Powerful Truths of Procrastination and Mental Health

Procrastination can be a tempting force that can keep you from getting things done, especially when you don’t feel like doing them. While it is tempting to put off important tasks for another time, procrastination can have significant negative effects on your mental health.

Procrastination is something that many people struggle with these days, especially with the increase in technology and entertainment. It distracts us from the tasks we need to complete. From social media to binge-watching television shows, there are plenty of distractions that lure us away from our responsibilities.

Here are some of the negative effects that procrastination can have on mental health:

Stress

It is natural to feel stressed when facing a deadline or an important task. When something is important and you put it off, the stress can become overwhelming and persistent.

When projects are not being done, it’s easy to create a sense of being overwhelmed. That can lead to a heightened feeling of stress that turns into the next stage of an ever-growing cycle.

Depression

This mode can easily lead a person to feel depressed when they begin to believe they are incapable of completing tasks. That’s another negative cycle that can hold you back, and a sign that it’s time to seek help.

When uncompleted tasks keep piling up, it creates a path that ultimately leads to more stress and depression. It can lead to a feeling of worthlessness and self-doubt (addressed ahead).

Read this Sentence Twice:

There will always be times when productivity varies, but the busyness of life does not take away or define the valuable person you are.

Decreased Productivity

Procrastination can limit productivity and motivation levels when people become so focused on getting the job done that they lower their standards of quality. They become under-performers and their motivation to do the job in the first place fades away.

Lower Self Esteem

When a person allows themselves to hold back, procrastinate, and avoid starting or completing a task, they set themselves up for a cycle of failure. Their self-confidence fades because they’ve allowed themselves to become distracted away from priorities, the task, and accomplishing important work.

As we’ve seen above, procrastination can feed an unhealthy cycle, starting with the stress of inaction, depressive thoughts, decreased productivity, and low self-esteem.

The compounding of a negative path from inaction can affect mental health, and show up physically.

Physical Symptoms

Chronic procrastination can lead to poor sleep habits, a lack of exercise or movement, weight gain, and other health issues. The stress of unfinished tasks could also lead to headaches, tension, and chronic fatigue.

Some Last Thoughts

Procrastination can be incredibly harmful to mental health, leading to stress, depression, decreased productivity, lower self-esteem, and physical symptoms.

To avoid procrastination, set small achievable goals that will eventually lead to the completion of the task. Time management skills can also be a supporting factor to avoid procrastination.

If you’ve not read the first article in this series, be sure to do so. There is a useful list to help you.

There is nothing to be ashamed of if you struggle.

I am not a medical practitioner and I don’t work outside the scope of my practice. As a Certified success and stress Coach, and Board Certified Hypnotherapist, I can help you create good habits for productivity, calm the stress and build self-confidence.

These are areas where I can help you through my Transformative Life Centering process. Contact me HERE and we can get you scheduled to begin.

It’s essential to seek help when necessary and adopt an effective work-life balance. This way, you take proactive care of your mental wellbeing and bring about healthy improvements in productivity and performance.