities to do that keep me from taking care of my home. Setting aside time, marking days on the calendar don’t always work either. Am I just lazy? I work better at keeping my home cleaned up when someone is there helping me. Anyone else feel this way?

its a wakeup call for me,such an eye opener

It’s really frustrating, this procrastination thing. My procrastination started to get worse from the day I began doing my practical research. I am unsure but it felt overwhelming (because researches are usually long, I think that is why) and because of that, I.. procrastinated. I watched youtube most of the time when I get home even though I’m aware that I should be doing my research. I tried to fight it off for several months. I’ve won over my procrastination stuff but it keeps coming back. It’s been a little over a year now and getting worse. I try to find my way out of this because it severely affects my academic performance and my social life. I am still finding my way out of this by doing research on procrastination.. (kind of ironic considering that my procrastination habits kicked off due to practical research).. Anyway, I wish the very best for anyone who is struggling with procrastination.. I wish the best for myself too…

Mind-blowing! I am finally able to understand a big part of why I procrastinate and I now feel there is hope. For example, I felt immensely relieved when I read the comparison between a chronic procrastinator and a depressed person; a heavy weight was lifted off my chest -which is pretty much always in agony because of all the tasks and projects postponed. So there is hope.

Dianne, I feel you. Your pain is my pain. Let’s hope this insightful article will help us get better. In my case, the positive emotions clearly help me stay on task, so, when I catch myself procrastinating out of control, I engage in a lifting and energizing short activity to change my mood. At the end of it, and without stopping for anything, I’ll get started on the task/project. I find myself immersed in the task (I am doing it, yeay!), and I feel happy for what I accomplished. That positive loop can keep me going for a little while….until I see a fly on the wall and my mind gets lost on something else. Thanks to this ‘technique’ I have accomplished diminishing the paralysing effects of the guilt. I have accomplished accepting the reality of the time lost and the work not done. I am accepting that whatever feeling I am feeling about procrastinating, THAT WILL ALSO PASS. I am accepting that I can change my emotional apporach to the task and that allows me to start on the positive loop all over. Slowly, yes, I am learning that I am not exactly repeating the same behaviour over and over. It’s taken me 30 years of adult life to get here but I’m improving and now I’m understanding more. Id say this is good.

Thank you for this article. I’ll read it later.

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About the Author

Eric Jaffe is a regular Observer contributor and author of The King’s Best Highway: The Lost History of the Boston Post Road, the Route That Made America (Scribner, 2010).

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How to Stop Procrastinating and Complete Your PhD Thesis: 10 Strategies to Consider

Jun 25, 2020

Remember the old saying, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today?” It’s easier said than done when it comes to writing your PhD thesis.  Considering 80 to 95 per cent  of college students procrastinate, you’re far from alone. 

While there’s comfort in this statistic, it won’t help you finish your PhD thesis. There are many reasons for PhD thesis procrastination. They include a lack of support, difficulty setting priorities, the challenges of working from home, and more.

Despite these pitfalls, you can get from a blank page to a committee-ready document faster than you might think. Keep reading for ten tips that outline how to avoid procrastinating when writing your PhD.

Interested in group workshops, cohort-courses and a free PhD learning & support community? 

The team behind The PhD Proofreaders have launched The PhD People, a free learning and community platform for PhD students. Connect, share and learn with other students, and boost your skills with cohort-based workshops and courses.

Why we procrastinate.

Understanding why we procrastinate will help you overcome this negative tendency. What’s the number one reason many PhD students delay dissertation writing? Self-doubt.

Graduate students have many fears. They include concerns about performing inadequately and failing to meet expectations.

Students also procrastinate because they underestimate how long different steps in their dissertation will take to complete. Some assume they must feel “inspired” before they can write. They fail to realise that writing is a skill that requires daily practice.

Others overestimate how motivated they will be later on. They also mistakenly believe they must be in the right frame of mind to work. Waiting to “feel ready” to write a dissertation will never happen, though. Nevertheless, this false assumption can trigger a vicious cycle.

Finally, procrastination proves a common problem for individuals who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Why? An unhealthy level of perfectionism often accompanies OCD.

This perfectionism can prove paralysing when students become afraid to make mistakes, take chances, or do anything that might not turn out perfectly. 

No matter why you’re procrastinating, the following tips will help you get back on track for success.  

1) Set Priorities and Stick to Them

Procrastination can take  many shapes and forms. One of the most insidious remains putting off urgent matters to complete menial tasks of lower priority. 

Why do we do this? Because humans are hardwired to seek out instant gratification.

That’s what completing little tasks gives you. Besides delaying urgent tasks for the sake of non-urgent ones, procrastination can also take the shape of setting aside unpleasant, challenging jobs in favour of fun ones. 

Again, these fun jobs often do little to help us complete anything of urgency. Perhaps the reason it’s so easy to get caught up in this form of procrastination is because it will keep you busy. It may even give you a fleeting sense of accomplishment until you start ruminating over your dissertation again. 

2) Manage Distractions

How do you avoid mixed up priorities? By scheduling a time or day to take care of these minor tasks. Call it an “admin day” or a “detail day.” No matter what moniker you give it, dedicate a limited amount of time to efficiently and quickly completing these minor tasks. 

Now that you’ve designated a day on your calendar for tidying up loose ends, create a dedicated “to-do” list. Then, every time something that you need to do pops into your head, add it to the list. 

You’ll prevent distraction by knowing you’ve scheduled a time to address these minor concerns. This approach will allow you to concentrate on your dissertation.

3) Establish a Support Network

When it comes to avoiding PhD procrastination, you need a strong support network in place. After all, it’s easy to get distracted by well-meaning colleagues and friends. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries, too.

By sharing a civilised conversation about what you do and don’t need to focus on right now, you also avoid a build-up of potential awkwardness and tension. Explain your difficulties with concentrating and how they can help you. 

4) Get Over the Romance of Working From Home

Working from home  is idealised by many, yet the reality proves far from perfect. It can feel quite challenging to concentrate while in a space usually reserved for fun times and leisure activities.

What’s more, your home represents the ultimate obstacle course when it comes to trivial matters you should put off until later (but don’t). Whether it’s dishes left in the sink or dusting that needs to be done, staying at home can exacerbate procrastination through distractions.

Your PhD Thesis. On one page.

5) make peer pressure your ally.

Fortunately, when you surround yourself with others who may be working or writing, you gain a boost in productivity. After all, productivity is contagious. Find a great  coffee shop  with remote worker energy and let the “peer pressure” around you reignite your creative spark and energy.

