Between 80% and 95% of college students procrastinate on a regular basis, especially on class assignments (Steel, 2007, as cited in Cherry, 2020).
According to Kendra Cherry (2020), Psychosocial Rehabilitation Specialist, "procrastination is the act of delaying or putting off tasks until the last minute, or past their deadline." Procrastinating is essentially when you actively avoid the work you are supposed to do by distracting yourself with anything else. This can be social media, television, hanging out with friends, completing less important assignments, or even sleeping. You can procrastinate nearly any task, but in college students, this is typically papers and other class assignments.
The Active Procrastinator: Delaying your work because you think the closer deadline makes you work harder
The Passive Procrastinator: Delaying your work because you struggle to make or stick to decisions
The Perfectionist: Delaying your work because you fear you won't be able to complete it perfectly
The Dreamer: Delaying your work because you struggle to pay attention to details
The Defier: Delaying your work because you don't like when someone else creates your schedule or due dates
The Worrier: Delaying your work because you fear change or discomfort
The Crisis-Maker: Delaying your work because you enjoy working under pressure
The Overdoer: Delaying your work because you have too many projects at once and struggle to prioritize or finish work once you've started
Overestimating the amount of time you have
Overestimating your motivation
Underestimating the amount of time a project will take you
Confusion regarding assignment instructions
Not knowing how to start or finish the project
Avoiding something you don't want to do
Not caring if the project doesn't get done
Practicing the bad habit of waiting until the last minute to start a project
Believing you work better under pressure
Believing you can finish a project last minute
Lacking motivation
Forgetting about a project
Sickness or poor health
Waiting until the "right moment"
Working on another project instead
Needing more time to think about the assignment
Another big cause of procrastination is other mental health struggles. Depression can cause you to lack motivation and energy to start or even care about your work. It can also cause you to doubt yourself, and if you feel insecure, you may be less likely to complete your project. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is often linked with perfectionism. If you hold yourself to too high standards, you may procrastinate your work out of fear of failure. You may also excessively worry about others' expectations of you or your work. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder causes you to become distracted very easily. You may focus on outside distractions or internal thoughts instead of your work, making it hard to get started on a project. You may also find that you jump too quickly between assignments, starting one before you finish another.
Make a list (Cherry, 2020). Write down everything you have to do in a day and cross off the tasks after you have finished them. This helps you keep track of what you have accomplished and what you still need to finish before the day is up.
Break down your tasks (Cherry, 2020). Don't try to write a whole paper in one sitting if you tend to get distracted easily. Instead, try writing a couple of paragraphs a day so that you don't get too bored or too overwhelmed with one assignment.
Know the signs (Cherry, 2020). Pay attention to what you do when you procrastinate. Are you prone to checking your phone? Do you take naps? What behaviors do you do to avoid your tasks? Once you know the cause of your procrastination, it can be easier to stay on task.
Eliminate distractions (Cherry, 2020). Once you know what distracts you the most, do your best to avoid those situations. For example, if you procrastinate by checking social media, try turning your phone off or placing it across the room on a high shelf while doing homework.
Reward yourself (Cherry, 2020). Not all accomplishments need to be a huge project. Every time you finish something on your list, reward yourself with a small break.
Understand your emotions (Razzetti, 2019). Why are you avoiding your tasks? Is there something that scares you? Are you worried about letting someone down? Understanding why you might be procrastinating your work may allow you to figure out the root cause of your actions.
Support yourself (Razzetti, 2019). Understand that it is okay and normal to have insecurities or struggles regarding your work. Give yourself time to learn how to healthily manage these feelings and diminish unhealth behaviors.
Practice self-care (Razzetti, 2019). This may include mindfulness meditation, journaling, or breathing exercises. Find some a good way to clear and reset your mind when you feel yourself lose focus.
Cherry, K. (2020). What is procrastination. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/the-psychology-of-procrastination-2795944
Razzetti, G. (2019). How to overcome procrastination (starting now). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-adaptive-mind/201901/how-overcome-procrastination-starting-now
Steel P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychol Bull, 133(1):65-94. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65