According to Merriam-Webster, to procrastinate is “to put off intentionally and habitually… the doing of something that should be done.” Researchers have suggested there are two different types of procrastination: active and passive procrastination. According to a 2010 Columbia study on procrastination, “Passive procrastinators are procrastinators in the traditional sense. They are paralyzed by their indecision to act and fail to complete tasks on time. In contrast, active procrastinators are a ‘positive’ type of procrastinator. They prefer to work under pressure, and they make deliberate decisions to procrastinate.”
Roots: Latin procrastinare, pro-, 'forward', with -crastinus, 'till next day' from "cras", 'tomorrow'
Oftentimes, there are assumptions about procrastination that portray them as lazy people. However, there are many reasons why people fall into such self-defeating habits. These reasons typically include pressure from school, parents, peers, or a number of mental illnesses that can cause a lack of motivation and energy. Anxiety and the intense fear of failure also play a huge role in people who procrastinate.
In support of this theory, in a 2013 study on procrastination at the University of Sheffield, it was found that, “procrastination has a great deal to do with short-term mood repair and emotion regulation,” which essentially means they procrastinate when in bad moods. The stem of procrastination is their own way of pleasing themselves and avoiding unwanted feelings, and in the end people “prioritize their current mood over the consequences of their inaction for their future self.”
Unsurprisingly, these factors are particularly prevalent in one demographic: teenagers. Not only are teenagers faced with immense pressure to do well at school, but they are also much more prone to be severely affected by mental illnesses like anxiety, depression and ADHD. Teenagers already deal with an influx of new hormones into their brains, which can lead to bad moods and procrastination. Fortunately, the older you get, the more your brain develops and your levels of hormones increase. With increased levels of hormones, the brain is able to manage emotions in a more mature manner.
Despite the negative connotations surrounding procrastination, there are many ways it can be helpful than harmful. It gives people time to mull over the task and what they want to do. Active procrastinators clear most of their to-do lists and as a result are left with putting off the main thing they were avoiding doing in the first place. The avoidance of the task allows people more time to think through it, come up with new and creative ideas, and in some cases even work out if it was worth putting on their to-do lists or not.
Studies show that while you may feel like procrastination is unproductive, your mind is subconsciously gathering different ideas and processing them. When you finally sit down to start work, you have new ways and thoughts on how to go about your work. When people start tasks right away, their performance isn’t at its best, not beside of time restraints, but because they don’t give themselves time to process the task or even to come up with a plan. To combat this, allowing yourself more time to think about the project that you’re working on improves your way of working under pressure and ability to handle tasks with short time frames.
A study was done on grad students in Canada, attempting to observe different types of students: active procrastinators, passive procrastinators, and non-procrastinators. The results showed that while passive procrastinators received negative outcomes, active procrastinators and non-procrastinators showed almost no difference in work ethic. The data points towards proof that active procrastinators are better suited for fast changing environments and busy schedules. They had the least schedule structure, but it pointed to their versatility in dealing with their assignments and tasks. On the other hand, the data on passive procrastinators only further proved the negatives to procrastination and how it was used as a stress-coping mechanism (or a lack there-of).
Furthermore, another reason many avoid finishing tasks is the sake of worrying it won’t turn out as they envisioned. Many do so because they are perfectionists, wanting to hold off on completing certain things because the task at hand may seem intimidating -- or they feel insecure and as though they aren’t capable of meeting their own standards.
An article from Psychology Today points out that it's natural to procrastinate on larger tasks because they are so daunting. However, procrastination can give you more insight on what’s actually important to you, helping you prioritize what has to get done. It also allows you to put into perspective what are other more miniscule tasks that actually may not really matter. However if you let it spiral out of control, procrastination only serves to harm you. Avoiding procrastination entirely can also become a part of a vicious cycle that leads to becoming entirely burnt out. Constant productivity, or the “grind mindset”, is an often glorified lifestyle that elevates ignoring one’s need for rest. Instead of striving for this unrealistic standard of perfection, a healthier goal is to attain a balance between free time and work in order to optimize both the work you do and the life you live.
(Some of the writers for Palette Point have compiled short reflections to paint an image of procrastination as we each see it in our daily lives. As part of Generation Z, we express through poetry, stories, and personal narratives how frustrating procrastination is to us).