6) Know Your Limits

Did you know that the average attention span is just 20 minutes? Sure, individuals can force themselves to focus on one subject for much longer. Nonetheless, peak productivity time still comes in 20-minute chunks.

Stop trying to force yourself into binge cycles of research and writing. Instead, understand your limitations and schedule accordingly. Plan your day with small breaks in mind when you need them most, and you’ll avoid distraction and frustration.

7) Take Advantage of Productivity Software

What’s productivity software? The ultimate answer to procrastination. This software lets you block sites that typically distract from work at hand. Whether it’s Netflix or Facebook, BBC News or Instagram, taking away temptation will help you get more done.

There are many different types of productivity software out there, but one of my favourites remains Cold Turkey. It completely cuts you off from the civilised world for a length of time that you determine. Yes, the experience can feel daunting, but you’ll be amazed by how much you get done.

8) Treat Your Body Well

PhD thesis writing can take a toll on your body if you let it. This reality can lead to a vicious cycle of getting sick, trying to catch up, burning out, and getting sick again. How about we agree to avoid this cycle from the get-go?

Eating right, sleeping well, drinking enough water, and exercising might seem like luxuries you don’t have time for right now. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Your brain works better when you treat your body right, and you need a working brain to write a dissertation.

9) Gain Confidence

When you’re not sure about your writing prowess or what makes for a fantastic dissertation, this uncertainty can impact your productivity. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of free resources available to help you create a finished product of which you’ll feel proud.

Check out these  free guides  to improve the quality of your writing, boost your motivation, and help you stay sane throughout the PhD dissertation writing process.  

10) Get Structured

Many PhD students have questions related to properly structuring their dissertations. Again, a lack of clarity in any area of the process can lead to stilted creativity. So, you need to iron out these issues right away. 

If you’re looking for guidance when it comes to planning and structuring your work, check out  this resource  for templates, chapter cheat sheets, and other thesis writing tips. 

While you’re there, don’t forget to sign up for the daily PhD newsletter featuring helpful tips for how to write a doctoral thesis. 

Dealing With PhD Thesis Procrastination 

Are you struggling with PhD thesis procrastination? If so, you’re not alone. That said, now’s the time to get proactive about finding solutions to put you back in control of your educational path.

Fortunately, we can help. We offer expert support to help you with your PhD journey. Contact us  to discuss where you are in your PhD thesis writing process and how we can help. 

Hello, Doctor…

Sounds good, doesn’t it?  Be able to call yourself Doctor sooner with our five-star rated How to Write A PhD email-course. Learn everything your supervisor should have taught you about planning and completing a PhD.

Now half price. Join hundreds of other students and become a better thesis writer, or your money back. 

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Associations Between Procrastination and Subsequent Health Outcomes Among University Students in Sweden

Fred johansson.

1 Department of Health Promotion Science, Sophiahemmet University, Stockholm, Sweden

Alexander Rozental

2 Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

3 Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Klara Edlund

4 Unit of Intervention and Implementation Research for Worker Health, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Pierre Côté

5 Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

Tobias Sundberg

Clara onell.

6 Department of Caring Sciences, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden

Eva Skillgate

Accepted for Publication: November 13, 2022.

Published: January 4, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.49346

Open Access: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC-BY License . © 2023 Johansson F et al. JAMA Network Open .

Author Contributions: Mr Johansson had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Concept and design: Johansson, Edlund, Côté, Rudman, Skillgate.

Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: Johansson, Rozental, Côté, Sundberg, Onell, Skillgate.

Drafting of the manuscript: Johansson, Edlund, Côté, Sundberg, Skillgate.

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: All authors.

Statistical analysis: Johansson, Côté.

Obtained funding: Rudman, Skillgate.

Administrative, technical, or material support: Edlund, Sundberg, Onell.

Supervision: Rozental, Edlund, Côté, Sundberg, Rudman, Skillgate.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Mr Johansson and Drs Edlund, Sundberg, and Skillgate reported receiving grants from the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE) during the conduct of the study. No other disclosures were reported.

Funding/Support: This research project was funded by grant number FORTE2018-00402 from the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE). The Sustainable University Life study also received financial support from the Public Health Agency of Sweden.

Role of the Funder/Sponsor: The funding sources had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Data Sharing Statement: See Supplement 2 .

Additional Contributions: We would also like to express our appreciation to ACTIC (health club chain), the Tim Bergling Foundation, and all the participating students for their contribution to the Sustainable University Life study.

Associated Data

eTable 1. Comparisons of Estimates Under Different Adjustments

eTable 2. Characteristics of Participants at Pre-baseline Stratified by Missingness at the Nine-Month Follow-up

eMethods 2. Sensitivity Analysis Controlling for Prior Levels of Procrastination

eTable 3. Procrastination (T3) and Subsequent Health Outcomes Six Months Later (T5), Adjusted for Prior Levels of Procrastination (T2)

eMethods 3. Sensitivity Analysis for the Imputation of the Three Missing Items on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory

eReferences

Is procrastination associated with subsequent health outcomes among university students?

In this cohort study of 3525 Swedish university students, procrastination was associated with worse subsequent mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress symptom levels), having disabling pain in the upper extremities, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (poor sleep quality and physical inactivity), and worse levels of psychosocial health factors (higher loneliness and more economic difficulties).

This study suggests that procrastination may be associated with a range of health outcomes.

Procrastination is prevalent among university students and is hypothesized to lead to adverse health outcomes. Previous cross-sectional research suggests that procrastination is associated with mental and physical health outcomes, but longitudinal evidence is currently scarce.

To evaluate the association between procrastination and subsequent health outcomes among university students in Sweden.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study was based on the Sustainable University Life study, conducted between August 19, 2019, and December 15, 2021, in which university students recruited from 8 universities in the greater Stockholm area and Örebro were followed up at 5 time points over 1 year. The present study used data on 3525 students from 3 time points to assess whether procrastination was associated with worse health outcomes 9 months later.

Self-reported procrastination, measured using 5 items from the Swedish version of the Pure Procrastination Scale rated on a Likert scale from 1 (“very rarely or does not represent me”) to 5 (“very often or always represents me”) and summed to give a total procrastination score ranging from 5 to 25.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Sixteen self-reported health outcomes were assessed at the 9-month follow-up. These included mental health problems (symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress), disabling pain (neck and/or upper back, lower back, upper extremities, and lower extremities), unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (poor sleep quality, physical inactivity, tobacco use, cannabis use, alcohol use, and breakfast skipping), psychosocial health factors (loneliness and economic difficulties), and general health.

