Procrastination

You Know You Are Procrastinating When . . .

• Your decision to do something later makes you feel guilty.
• You tend to do tasks not requiring immediate completion.
• Usually unappealing activities/tasks are now appealing.
• You are spending more time talking/worrying about what you are going to do rather than doing it.

The Chronic Procrastinator . . .

• A person who tends to look at a job/assignment idealistically; there are no limits on time/energy.
  • Example: A paper is assigned in a sociology class. A procrastinator is not satisfied to sit down and write it; instead, she plots out an elaborate thesis requiring hours and hours of research. Anything less is beneath her.
• A person who has unrealistic view of time; it seems to expand to meet his/her needs.
  • Example: Gladys has an assignment due next week. A friend calls and suggests a weekend at the beach. She is sure she has plenty of time to do both (as well as the laundry, seeing the Fighting Squirrels play sports, seeing the latest play in Fletcher Collins Theater, etc.)

Procrastination Can Cause Stress . . .

• Procrastination can lead to the "last minute frenzy" syndrome, which can be exhausting over time.
• When something is "nagging" you, it can affect your daily life (e.g., eating habits, sleeping patterns). Your body reacts to this internalized "threat" (e.g., test, an assignment).

What you can do about it.

• You must become more realistic/concrete about your goals/use of time.
• You must learn to break down large tasks into smaller subtasks.
• You must accept the fact that some stress is normal and you can learn to deal with it, but procrastination can produce intolerable stress levels.