"Procrastination is the thief of time."
~ anonymous
Causes of Procrastination
- Lack of relevance
- Lack of interest
- Acceptance of another's goals
- Perfectionism
- Evaluation anxiety
- Ambiguity
- Fear of the unknown
- Inability to handle the task
- Fear of success
- Physical conditions (fatigue, cold or flu, etc)
- Environmental conditions (availability of needed materials, distractions, work area, etc.)
- Task is overwhelming or unmanageable
- Expectations of others
- Overextension of ability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Negative beliefs such as "I cannot succeed in anything."
- Finding the task boring
Side Effects of Procrastination
Poor, sloppy work.
Unaccomplished task.
Poor grades.
Decrease in quality of personal relationships.
Physical side effects-headache, stomachache, loss of appetite, poor digestion, rapid breathing, increased blood pressure and heart rate, tensing of muscles.
Overcoming Procrastination
- Break large tasks into small ones.
- Prioritize work and set deadlines.
- Use behavioral suggestions, e.g. put your math book on top of your television so every time you look at the t.v. you think of the math work you have to do.
- Work on a project for ten minutes and then make a decision to continue.
- Change your work location and take small breaks.
- Reward yourself when a task is completed.
- Use peer pressure as a motivator. Tell people what you plan to do and they will pressure you to do it.
Information compiled from: http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/, www.sas.calpoly.edu, www.couns.uiuc.edu, and http://caps.unc.edu.
For More Information,
Contact:
Nicole C. Hammond, M.S.
Counselor/Tutorial Coordinator
hammond@rmu.edu
412-397-2220 phone
412-397-2589 fax
Nicholson Center 2nd