The study included 3525 participants (2229 women [63%]; mean [SD] age, 24.8 [6.2] years), with a follow-up rate of 73% (n = 2587) 9 months later. The mean (SD) procrastination score at baseline was 12.9 (5.4). An increase of 1 SD in procrastination was associated with higher mean symptom levels of depression (β, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.09-0.17), anxiety (β, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.04-0.12), and stress (β, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.08-0.15), and having disabling pain in the upper extremities (risk ratio [RR], 1.27; 95% CI, 1.14-1.42), poor sleep quality (RR, 1.09, 95% CI, 1.05-1.14), physical inactivity (RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.04-1.11), loneliness (RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.12), and economic difficulties (RR, 1.15, 95% CI, 1.02-1.30) at the 9-month follow-up, after controlling for a large set of potential confounders.

Conclusions and Relevance

This cohort study of Swedish university students suggests that procrastination is associated with subsequent mental health problems, disabling pain, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, and worse psychosocial health factors. Considering that procrastination is prevalent among university students, these findings may be of importance to enhance the understanding of students’ health.

This cohort study evaluates the association between procrastination and subsequent health outcomes among university students in Sweden.

Introduction

Procrastination is defined as voluntarily delaying an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse off because of the delay 1 and is common, especially among younger people. 2 , 3 It is estimated that at least half of university students engage in consistent and problematic procrastination, such as postponing studying for examinations or writing papers. 1 , 4 Procrastination is described as a form of self-regulatory failure linked to personality traits such as impulsiveness, 5 , 6 distractibility, and low conscientiousness. 1 , 7 An individual’s tendency to procrastinate is relatively stable over time, but specific procrastination behaviors are influenced by contextual factors such as task aversiveness. 1 For some students, procrastination is occasional and related to specific academic tasks, while for others it is more of a general disposition, potentially affecting academic achievements 8 and health.

Cross-sectional studies suggest that procrastination is associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress as well as loneliness and reduced life satisfaction. 2 , 9 , 10 , 11 Procrastination is also associated with prevalent general physical health problems, 12 cardiovascular disease, 13 and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. 12 , 14 , 15

Students engaged in university studies have high levels of freedom and low structure, which places high demands on their capacity to self-regulate. 16 These high demands on self-regulation may explain the high prevalence of procrastination among university students and make persons who are prone to procrastinate more vulnerable to the negative consequences of procrastination while at the university. 16

The procrastination health model 12 , 17 suggests that a general tendency to procrastinate is associated with negative health outcomes by increasing levels of stress, reducing healthy behaviors, and delaying treatment. 12 , 17 , 18 However, the causal direction between procrastination and health outcomes is not well understood and could be bidirectional, with poor physical or mental health reducing energy levels and motivation, potentially leading to more procrastination.

Some of the strongest support for the causal claims of the procrastination health model comes from studies on the effects of treating procrastination. Results from randomized clinical trials suggest that intervening on procrastination with psychological treatments can reduce subsequent levels of depression and anxiety and improve quality of life. 19 However, the evidence is limited as there are only a few studies, with a focus solely on mental health outcomes. 19

The procrastination health model provides a useful theoretical foundation for how procrastination could affect different health outcomes. 12 , 17 However, longitudinal evidence from studies of procrastination and subsequent health outcomes is scant and focuses on only 1 or a few health outcomes. 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 Furthermore, most studies have limited control for important confounders, including other health problems, age, and sociodemographic factors. Also, no study has, to our knowledge, controlled for the potential reverse causation that may arise if health problems increase procrastination.

In this study, we investigated the associations between procrastination and a range of subsequent health outcomes while controlling for a large set of potential confounders, including prior levels of the outcomes. This method allows for stronger conclusions regarding the causal direction 24 between procrastination and health outcomes and can provide a broader picture of the potential associations between procrastination and health.

We aimed to evaluate the associations between procrastination and 16 health outcomes at the end of a 9-month period. The outcomes include mental health, disabling pain, and several unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and psychosocial health factors. Following the procrastination health model, 12 , 17 we hypothesized that higher levels of procrastination would be associated with worse health outcomes at follow-up.

Design and Study Population

The cohort for this study came from the Sustainable University Life study, 25 which followed up Swedish university students for 1 year using web-based surveys. Undergraduate or graduate students (up to and including masters’ level) at full-time educational programs, with at least 1 year left of their education were eligible to participate. Students were recruited from 8 universities in the greater Stockholm area and Örebro. Data collection was ongoing from August 19, 2019, to December 15, 2021. The targeted universities represent a convenience sample and were selected to provide a variety of different types of disciplines, such as medicine, technology, social sciences, and economics and were restricted to universities in a limited geographical area to enable physical presence by study staff. The study was approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority and all participants provided informed consent electronically. More information about the study methods and data collection is available in the study protocol. 25 This study is reported following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology ( STROBE ) reporting guideline for cohort studies.

Eligible students were informed about the study during an in-class presentation and/or by an email with a link to the survey. Students who agreed to participate were followed up every 3 months for 1 year at 5 time points. In the present data analysis, the first time point was defined as prebaseline and was used for measures of the covariates. The second time point was defined as the baseline and was used for the procrastination measure and the fifth time point was defined as the 9-month follow-up and used for measurement of the health outcomes ( Figure 1 ). The follow-up period of 9 months represents the length of an academic year, which we believe is adequate for procrastination to manifest its potential associations with different health outcomes. The sample was restricted to those responding at baseline and included 3525 participants; the follow-up rate was 73% (n = 2587) at the 9-month follow-up ( Figure 2 ).

T indicates time point.

The definition of each time point (T) in the present study (T1, T2, and T5) refers to the time point in the Sustainable University Life (SUN) Cohort ( Figure 1 ). Note that T3 and T4 are not shown here, because data from these time points were not used for the main analyses.

Exposure: Procrastination

Procrastination was measured using 5 items from the Swedish version of the Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS). 26 The items were rated on a Likert scale from 1 (“very rarely or does not represent me”) to 5 (“very often or always represents me”) and summed to give a total procrastination score ranging from 5 to 25. The short version of the PPS includes items 4 through 8 from the full PPS and has shown adequate psychometric properties in nonclinical samples. 26 , 27 In this sample, the scale had a Cronbach α of 0.92 at baseline and a test-retest reliability (Pearson r ) of 0.79 over 3 months and of 0.75 over 9 months.

We assessed a range of health outcomes at the 9-month follow-up, including mental health problems (symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress), disabling pain (neck and/or upper back, lower back, upper extremities, and lower extremities), unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (poor sleep quality, physical inactivity, weekly tobacco use, monthly cannabis use, daily alcohol use, and breakfast skipping), psychosocial health factors (loneliness and economic difficulties), and general health. For more information on the outcome measures, see eMethods 1 in Supplement 1 .

