Procrastination is defined as the action of delaying or postponing something. This is usually a bad habit because we often tend to procrastinate important assignments and essays in favour of other more fun activities. Sometimes even mundane chores such as cleaning become more interesting than sitting down and studying. As University students we all know about it and to at least some extent have experienced it ourselves, but what exactly causes it and why does it happen?
When we are given a task, we use our willpower and self-control to complete it. This self-control is supported by our motivation, both intrinsic and externally motivated i.e. we know there will be some kind of reward once we have completed the task. However, at the same time we are also faced with demotivating and hindering factors. For instance, the fear of failure, anxiety, it can even be hard to conceptualise the rewards if they are not immediate and are in the far future. It is a well-known fact that people find it difficult to place priority on long-term rewards as opposed to short term ones. Sometimes these simple hindrances stack up and create a huge mental barrier. Often, we will become stressed and find it hard to focus and concentrate, or sometimes the tasks seem too complicated and abstract to do – almost becoming scary. This creates a downwards spiral which leads to a very destructive lifestyle. It is when these negative influences outweigh the positive ones that we start to procrastinate.
However, being aware of these factors can help to lift some of that mental stress. Keeping organised mentally is a very important skill to have, and is one that can be used to help overcome these negative hindrances.
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