It is normal to procrastinate. But doing so always is dangerous to your health. Please read and share.
Are you very fond of postponing tasks? Are you in the habit of asking for exemptions or shifts in deadlines? Do you find it hard to start or complete a task? Perhaps you are one of those who look for excuses to avoid or postpone carrying out tasks till a more auspicious time. You may not be alone; everyone procrastinates. But your health may be at risk if you procrastinate too often. This article reveals how procrastination harms your health.
Procrastination is a serious behavioural problem.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines procrastination as “The action of delaying or postponing something.” Accordingly, procrastinating appears to be merely a case of waiting or delaying doing something till a favourable time.
Contrary to the above view, the Webster Dictionary definition of procrastination points to something more serious. The dictionary sees procrastination as a behavioural defect inbuilt in all who procrastinate. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “procrastinate” thus:
“To be slow or late about doing something that should be done: to delay doing something until a later time because you do not want to do it, because you are lazy, etc.”
The word lazy thus reveals the true character of the individual involved. It stresses that procrastination is an intentional act of habitually putting off tasks.
People who procrastinate too often put up several arguments to justify this behaviour. They claim that it does not matter when a task commences as long as it completes on time. Some chronic procrastinators even claim they perform better under the pressure of impending deadlines.
The above arguments overlook the high cost of procrastination. Among these are missing deadlines and set targets, panic, and anxiety associated with approaching deadlines. These excuses are merely distractions that conceal the fact that procrastination is profoundly a behavioural problem of self-regulation.
The misconceptions about what procrastination truly means.
Experts have contradicted the belief that procrastination is just a problem of missing deadlines or failing to do something at an auspicious time. One such expert is Joseph Ferrari, a Professor of Psychology at DePaul University, Chicago. Professor Ferrari is a leading international researcher in the study of procrastination.
According to Professor Ferrari, “procrastination is not waiting, and it is more than delaying. It is a decision to not act.” He argues that procrastination, contrary to popular belief, is not a time management issue. For chronic procrastinators, he concluded, it is a “maladaptive lifestyle”, a “self-defeating behaviour.”
A maladaptive lifestyle (behaviour) is a habitual behaviour that makes it difficult for individuals to adjust to certain situations. This abnormal behaviour manifests in several ways. It shows in the inability to control or discipline self and to face challenges. It may also come as a fear of failure. Other ways that maladaptive behaviour may manifest include absolving self from responsibility or decision making, excuses, aloofness, and always taking the easy way out.
It is normal, according to experts, to put off tasks occasionally. However, doing this always with plausible excuses is a problem that victims must address. People who procrastinate are usually unable to regulate their behaviours or manage their emotions. Thus, if you are a procrastinator, you may also not appreciate how procrastination harms your health.
How procrastination harms your health
Now, here is the most disturbing thing about procrastinating. According to a publication by the American Psychological Association, research has also established some links between chronic procrastination and some health-related diseases. These include Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), passive-aggressive tendencies, revenge and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Others include depression, lowered self-esteem, and insomnia. Additionally, the anxiety associated with missing impending deadlines often leads to stress and other health complications.
So, the next time you think of procrastinating, also think of how procrastination harms your health. Why postpone till tomorrow that which you can do today?
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