Confounders

Potential confounders were selected using the modified disjunctive cause criterion. 28 This approach is a feasible alternative to directed acyclic graphs when the causal knowledge needed to produce a reliable directed acyclic graph is unavailable. 28 We used the same set of covariates in all the outcome models, as has been suggested for outcome-wide studies. 29 The covariate set included all outcome variables at prebaseline to limit the risk of reverse causation, 30 as well as age, gender, highest parental level of education, previous physical and psychiatric diagnoses, civil status, place of birth, and university education type. All covariates were measured at prebaseline to ensure that none were mediators between procrastination and the outcomes. Information on covariate measurement and coding is provided in eMethods 1 in Supplement 1 .

Statistical Analysis

The characteristics of the sample are presented in Table 1 , both for the full sample and across quartiles of procrastination (procrastination score range, 5-25; first quartile, 5-9; second quartile, 10-12; third quartile, 13-17; and fourth quartile, 18-25). To assess whether procrastination was associated with the health outcomes at follow-up, we used the outcome-wide approach, 29 a newly developed analytic approach to study associations between an exposure and multiple outcomes. We built separate multivariable regression models for each of the outcomes to assess the association between baseline procrastination and the different outcomes at the 9-month follow-up. For continuous outcomes, linear regression models were used. For binary outcomes, modified Poisson regressions 31 were used (rather than logistic regression models because some outcomes were relatively common).

Abbreviation: NR, not reported.

Procrastination and all continuous outcome measures were standardized (mean = 0, SD = 1). Estimates for continuous outcomes are thus interpreted as the difference in the outcome as measured in SDs associated with a 1-SD increase in procrastination, and estimates for the binary outcomes are interpreted as the risk ratio (RR) of the outcome associated with a 1-SD increase in procrastination. All models were adjusted for the set of prebaseline confounders described. For unadjusted estimates, see eTable 1 in Supplement 1 . Visual inspection of the residuals from all models indicated fairly linear associations between procrastination and the outcomes. The homoscedasticity and distribution of the residuals were not assessed because they typically have minor impact on the regression estimates, 32 but the modified Poisson models still applies robust SEs. This analytic strategy deviates from the ones prespecified in our study protocol 25 but was selected as it was deemed most appropriate for the research questions. Analyses were conducted using R, version 4.1.2 (R Group for Statistical Computing).

Missing Data

Outcome data were missing for 938 participants not responding at the 9-month follow-up, and the main analyses were performed as complete-case analyses (n = 2587). Prebaseline characteristics stratified by missingness at the 9-month follow-up are presented in eTable 2 in Supplement 1 . We had complete data on the exposure and all covariates, except for the sleep quality variable. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) had missing data on 3 items for sleep disturbances for 9% (n = 225) of the respondents in the analytic sample due to a technical error at the beginning of data collection. These missing data were handled by imputing the person-mean of the items for sleep disturbances.

Sensitivity Analyses

First, we computed the E-value 33 , 34 that assesses how strongly unmeasured and residual confounding would need to be associated with the exposure and the outcomes on the RR scale to reduce the point estimates to the null. When the 95% CIs did not include the null, we also computed the E-value of the 95% CI bound closest to the null, to assess the strength of unmeasured and residual confounding needed to shift the 95% CI to include the null. Second, we calculated the point-biserial correlation between procrastination at baseline and missingness at follow-up to investigate the possibility of selection bias in relation to the internal validity. No association between the exposure and loss to follow-up indicates that selection bias cannot affect the internal validity, but only the external validity. 35 Third, we conducted analyses controlling for prior levels of procrastination, as has been suggested for outcome-wide studies. 29 These analyses had to be performed with a 6-month follow-up because we did not have data on procrastination at prebaseline (eMethods 2 and eTable 3 in Supplement 1 ). Fourth, the robustness of our results to the person-mean imputation of values on the PSQI was assessed by performing multiple imputation for the 3 missing items (eMethods 3 in Supplement 1 ).

At prebaseline, the study included 3525 participants (2229 women [63%] and 1274 men (36%); mean [SD] age, 24.8 [6.2] years) ( Table 1 ). The mean (SD) procrastination score at baseline was 12.9 (5.4). Gender and age were similar across levels of procrastination, but participants with higher levels of procrastination tended to be more likely to study technical sciences, be single, and have been born outside of Europe. All outcome variables showed higher prevalence or mean levels at prebaseline among participants with higher procrastination levels at baseline.

Table 2 presents the results from the outcome regression models. At the 9-month follow-up, a 1-SD increase in procrastination was associated with higher mean symptom levels of depression (β, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.09-0.17), anxiety (β, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.04-0.12), and stress (β, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.08-0.15) as well as having disabling pain in the upper extremities (RR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.14-1.42), poor sleep quality (RR, 1.09, 95% CI, 1.05-1.14), physical inactivity (RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.04-1.11), loneliness (RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.12), and economic difficulties (RR, 1.15, 95% CI, 1.02-1.30). The results showed no clear evidence of associations between procrastination and subsequent disabling pain in other body regions; use of tobacco, alcohol, or cannabis, breakfast skipping; or general health afer adjustment for the prebaseline covariates.

Abbreviations: LCL, lower confidence limit; NA, not applicable; PE, point estimate; RR, relative risk.

For estimates with a 95% CI that excluded the null, the E-values suggested that unmeasured confounders would need to increase the risk of both procrastination and the outcomes by 35% to 86%, depending on the outcome, to move the point estimates to the null ( Table 2 ). The point-biserial correlation between procrastination at baseline and missingness at the follow-up was 0.05. Outcome levels at prebaseline were generally somewhat higher in the group that was missing at the 9-month follow-up (eTable 2 in Supplement 1 ). The associations between procrastination and health outcomes 6 months later, while controlling for prior procrastination levels, were similar to the results in the main analysis (eMethods 2 and eTable 3 in Supplement 1 ). Using multiple imputation for the 3 missing items on the PSQI gave results identical to the main analysis when rounded to the second decimal place (eMethods 3 in Supplement 1 ).

In this cohort of Swedish university students, higher levels of procrastination were associated with worse subsequent mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress symptom levels), having disabling pain in the upper extremities, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (poor sleep quality and physical inactivity), and worse levels of psychosocial health factors (higher loneliness and more economic difficulties) 9 months later. We found no clear associations between procrastination and subsequent disabling pain in other body regions (neck and/or upper back, lower back, or lower extremities), other unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (alcohol, tobacco, or cannabis use and breakfast skipping), or general health.

