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Procrastination is the deferment or putting-off of an action or task, usually by focusing on some other distraction
(compare temporisation). It is Latin for "foremorrowsing," or making some such of tomorrow.
The allure of putting off an unpleasant task is pervasive in our society, a fact which has given rise to jokes and cliches
such as "never put off until tomorrow that which you can put off until the day after tomorrow". Procrastination can be as benign
as waiting until the last minute to file one's taxes, or never cleaning out the garage. But procrastination can be a persistent
trait in some people, known as chronic procrastinators. In these people, it can be a self-destructive state where the
procrastinator can get nothing accomplished on time, resulting in serious career struggles, persistent financial problems, and
diminished quality of life.
Traditionally, procrastination has been associated with perfectionism,
a tendency to negatively evaluate outcomes and one's own performance, intense fear and avoidance of evaluation of one's abilities
by others, heightened social self-consciousness and anxiety, recurrent low mood, and workaholism. However, research indicates that perfectionists are not any more likely to procrastinate, though
they do feel worse about it when they do put things off. It may cause significant psychological disability and dysfunction in
many dimensions of life over time. Procrastinators typically have significantly lower academic grades, worse health, and make
less money than non-procrastinators. There is, unfortunately, widespread ignorance about this problem, even amongst mental health professionals, where procrastination is often trivially thought of
in its simplest and most benign forms. In fact, many individuals who consider themselves to be "chronic procrastinators" are
actually suffering from an underlying mental health problem such as depression
or ADD. These individuals frequently do not understand why they cannot "get it together", and
can become resigned to a life of shame, underachievement, and constant struggle. Often
these disorders can be treated with medication and psychotherapy, whereby
the individual can learn new behaviors and achieve a greatly improved quality of life. Thus it is important for people who
chronically struggle with debilitating procrastination to see a trained therapist or psychiatrist to see if an underlying mental
health issue may present.
Procrastination is also common in students of all ages. Academic procrastination,
as it is known, can simply be a symptom of Senioritis (an imaginary syndrome
seen in students nearing the end of high school and college). However some students struggle with serious procrastination
problems as a result of poor study skills, feeling overwhelmed in a new school, or a learning disorder such as
dyslexia or ADD. Teachers, guidance counselors,
and others in school administration should be trained to help with these issues when they arise, and many colleges and
universities offer classes, coaching, and tutoring in study skills for students who are struggling with procrastination or a
learning disorder.
Severe procrastination or ADD can also cross over into computer addiction. In this instance the individual has a compulsion to surf the web or play video
games. Although internet addiction is a relatively new phenomenon, it is already being considered as a valid psychiatric
diagnosis by mental health professionals.
The term is referenced as a proverb: "Procrastination is the thief of time." This
conveys the meaning that deferment is both negative and wasteful of the time on which the action could properly be completed.
Don Marquis neatly parodied this
adage with the following: "Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday."
Procrastination is considered a virtue by some groups such as slackers and the Church of the SubGenius.
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