Discover the Factors Behind Procrastination
You have to hand in that pending project tomorrow, and yet you don’t have the mood or energy to turn on the computer. You get angry with yourself because that situation makes you desperate and you know there’ll be consequences, but you can’t help it. Now, if you’re wondering what causes this behavior, we’ll tell you that the factors behind procrastination are quite complex.
What happens to you isn’t always due to simple laziness or lack of responsibility. The continued act of postponing tasks and obligations is explained by multiple psychological factors. Sometimes, it’s anxiety, fear of failure, or even underlying depression. In the following article, we’ll describe what factors trigger this type of reality.
People are tired of simple things. They want to be challenged.
7 factors behind procrastination
Procrastination is the act of delaying tasks or obligations until the last minute and even delaying their completion. The most frustrating thing about this experience is that you often waste time on the most insubstantial activities, such as spending hours on social media. In psychology, we know that such behavior camouflages the weight of negatively valenced emotions.
A work published by Frontiers in Psychology describes the impact of this factor on university students. Generally, postponing what needs to be done is explained by physical triggers such as simple fatigue, but there are also slightly more serious dimensions. In many cases, there are psychological problems that are overlooked. Let’s delve into this below.
Procrastination, a silent reality that hurts
As you’ve come to see, the factors behind procrastination are multiple and complex. The most striking thing is that, in most cases, this reality is experienced in a self-annihilating way, given that it’s not something voluntary nor is it a behavior that’s easily controlled. Generally, seeing that you can’t carry out your obligations further destroys your self-image.
If you’ve been trapped in this vicious cycle of discomfort for a while, try to deactivate it. Apply some of the suggestions described above and act with new mental approaches and more proactive habits. Sometimes small changes give way to motivating transformations. You deserve to feel good and regain your usual productivity.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Barel, E., Shahrabani, S., Mahagna, L., Massalha, R., Colodner, R. & Tzischinsky, O. (2023). State anxiety and procrastination: The moderating role of neuroendocrine factors. Behavioral Sciences, 13(3), 1-10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10045520/
- Bolbolian, M., Asgari, S., Sefidi, F. & Zadeh, A. S. (2021). The relationship between test anxiety and academic procrastination among the dental students. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 10(1), 1-6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8057172/
- Flett, A. L., Haghbin, M. & Pychyl, T. A. (2016). Procrastination and depression from a cognitive perspective: An exploration of the associations among procrastinatory automatic thoughts, rumination, and mindfulness. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy: RET, 34(3), 169-186. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10942-016-0235-1
- Gamst-Klaussen, T., Steel, P. & Svartdal, F. (2019). Procrastination and personal finances: Exploring the roles of planning and financial self-efficacy. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 775. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00775/full
- Ghaffari, F., Mohammadi, S., Arazi, T., Arzani, A. & Rahimaghaee, F. (2021). Shedding light on the causes of academic procrastination among nursing students: A qualitative descriptive study. Journal of education and health promotion, 10(1), 1-8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8249952/
- Niermann, H. C. & Scheres, A. (2014). The relation between procrastination and symptoms of attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in undergraduate students. International journal of methods in psychiatric research, 23(4), 411-421. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6878228/#:~:text=Procrastination%20also%20is%20an%20important,strategies%20(such%20as%20procrastination).
- Pignatiello, G. A., Martin, R. J. & Hickman, R. L., Jr (2020). Decision fatigue: A conceptual analysis. Journal of Health Psychology, 25(1), 123-135. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6119549/
- Rozental, A., Forsström, D., Hussoon, A. & Klingsieck, K. B. (2022). Procrastination among university students: Differentiating severe cases in need of support from less severe cases. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1-15. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.783570/full
- Sederlund, A. R., Burns, L. & Rogers, W. (2020). Multidimensional models of perfectionism and procrastination: seeking determinants of both. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(14), 1-32. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7400384/
- Sirois, F. M. (2023). Procrastination and stress: A conceptual review of why context matters. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(6), 1-15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10049005/
- Yan, B. & Zhang, X. (2022). What research has been conducted on procrastination? Evidence from a systematical bibliometric analysis. Frontiers in psychology, 13, 1-16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8847795/#:~:text=Specifically%2C%20research%20suggests%20that%20task,incentives%2C%20and%20accountability)%20are%20the