The identified associations are in the same direction, but to a lesser magnitude, than those reported in most previous studies on procrastination and health outcomes. 1 , 2 , 9 , 10 , 12 There are several potential reasons for this difference in magnitude, such as the use of different scales to measure procrastination and the health outcomes. However, the arguably largest difference between this study and most previous studies is that we controlled for an extensive set of potential confounders. To our knowledge, this is the first study of procrastination and health outcomes to adjust for prior levels of the outcomes. As shown in eTable 1 in Supplement 1 , when controlling for prior levels of the outcome variables, the unadjusted estimates of associations between procrastination and the health outcomes corresponded more closely to those of some previous studies. 2 , 9 , 10 By adjusting for prebaseline levels of the outcome variables, we reduced the risk of reverse causality. 30 Still, interpreting these association as causal effects requires the assumptions of no unmeasured or residual confounding, selection bias, or other biases affecting the associations, 36 assumptions that are unlikely to be fully met in the present study. We do believe, however, that our results may correspond more closely to the consequences that interventions targeting procrastination would have for different health outcomes, than those of earlier cross-sectional studies.

Our estimates indicate that the associations between procrastination and subsequent health outcomes are weak. For instance, a 1-SD increase in procrastination was associated with a mean increase in subsequent depression symptoms of only 0.13 SDs, and many of the associations were weaker than this. The follow-up time of 9 months represents 1 academic year and was chosen because we believe this is sufficient induction time for procrastination to lead to health problems. It is possible, however, that these estimates would be stronger for a longer follow-up because the potential negative associations of procrastination with health outcomes could accumulate over time. Still, even though the associations are not very strong, it seems that procrastination could have associations with many different aspects of health, including mental health, physical pain, lifestyle behaviors, and psychosocial health factors. Thus, although it seems that intervening on procrastination is unlikely to produce large associations with any specific health outcome, it could possibly produce small associations with a diverse set of different health outcomes.

Limitations

This study has some limitations. The E-value analysis suggests that unmeasured and residual confounding (from, for instance, neuroticism, conscientiousness, or genetic factors) could potentially explain away the observed associations. This potential unmeasured or residual confounding would, however, need to be moderately associated with procrastination and the outcomes, independent of all measured covariates 29 (ie, associated with procrastination and the outcomes even after adjusting for all covariates). Given the large number of confounders adjusted for in these analyses, it is likely that a substantial proportion of any unmeasured confounding is already accounted for in our analyses. Controlling for prior procrastination levels gave results similar to those in the main analysis, limiting the risk of reverse causality and unmeasured confounding 29 (eMethods 2 and eTable 3 in Supplement 1 ).

We also have the risk of misclassification of exposure and outcomes, which is probably not an issue for the procrastination measure given that the PPS showed excellent reliability. The outcomes, however, differ somewhat in their psychometric properties, and misclassification may have attenuated the observed associations for some of the outcomes.

We found that procrastination at baseline had a near-null association with loss to follow-up, so it is unlikely that the internal validity of observed associations is subject to selection bias. 35 There were, however, small differences in prebaseline characteristics, especially prior outcome levels, between responders and nonresponders, which could affect external validity (eTable 2 in Supplement 1 ). Furthermore, the sample is not fully representative of the overall Swedish student population (for instance, we have more medical and health and technical students than average). Thus, it is uncertain whether our estimates are generalizable to Swedish students overall or to other populations. Furthermore, our measures were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, which could affect generalizability to other time periods.

Conclusions

This cohort study of Swedish university students suggests that procrastination is associated with subsequent mental health problems, disabling pain, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, and worse psychosocial health factors. Considering that procrastination is prevalent among university students, these findings may be of importance to enhace the understanding of students’ health.

Supplement 1.

eMethods 1. Assessment of the Outcome and Confounder Variables

Supplement 2.

Data Sharing Statement

Procrastination and Science

Getting a phd in procrastination.

Faculty research has appeared in leading journals, including:

Our funding is competitive. We provide $25,000 annually for four years, support to attend up to three conferences per year, and other scholarship opportunities.

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Calgary is Canada’s fourth largest city and was recently named the fifth most livable city in the world by The Economist. With thriving business and finance sectors — including international oil and gas companies — and thanks to the school’s close ties with the business community, Haskayne faculty and students have research access to many top businesses.

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GMAT/GRE requirement is competitive (typically 650 or higher); GPA: 3.5/4.0; TOEFL iBT: 100 or IELTS: 7.0

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4 thoughts on “ getting a phd in procrastination ”.

Any chance for those of us who didn’t read and apply concepts from your book in time to earn the prerequisite GPA being allowed into the program?

P.S. I’ve had The Procrastination Equation checked out of my local library for 6 weeks past the 2 automatic renewal periods, but opened and started reading it today. I may need to turn it in and check it out again to avoid the fines costing more than the book itself!

Usually they allow one PhD student for my entire department per year and we have to compete to see who gets it.

I’ll get back to you. Soon. I promise.

Interesting Read

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• 2024 Webinar Courses

Your Procrastination Profile: Why You Put Things Off and How Not to with Abigail Levrini, PhD

Why can’t I just DO IT?! As a psychologist, specializing in adult ADHD, this is the #1 question I get asked by my clients. Setting goals is the easy part. Following through with them is what gets most people. The reason for procrastination may be more complex than you realize. Using popular character references, Dr. Levrini will show attendees the most common procrastination “profiles” and the specific solutions that work best for each.

Learning Objectives:

• I can identify my procrastination “type”
• I have learned one or more ways to improve accountability and follow through
• I can think of one task I have put off recently and create a plan to complete it using strategies learned today

Course Features

• Duration 54 minutes
• Skill level All levels
• Language English
• Assessments Yes

ABIGAIL LEVRINI, PHD is a licensed clinical psychologist, ADHD specialist, renowned speaker, bestselling author, and owner of the practice Psych Ed Connections, located near Jacksonville, FL. She earned her doctorate in Counseling and School Psychology at Florida State University in 2008, where she was part of a team that spearheaded a now nationally recognized ADHD coaching intervention. Dr. Levrini has published numerous scientific articles on ADHD and presents her coaching model in professional settings throughout the country. She can be found throughout the media on WebMD, The Washington Post, NAMI, APA, PsychCentral, and many other popular means of press. Dr. Levrini's first book was an American Psychological Association (APA) bestseller, ("Succeeding with Adult ADHD: Daily Strategies to Help you Achieve Your Goals and Manage Your Life", 2012). After selling over 10,000 copies a new and improved updated version was released in February 2023. An updated 2nd edition of her second book, "ADHD Coaching: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals" will be available late 2024. Dr. Levrini also stars in the American Psychological Association's Therapy Video Series on Adult ADHD Treatment.

