Let’s Do Nothing: How and Why Procrastination Exists

Tasha Dowbachuk | Published by April 4, 2019

We have all been there. Staring at an assignment for over an hour or completely disregarding the assignments existence, for the pitiful sake of stress induced relaxation. This popular distraction, defined as procrastination, is “the avoidance of doing a task that needs to be accomplished.”

According to the American Psychological Association, between 80 and 95 percent of college students procrastinate on their schoolwork. Intentionally delaying tasks or assignments can place a students academic performance in jeopardy, as well as their mental health.

“We all do it, but I don’t feel like that bad of a person because I’m not the only one,” said Amanda Lopez, a junior at Kean majoring in communications. “In college, it’s more intense and there’s so much more required of you and your time along with your responsibilities.”

In retrospect, studies have shown how the perception of procrastination can be seen through a positive and negative standpoint. “Active procrastination”, which is the deliberate act of procrastinating for those who work under pressure, stemmed from early Greek poet, Hesiod.

From 1800 B.C. to modern times, this unpleasant, lack of motivation continues to plague all ages, so why is this phenomenon a reoccurring event? In a 2013 study, conducted by Dr. Pychl and Dr. Sirois, the reasoning behind the discovery is that procrastination can be apprehended as “the primacy of short-term mood repair … over the longer-term pursuit of intended actions.”

As a result, deeper feelings in connection to the task, such as self-doubt, low self-esteem, anxiety or insecurity fuels the underlying consequence of believing that one is not able to complete the task to their fullest potential. In addition, it creates the vicious cycle of adopting the inability to manage these negative conceptions surrounding the idea of the task.

According to a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, people tend to focus on the minor details within the task, rather than viewing the bigger picture. Approaching a new perspective can establish the course of taking action, instead of avoidance.

Also, the fear of failure intertwines perfectionism and procrastination together. Psychology Today, details that “sky-high standards mixed with a belief that your performance is tied to your self-worth grinds you to a halt”. Disconnect performance alongside self-worth, in order to understand that there is more to your self worth than your accomplishments.

Lopez continued to discuss how her experience with procrastination has “redefined her time management and determination.”

Abigail Rafael, a sophomore with a major in Public Relations, sees procrastination as “being caused by anxiety from not wanting to do something” while knowing it can stress you out.

“I plan ahead in my agenda, then I take little chunks out of my workload to tackle procrastination,” said Rafael. “Having a to-do list helps alot with procrastination, and if you know you are going to procrastinate then try to take your time so you won’t have to deal with so much work all at once.”

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