Ellie Weiner:
I’ve grown up hearing about how gifted I am- in first grade I was placed in the Talent Development program, just because I was that smart. A lot of people have the same story as me; you grow up with all the adults in your life telling you just how gifted you are, and then one day you’re just...average. Never in my life have I relied on studying, or putting forth much effort at all, to maintain good grades. I just understand things, and I like to learn. But once I got to high school, there stopped being much of a distinction between us ‘gifted’ kids and everyone else. Now, we are everyone else. There’s so much pressure on students like me (most of it admittedly put there myself) to be smart that we avoid doing things that could lead to failure. This is where my experience with procrastination begins. I don’t know how to study because I never had to. In elementary school, I got perfect grades on projects without trying. But now? I have to try, and I never have before, so I put it off to avoid feeling the failure of something imperfect.
Elijah Yikes:
I write this as I procrastinate during a lecture on procrastination, the numbness of disinterest taking over without much of a fight and the minute precious amount of motivation I still have slowly dripping out of my head like a faulty faucet down the drain. There’s something restless and alive in my procrastination, a hungry creature that can’t sit still, always unsatisfied and bored by any sort of responsibility. With a short attention span and a deep hatred for any sort of imperfection, it’s just easier for me to just pretend tasks don’t exist. Maybe it’s the craving for perfection and the fear of failing that prevents me from starting any work or maybe it’s the overwhelming tsunami of responsibilities that just makes everything seem so difficult, but I know I’m not alone in feeling this way. This trapped feeling of being crushed by the constant anxiety of looming deadlines while not doing anything about it.
Mary Sawyer:
I am not someone who respects the linear movement of time. These days either go by too fast or too slow, and I’ve reached the point where I don’t even keep track anymore. When presented with a task, it either consumes me fully or it bows its head in submission as I shelf it for an undetermined amount of time.
But there are some things that cling to me.
I love art, and for several years I moved in ways that allowed me to create without limitation. Today, I look at what I made during this period of time and I smile knowing I’ll likely never make anything like it again. There is a part of me that aches to bend backwards once more for a hobby, an outlet, that really only brushed the tip of what I wanted to do. But I tell myself that I will always be someone who exists to create like it is my only language. There is no hurry. I could be 80 years old when I decide to paint again. This will not lessen the value of what I do. If anything, I imagine I’ll have more to offer. Or I can die young and never live long enough to know either way. This comforts me somehow, and if this is just an extreme form of procrastination... well, it doesn’t really matter does it? No matter how much I yearn for the distant future, she has no obligation to me.
Time has little to no regard for what I want. And honestly? That’s okay.
I have power in the present, and that seems good enough to me.
Jasmine Chen:
too much stuff
can make a girl grow weary
the bright lights at midnight
make the mood more dreary
too many papers
clutter the tabletop
things things things
always going, nonstop
head falling forward
she blinks
so quickly
shakes her head
I’m still so busy
mind a slippery slope
she slips and
tumbles
forgets
and remembers;
mind in jumbles
sleep
the night lights chant
her drooping eyes shut swiftly
another late night
almost done, just nearly
and she drifts
finally,
into dreams where
she might wish
for a light
a thing,
a dream
a yearning to
reach for.
Rachel Patel:
I think that personally I’m definitely an active procrastinator. I’ll constantly have this list of things to do, but purposefully tick off all of the easier and smaller tasks before tackling the biggest one. I do end up eventually finishing all of the points on my to-do list, but that isn’t without having put it off for hours and hours on end! When I read that a person’s own insecurities and self-doubts are a major contributor to why they procrastinate in the first place, I really felt as if I could relate and that that pertained to me. There have been so many times I’ve put off writing or painting specific pieces just because I’m so intimidated by the project and I don’t think what I’ll produce will be good enough. It really does suck, but the method of reminding yourself why you do it and why you’re passionate about this activity does truly work -- at least for me. I know last summer I saw that people were upcycling old jeans by painting things on them, like patterns or just simple fun designs on the back pockets, and I remember saying “this looks dope, I want to do this myself!” I ended up only getting around to doing it late July, so my summer had already almost ended. I do regret that it took me so long to get started on this, because when I had started, the whole painting process just felt natural. My biggest fear was messing up, since acrylic on clothing is not forgiving at all, but in the end everything turned out fine and I was super proud of the results! Those shorts are by far my favorite pair now.