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Procrastination Is Not Laziness

Written by Steve Rose

Addiction and recovery, 0 comments(s).

On the go? Listen to an audio version of the article here :

Many people blame themselves for being lazy or not having enough willpower to complete the important things they want to do.

Popular self-help messages further reinforce this perspective on procrastination, merely telling people to try harder, hustle, or get more willpower. Although these things might be necessary, this advice does not resolve the core issue.

Procrastination is the result of fear, not laziness. Persons procrastinate due to perfectionistic concerns, basing their self-worth on external validation of their performance. Tackling important tasks induces fear of inadequate performance and further potential damage to one’s self-worth and sense of competence. 

Let’s take a closer look at each of these factors and how they contribute to procrastination.

Table of Contents

What causes procrastination?

According to  Temporal Motivation Theory , the root cause of procrastination includes:

• Low expectations of your competence 
• A low value placed on the task
• Difficulties with impulse control
• Lack of an immediate deadline 

In other words, procrastination results from perfectionistic concerns about one’s performance, low interest in a task, having several distractions, and no immediate deadline.

Saying someone is “lazy” is actually a lazy explanation of human behavior because it does not consider the various underlying factors driving it.

The word “lazy” implies the person just needs to use more willpower, but as I shared in my previous article,  willpower is overrated .

Although willpower is a vital ingredient in behavior change, it is far from the only ingredient. Like baking a cake, you can’t simply throw flour in the oven and neglect all of the other parts of the recipe.

Like being a lazy baker, providing lazy explanations of human behavior only leads to disappointment. Therefore, let’s consider all of the elements involved in procrastination and how to overcome it.

How to overcome procrastination

To overcome procrastination, consider the following:

• Focus on progress, not perfection 
• Clarify your “why”
• Reduce the need for willpower 
• Set small goals 

By focusing on each of these areas, you increase the odds of completing a task rather than procrastinating.

Focusing on progress, not perfection , allows you to overcome the perfectionistic tendency to worry about not doing the task well. It’s easier not to start a task than to risk criticism for not doing it well enough. This is particularly relevant for persons who are highly driven and base their self-worth on their performance.

Clarifying your “why”  allows you to gain a broader sense of purpose regarding the task. For example, my motivation to continue writing this article is based on the value-orientated drive to serve others through my work.

Reducing the need for willpower  means removing any distractions from your environment and creating habits that make it easier to complete the task. I have a complete description of how to do this in my article  here .

Setting small goals  refers to creating several regular short-term goals rather than just relying on a long-term goal. For example, if you want to finish writing a paper in a week, you can break it into smaller goals and aim to write one section per day.

Is procrastination an addiction?

As an addiction counselor, human motivation has been a core focus in my work. Understanding someone’s motivation to use addictive substances allows me to work with these underlying motives and increase motivation to change.

Although procrastination is not technically considered an addiction, it shares many traits with addictions, including the following:

• Short-term relief at a long-term cost
• Loss of control
• Craving distractions 
• Compulsive behaviors

Procrastination can be like an addiction to  not  engaging in a specific task.

Short-term relief  comes when a person procrastinating avoids fear by not engaging in a task that provokes perfectionistic fear. This comes at a long-term cost of not completing the task and may also result in harm to many areas of someone’s life.

Loss of control  is experienced when procrastinating since a person begins to feel even less competent to engage in the task the longer they put it off.

Craving distractions  may come in the form of immediately wanting to do something else when faced with the object of procrastination. For example, when sitting down to write, I seem to immediately feel hungry or want to check my emails.

Compulsive behaviors  are things we feel compelled to do, despite their lack of relevance to our goal. For example, many people compulsively clean their environment rather than engage in an important task.

Procrastination has many overlaps with addiction. Even though procrastination is the absence of action, it involves several alternative actions that serve as distractions, providing short-term relief at a long-term cost to one’s work, relationships, or personal health.

Procrastination is not about laziness. Instead, it is about not having the right motivational ingredients. Throughout this article, I’ve summarized some key lessons from Temporal Motivation Theory, a leading theory of procrastination. I’ve also provided practical steps you can take to stop procrastinating.

If you want to learn more about motivation, I highly recommend my more in-depth article on the topic here:  How to Find Motivation .

If you are trying to help someone else who is struggling with motivation, you can check out my article here:  How to Motivate Someone .

If you’re curious why I’m not a big fan of willpower, you can check out my article here:  Why Willpower is Overrated .

I hope this has been a helpful overview of procrastination. As always, feel free to leave a comment down below. You can also reach out to me directly  here .

Fascinated by ideas? Check out my podcast:

Struggling with an addiction.

If you’re struggling with an addiction, it can be difficult to stop. Gaining short-term relief, at a long-term cost, you may start to wonder if it’s even worth it anymore. If you’re looking to make some changes, feel free to reach out. I offer individual addiction counselling to clients in the US and Canada. If you’re interested in learning more, you can send me a message here .

Other Mental Health Resources

If you are struggling with other mental health issues or are  looking for a specialist near you, use the Psychology Today therapist directory  here to find a practitioner who specializes in your area of concern.

If you require a lower-cost option, you can check out BetterHelp.com . It is one of the most flexible forms of online counseling.  Their main benefit is lower costs, high accessibility through their mobile app, and the ability to switch counselors quickly and easily, until you find the right fit.

*As an affiliate partner with Better Help, I receive a referral fee if you purchase products or services through the links provided.

As always, it is important to be critical when seeking help, since the quality of counselors are not consistent. If you are not feeling supported, it may be helpful to seek out another practitioner. I wrote an article on things to consider here .

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Decision-Making

Why choose long-term solutions to resolve tricky dilemmas, when short-term solutions to problems are mostly makeshift, go long-term..

Posted May 15, 2024 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

• Short-term remedies, though at times necessary, may not adequately address the issues that underlie them.
• There can be serious consequences when people don’t scrutinize the possible repercussions of hasty behavior.
• Discipline demands flexibility, a readiness to change tactics based on feedback obtained from one's actions.
• In making tough or tricky decisions, both short- and long-term time spans need to be scrupulously considered.

My previous post focused on why short-term remedies for problems—though at times necessary, maybe even imperative—may not be able to address the underlying root cause. Or the issues may be just too complicated for short-term, stopgap measures to permanently resolve.

The present post is intended to make you more aware of why, in many instances, it would be preferable to get beyond the short-term biases automatically programmed deep inside your old survival brain.

