Understanding Dysfunctional Procrastination

Procrastination, engaging in voluntary, unnecessary delays instead of getting on with important tasks, is common. Most of us will procrastinate every now and then in certain situations. However, when occasional procrastination turns into dysfunctional procrastination, your daily life and mental health can be negatively impacted.

What is Chronic Procrastination?

Most people procrastinate occasionally, whether it’s cleaning the bathroom instead of washing the dishes or playing video games instead of studying. However, some people struggle with procrastination more than others and turn to it as a coping mechanism for all tasks they encounter, not just those they simply don’t want to deal with.

You might procrastinate only for a specific task (situational procrastination) or every now and then (occasional procrastination). Chronic procrastination, on the other hand, is procrastinating so frequently that it impacts your daily life. In cases of severe procrastination, every area of life is impacted. Procrastination will be a daily occurrence at home, work, school, and in relationships^[1].

Fuschia Sirois, PhD and professor of psychology at Durham University in the UK, researched procrastination for over 20 years and found that chronic procrastinators will procrastinate “to the point where it’s like part of their personality.” She notes that 50% of college students and up to 25% of working adults experience this level of chronic procrastination^[2].

When chronic procrastination impairs your daily life and personal well-being, it can be described as dysfunctional procrastination.

Why do People Procrastinate?

Most people procrastinate either passively or actively. Passive procrastination is often about putting off tasks that seem too difficult, like writing a long essay. Active procrastination involves delaying tasks for a perceived benefit in the present, such as watching another episode on Netflix instead of working on your task for a larger future reward, like good grades.

Chronic and extreme procrastination, however, may be perpetuated by a range of psychological factors. These are often unique to each individual, but they may include:

• Emotional regulation: if you struggle to regulate your emotions, you may be unable to face the prospect of completing a task that’s boring, challenging, or unpleasant.
• Fear of failure: the fear and anxiety you may experience as the result of failing a task may cause you to procrastinate doing it in the first place.
• Perfectionism: the need to meet the highest standards can lead to fear of failure (see above) or procrastinating through endless repetition (e.g., rewriting an essay repeatedly to ‘perfect’ it instead of finishing and submitting it).
• Low self-efficacy: lack of confidence in your ability can lead you to believe you are unable to complete a task – so why try?

Researchers have also found that chronic procrastinators tend to have high scores for psychological distress, neuroticism, and extraversion. They also tend to score low for self-esteem, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and overall satisfaction with life^[3][4].

Cognitive Distortions and Procrastination Habits

Additionally, researchers have looked at cognitive distortions—perceiving reality inaccurately due to irrational or exaggerated thought patterns—as a cause of procrastination. One study examining college students at Al Aqsa Community College found that those who were prone to cognitive distortions were also more likely to procrastinate their academics. The study also found that those who struggled with time management were also more likely to procrastinate^[5].

While cognitive distortions and procrastination habits may be linked, more research is needed to determine whether one may cause the other.

Signs of Dysfunctional Procrastination

If your chronic procrastination is becoming dysfunctional, you may notice certain behavioral symptoms. Unlike occasional or situational procrastination, these symptoms will occur regularly and in all areas of daily life:

• Waiting until the last minute to start tasks.
• Focusing on less important tasks first.
• Being distracted by seemingly urgent but unimportant tasks.
• Endless research or preparation before a task.

These behavioral symptoms can have a notable impact on your well-being. You may struggle academically or at your job, leading to missed opportunities and reduced performance. At home, bills may go unpaid, and cleanliness may suffer. You may also ignore personal issues in your relationships and neglect your physical health, ignoring symptoms of illness.

The emotional symptoms that accompany dysfunctional procrastination often include:

• Increased stress.
• Feelings of guilt, hopelessness, and worthlessness.
• General anxiety or diagnosed anxiety disorders.
• Depression.

These symptoms can escalate over time and have a significant impact on your mental health.

How Does Chronic Procrastination Impact Mental Health?

