Procrastination

Procrastination comes and goes in phases and is simply just a part of your life, whether you like it or not! Procrastination is essentially a coping strategy that helps us deal with stress and daily tasks. Sometimes our long To-Do lists can seem cumbersome and putting it off helps us feel temporarily relieved. Procrastination is normal, but the problems arise when it becomes habitual and excessive. Breaking these habits as teenagers and adolescents will help us better manage our time as adults.

I look back at how for two weeks I sat and started at my blank screen as I searched for words to write on this article. Typed and deleted, innumerous drafts started and never finished. I laughed at how ironic it all was. I was writing a piece on procrastination as I continued to avoid the notifications from school that kept reminding me to begin my assignments. I ended up shutting my laptop, picking up my phone, tuning into another round of ‘Among Us.’

It is often seen that teens usually turn to procrastination as a way to avoid or delay doing school work. Confusion or even tiredness could be factors that influence procrastination. Very often, amidst the age of angst and teenage rebellion, students sometimes postpone their tasks to spite parents and to feel in control of themselves.

Surprisingly, data shows that perfectionists are more likely to procrastinate. They fear not being able to do a good job resulting in a delayed start to a task. However, this habit is not limited to them. It varies across ages and can’t really be predicted

Pablo Picasso, a world renowned painter once pointed out "Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone." Definitely a little intense, but it really encapsulates the cons of procrastination.

Procrastination does come with its physical problems as well. Headaches and stomach aches often accompany stress, occurring simultaneously. It is important to note stress is both a cause and effect of procrastination.

Stress caused due to procrastination affects the cognitive activities within the brain and can hinder thinking processes.

Apart from this our life processes suffer a terrible setback. We can fall behind on academics, withdraw from social groups and in the long run have a full lifestyle change.

At the same time it is important to note that losing interest in activities, lack of concentration and other habits that add to procrastination are symptoms of various mental illnesses and must be dealt with care. If you feel like you are procrastinating often and begin feeling uninterested in most activities, reach out and talk about it. Procrastination is inevitable, but learning how to cope and treating ourselves with patience and understanding is a great place to start!

Bibliography

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-unmotivated-teen/201804/4-reasons-why-teens-cant-stop-procrastinating

https://claritychi.com/the-pros-cons-of-procrastination/#:~:text=Drawbacks%20of%20Procrastination&text=When%20individuals%20put%20things%20off,and%20tension%20in%20the%20body.

Name: Sana Bashir

Editor: Nathalia Ramkissoon