Patience Tends to Be Rewarded More Than Eagerness

Earlier, I distinguished between getting revenge and achieving justice. And I suggested that such a well-nigh universal impulse is to take retaliatory action against another’s offensive boundary transgression right away.

Pursuing justice, on the other hand, is more challenging, for it generally involves a waiting period—planning a sequence of organized, reparative behaviors over time. That’s why much shorter-term vigilante justice tends to be much less about justice than revenge, illegally assuming authority to punish those perceived as acting criminally.

But in the quest to right a wrong, it’s far more prudent to act within the law. Taking matters into your own indignant hands is not only less likely to accomplish your objectives but also could get you charged with a felony. It’s you who could wind up imprisoned.

People who lack patience, however, or are governed more by emotion than reflective thought are prone to choose a course of action that quickly alleviates their tension. But there can be serious consequences when you’re not carefully evaluating the repercussions of acting precipitously on your behalf.

The Role of Discipline in Prevailing and Finally Triumphing Over Adversity

Perhaps more than anything else, being successful in life demands discipline, which, if you think about it, intimately relates to patience.

Disciplined individuals have cultivated the habit of not acting on the spur of the moment. Prior experience has taught them that in the long (or longer) run, they’re better off taking extra time to reflect on alternatives than reacting right away to provocations or impasses.

It’s not that their apparent procrastination is anxiety -induced but that they recognize the foolhardiness of not weighing beforehand the consequences of attempting to solve problems swiftly—and, likely, capriciously.

Moreover, before giving themselves permission to act right away, thinking ahead, they’ll appraise whether such short-term action coalesces with what longer-term goals they’ve decided are optimal to pursue. If they do implement an immediate solution, that will happen only after they see it as coordinating with longer-term goals.

Ideally, you also want to be clear that these goals truly mirror your values and broader vision—that they transcend mere expediency.

If, for instance, you want somehow to address the worldwide indignity of starvation, you might look at how the lack of education and commensurate employment are two factors lying at the root of the problem. Only then would you consider shorter-term, interim remedies, like furnishing food for those who might otherwise perish.

Discipline is also required to regularly review whether each of your steps toward a final solution has proved effective or whether any might need to be replaced by something you hadn’t assessed earlier.

Although it might initially seem so, discipline doesn’t have much to do with being steadfast or unwavering. Rather, it demands flexibility, a readiness to change tactics based on the feedback you’re obtaining from actions already taken. Whether on paper or in your head, you want to scrupulously document what you did and its outcome.

Because long-term solutions necessitate predicting future possibilities, despite how clued into the present you may be, that’s hardly any guarantee you can forecast all the variables that ultimately will determine the future. Plus, the longer the time required to reach the future date you had in mind, the more errors you’re likely to make along the way that could compromise your plans.

To be an expert at a card game, you need to develop the right skills (consisting mostly of, well, patience and discipline). But even then, the confounding element of chance may defeat you. Notwithstanding your using all your accumulated card-playing chops, you can’t ever be certain about what hasn’t yet happened.

Still, even if your well-thought-out efforts fail, you’ll have less to regret than had you acted hastily. And you’re less likely to blame yourself for contingencies you couldn’t have known in advance. After all, both intra- and inter-personal reality are mutable, resistant to the formulations that, within closed systems like mathematics, you can rely on.

As the Danish proverb ironically puts it: “Prediction is hazardous, especially about the future.”

Developing the Skill Set for Efficaciously Employing Long-Term Solutions

Adopting long-term solutions won’t do much good if you lack seasoned judgment—the reason that the young aren’t very proficient in executing long-term plans. You might be gifted and mature beyond your years, but as long as your lifetime experience is limited, so will your wisdom be.

And even if you’re older, you may still have little training in the kind of analytic decision-making that a situation calls for. So you should make a point of:

• Learning from both your elders and peers—and especially leaders in your field
• Soliciting feedback from friends and associates who have no interest in defeating or competing with you
• Reading about how others have successfully dealt with impasses or issues similar to yours
• Attending (whether in person or online) lectures by authorities on the type of person or subject that’s challenging you

Unless you acquire the appropriate long-term skill set, you may be all the more tempted to grapple with your perplexing problem on the fly, viewing yourself as capable of managing it when, much of the time, you may not be. Immediate solutions can easily turn out to be mistaken or even delusory.

Short Term and Long Term: A Balancing Act

In the end, there needs to be a beneficent balance between short- and long-term solutions. Acting impetuously when upset never makes much sense. But frequently, you need to do something to keep the problem from getting worse before you come up with a longer-term solution for resolving it. So both time spans need to be considered—and considered proportionately.

As one writer wryly observes, “If you don’t take care of the present, you won’t make it to the future; if you don’t plan for the future, you’ll remain where you are in the present.”

© 2024 Leon F. Seltzer, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.

Leon F. Seltzer, Ph.D. , is the author of Paradoxical Strategies in Psychotherapy and The Vision of Melville and Conrad . He holds doctorates in English and Psychology. His posts have received over 53 million views.

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At any moment, someone’s aggravating behavior or our own bad luck can set us off on an emotional spiral that threatens to derail our entire day. Here’s how we can face our triggers with less reactivity so that we can get on with our lives.

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Fellowship aimed at diversifying the nursing workforce celebrates a meaningful milestone

First cohort of cure fellows graduates.

When Bridget Acquah walked onto the hematology floor at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) in June of 2023 to begin her final co-op rotation of UC’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, she quickly realized that none of the other care providers looked like her.

“We have a lot of sickle cell patients who come on the hematology floor and the people who treat them don’t [typically] look like them, so sometimes they can’t express how they feel or tell [if their providers hear and understand them],” says Acquah, who emigrated from her home country of Ghana, West Africa, to Cincinnati with her family in 2019.

Acquah recalls an instance where a Black female patient didn’t feel comfortable answering questions asked by her social worker or Acquah’s nursing preceptor, who were both white. Recognizing that the patient might feel more comfortable with her, Acquah spoke with the patient privately to learn how they could best care for her. She then acted as the patient’s voice by communicating her concerns and needs to her care team.

Racial and ethnic concordance between patients and providers correlates to higher levels of perceived patient satisfaction of care, quality of healthcare, and trust, according to research by The National Center for Biotechnology Information. However, the lack of underrepresented minority (URM) providers makes it difficult to ensure racial and ethnic concordance for all patients.