Chronic procrastination has been linked to both physical and mental health concerns. Higher levels of procrastination are associated with:

• Depression.
• Anxiety.
• Stress.
• Loneliness.
• Poor sleep quality.
• Lack of physical activity.
• Disabling pain in upper extremities.
• Economic and financial difficulties^[6].

Procrastination and mental health issues can create a vicious cycle of negative emotions and reduced productivity. Essentially, chronic procrastination causes stress, while higher levels of stress lead to even more procrastination.

An article published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health notes that, “there also needs to be consideration of any ongoing stressful circumstances that might make mood regulation more challenging, and therefore increase vulnerability for procrastination.”

With a clear link between stress and procrastination, we may be able to offer better support to individuals who are prone to chronic procrastination by identifying the stressful situations that trigger the dysfunction. By reducing stress, we may even be able to prevent or reduce levels of procrastination for some individuals.^[7]

How to Overcome Chronic Procrastination

To help patients manage and overcome severe procrastination, a therapist might recommend a range of different strategies and techniques, including:

• Cognitive reframing techniques: these techniques can be used during any situation where you are tempted to procrastinate or experience negative feelings. You start by writing down the task or situation that causes you to procrastinate. Then, you identify the feeling it creates (e.g., boredom or anxiety) and ask yourself why you feel those things. From there, you can evaluate whether those feelings are warranted and carefully assess the pros and cons of delaying the task. Finally, you can reframe the situation and make an objective decision about whether to procrastinate or how to tackle the task at hand^[8].
• Emotional regulation techniques: there is a broad range of emotional regulation techniques you can employ to reduce procrastination overall. Popular examples include meditation and mindfulness, journaling, and talking about your emotions (with friends or a therapist). Though simple, these strategies reinforce healthy emotional regulation and help you overcome the desire to procrastinate when a task evokes a negative emotion. Results from numerous studies have proven that the ability to regulate emotions reduces procrastination^[9].
• Time management strategies: you can find many different time management strategies to help you cope with your schedule, many of which involve carefully planning and scheduling time for specific tasks. For procrastinators, however, it may be best to take a different approach. First, you can try shortening the time you’ll work on a task. If the thought of spending 5 hours on an essay triggers procrastination, commit to just 1 hour or 30 minutes, even if that’s not enough time to finish the essay completely. Another strategy that works for some is to simply get started. Don’t commit to completing the task, just commit to getting started. Once you’ve made a start, you may just find that your desire to procrastinate fades away.

These techniques are simple but quite effective for most people. To help keep yourself accountable, you can share them with a friend or colleague. If these techniques are ineffective or you don’t feel able to cope by yourself, it may be time to seek professional help.

When to Seek Professional Help

Chronic procrastination can have a huge impact on your life. Thankfully, there is help available.

You might consider exploring therapy for procrastination when:

• Your procrastination is a symptom of another condition, such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, or an eating disorder.
• You can’t get past feelings of guilt, depression, or anxiety that come with procrastination.
• You are struggling to maintain your job, relationships, and daily tasks.
• You’ve tried the strategies listed above without success.

A therapist may use a range of approaches, but one of the most utilized for procrastination is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). This therapeutic approach helps you address the underlying issues leading to chronic procrastination. By changing your thought and behavioral patterns, CBT can help you prevent the need to procrastinate in the first place. This approach has been proven effective in numerous studies^[10].

Therapists might also choose to use:

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a form of talking therapy used to help you accept and manage your emotions.
• Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), an action-oriented approach that encourages you to identify and overcome self-defeating thoughts.
• Holistic therapy may also be used to improve your diet, sleep, and exercise regime, which can have a positive impact on your overall state of well-being and mental health.

Conclusion

Extreme procrastination can have a significant impact on your mental health and quality of life. When your procrastination habits extend beyond situational and occasional procrastination, it may be time to take action. Whether you choose to manage your chronic procrastination with time management techniques or through therapy sessions, there are many things you can do to reduce your tendency to procrastinate and regain control of your life.

Remember, if you feel that the guilt, depression, and anxiety that can accompany procrastination are becoming too much, don’t hesitate to seek help from a qualified medical professional.