To help prepare and expand a nursing workforce that is reflective of and responsive to an increasingly diverse patient population, UC College of Nursing launched its Cultivating Undergraduate Nursing Resilience and Equity (CURE) program in the fall of 2021. The college received a four-year $1.7 million Nursing Workforce Diversity grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to invest in the program, which is rounding out its third year and steered by Program Director Donna Green, PhD, MSN, RN C-EFM, associate professor and nursing department chair, as well as Deputy Director Ann Gakumo, PhD, RN, associate professor and associate dean for inclusion and community impact.

If it wasn’t for CURE, I don’t know how many loans I would have piled up by now. It gave me the courage to go to nursing school.

Bridget Acquah CURE Fellow, Class of 2024

Acquah is one of seven students who, as part of the first graduating cohort of CURE fellows, earned a BSN from UC this spring thanks to the financial, academic, and social support provided through the CURE program. As a first-generation college student, she says the program allowed her to focus on her studies and not stress about finances.

“The CURE program has been a lifesaver” says Acquah, who completed her freshman year at Cincinnati State Technical Community College to save on tuition before transferring to UC and becoming a program fellow in the fall of 2021. “If it wasn’t for CURE, I don’t know how many loans I would have piled up by now. It gave me the courage to go to nursing school.”

A Look at the CURE Program’s Impact

From left to right: Ann Gakumo, Emily Cole, Dorcas Sarbah, Caroline Kwiatkowski, Bridget Aquah, Lauyrn James, Roselyn Torkornoo, Aylessa Carter, Naiah Mensha, Donna Green

• Increase the sophomore application rate of disadvantaged/URM students to the BSN program to 20%;
• Provide comprehensive financial, academic, and social support for 35 disadvantaged/URM students;
• Embed curricula and experiential learning addressing targeted health disparities in Hamilton County, using maternal mortality as an exemplar; and
• Hire at least four new faculty from URM backgrounds.

The college has either achieved or made significant progress toward all four objectives. Since launching CURE, the college’s average sophomore URM application rate has more than doubled from 7% to 18.5%, which is supported by the college’s holistic admissions process. Additionally, the number of URM students who enroll each year in the BSN program has nearly tripled, with the URM enrollment average jumping from four students to 11 students.

In addition to the seven seniors who graduated this spring, 19 BSN students are receiving financial support through the program, and a fourth cohort of sophomore students will become fellows in the fall. All CURE fellows meet monthly with an academic advisor and receive emotional support from CURE Program Manager Emily Cole, who meets with them individually to help build their confidence and share resources like test-taking strategies, smart study habits, interview tips, and relevant books and podcasts. The social support aspect is bolstered by the sense of connectedness created by the cohort structure, as well as the program’s regular study table sessions and cross-cohort tutoring opportunities.

The program supplements UC’s nursing curriculum—which is underpinned in the social determinants of health—by integrating additional inclusive pedagogy, including instructional modules from public health and maternal health agencies. While the curriculum focuses on addressing racial and ethnic health disparities, it highlights specific content on disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity. A course on obstetrical nursing care, for example, incorporates materials from the CDC’s  Hear Her campaign , which aims to increase awareness of urgent maternal warning signs during and after pregnancy and improve communication between patients and providers.

Fellows Roselyn Torkornoo and Bridget Acquah at CURE end-of-year celebration

“Our fellows’ interests reinforce a lot of these curriculum components,” says Cole, who adds that several fellows have declared minors in public health, minority health, social work, and Africana studies. “They are voluntarily pursuing more schooling around the social determinants of health, and this particular population is doing so at a higher rate than most BSN students, which will be really impactful when they graduate and become nurses caring for those communities.”

CURE fellows also benefit from rotating seminar-like sessions that are designed to help them thrive. So, on top of their nursing coursework, they learn how to manage procrastination, build their professional profile, prepare for interviews, improve their financial literacy, and engage in experiential learning opportunities like co-ops, clinicals, and study abroad programs. An assistant chief nursing officer from UC Health also leads fellows through a resiliency workshop.

The college has also met its goal of hiring four new faculty from URM backgrounds, which supports its larger initiative to better reflect the diversity of the Greater Cincinnati community and broader U.S. population. Sustaining a program like CURE, which boasts a 100% retention rate, is part of the college’s greater diversity, equity and inclusion strategic initiatives. With grant funding set to expire next summer, the college plans to pursue additional funding to continue supporting current and future CURE fellows.

A Look at CURE Graduates’ Future Impact

Naiah Mensah planned on studying neuroscience at the University of Kentucky. The Louisville, Kentucky, native changed course during the final months of her senior year of high school when she learned about UC’s co-op program and the nursing college’s direct admission program. She was accepted into the direct admission program and became a CURE fellow as a sophomore in the fall of 2021. Now, after graduating alongside Acquah in April as the BSN 2024 Senior Class President and a College of Nursing Student Ambassador, Mensah is excited to work as a labor and delivery nurse at University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC).

Mensah fell in love with labor and delivery when she witnessed her first vaginal birth during an obstetrics co-op rotation last spring. The mother who was giving birth wasn’t receiving emotional support from family members due to cultural reasons. Recognizing that she could support her, Mensah held the patient’s hand and coached her through the birthing process while offering words of encouragement.

“It was the most beautiful experience because I got to see her before she was a mom, while she was in labor, and then after her baby was delivered and she was officially a mother,” Mensah recalls. “It makes me feel so in love with life and that this is where I’m supposed to be.”

Underrepresented patients don’t always have people to advocate for them. As a nurse, I want to make a difference in their lives and be an advocate for them...

Naiah Mensah CURE Fellow, Class of 2024

In her role at UCMC, Mensah will care for a lot of Black mothers and underrepresented patients from lower socio-economic backgrounds. She’s determined to champion health equity and serve as an advocate for safe and fair care for all patients.

“Underrepresented patients don’t always have people to advocate for them. As a nurse, I want to make a difference in their lives and be an advocate for them,” Mensah says. “I know that all [my fellow CURE graduates] are going to do that. Every single young woman in CURE will do that because that’s just what we do.”

Several of the recently graduated CURE fellows plan to work in women’s health and maternal health–adjacent areas. Acquah, for example, will be working in the neonatal care unit at CCHMC. Besides her passion for caring for babies, Acquah chose to start her nursing career at CCHMC due to its initiatives to increase staff diversity. She wants to be part of the hospital’s efforts to increase racial and ethnic concordance for patients who look like her. And, who knows, maybe one day a young co-op nursing student will feel encouraged by her presence.

Featured Image at top: Front row, left to right: Dorcas Sarbah, Caroline, Kwiatkowski, Aylessa Carter, Bridget Aquah. Back row, left to right: Lauyrn James, Naiah Mensah, Roselyn Torkornoo

Written by: Katie Coburn

• Student Experience
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