Francesca Villanueva:
As a student in this generation, it is hard to say we are without our distractions. Technology, social media, and many other things fill our daily lives making our minds wander and forget to do the important tasks. We berate ourselves constantly saying we should not be procrastinating, yet we still do it. It is a strange habit of us humans; and one must wonder-- what leads us to do it? For a better understanding, I interviewed three friendsI knew who I thought could elaborate on their thoughts on procrastination with the addition of the new online classes in our country.
To me, it was always funny how I would set myself to a certain goal and promised my little brain that I would accomplish it by the end of the day. And yet no matter how hard I tried, I would always find myself at the end of the day still scrolling through my feed or watching the latest episode. Procrastination was really an escape from your responsibilities, and although you knew you weren’t supposed to do it, you ended up doing it. As my friend Mikaela Marie Tan (15, PAREF Southcrest) puts it, “I think that this is because we all have a tendency to think that getting the job done later will probably be easier than to do it now (which usually is not the case). We may also be procrastinating because honestly, it rids of some of our stress and we find comfort in knowing that we can finish our task another time.”
However, there is also a part of me that sees procrastination as something I do to reward myself. I never was good with delaying my gratification and the way I procrastinated showed it. Just for doing a simple paragraph I saw it as a reason to take a break. I share the same sentiment as my friend Anya Subong (16, CNSHS) when she says: “It iis a treat I'd give myself for doing the bare minimum. Whenever I catch myself avoiding important tasks, I'd find an excuse to justify why I deserve some time off. I understand it does more harm to my schedule than it does good to my mental health, but who does not want to lie down and count the minutes in a good fanfic? I procrastinate because I overestimate my capabilities.”
With online classes just starting, I feel that the temptation to procrastinate is stronger. With the distraction of your phone by your side or another tab, it is so easy to get lost from doing your priorities. Mariella Suarez (16, PAREF Southcrest) shares her thoughts on studying during this time saying: “You have to spend a bit more time studying and you have to rely on yourself a bit more especially since there are times when certain topics are not discussed in person and you don't have people all around you constantly reminding you of things or reviewing for a test.” For me I believe online classes will test your independence and discipline, and it will be a struggle to constantly be focused.
When I think why most students and teenagers procrastinate, I think it’s the idea that you have a lot of time. I think reasoning with yourself that “you can do it later” would always lead you to procrastination. Because in the end, you will always find any excuse to reason with yourself to push it back or do it later until you end up doing it at the last minute and stressing over it. ” …it differs from person to person. We could be procrastinating because our minds could be set in the wrong place. If we believe that we are going to do badly on a certain task or that we will have a hard time completing it, procrastination could be the outcome. So even if we know that procrastination isn’t the best for us, I think that the reason we do it despite the consequences roots deeper into our mannerisms, mindset, and how each of us has grown as a person.” (Mikee Tan, 15)
Another reasoning I could think about would be the idea that some people are afraid that what they have done is not good enough and the feeling you could be doing other things. “…people say that many of the problems we face are the result of fear. To some extent I think that this is true, I fear that my effort will go to waste so I don't do them… It is a constant internal battle between what you should and what you want to do. This is a problem that also stems from deeper, more internal reasons that can differ from person to person and how we are wired and evolved to become.” (Mariella Suarez, 16)
In the end procrastination has become a part of how I operate as a person. It could be the feeling of being tired and exhausted of the happenings in my life. “Procrastinating is a product of uninspired minds. We finish tasks we want to work on and leave the unwanted ones on a waitlist. You'd notice artsy students sketching out ideas for a project as soon as it's announced or the math experts answering their homework five minutes before the teacher asks for it. If the task inspires them, they'd work on it to the best of their ability. We're all lazy when it comes to activities we don't want to do.” (Anya Subong, 16) However I realize now that although it is hard not to delay, I can say that there is a certain relief and sense of achievement in doing something earlier or on time since it relieves the stress of having to do it in the future.
Marvin Lezama:
It is very common and stigmatized for teen students to procrastinate. This generation has more reasons to procrastinate, one is our phones, which for almost all of us it is attainable at any moment through our day. As far as for me, procrastination has been very fervent through the pandemic. As many of us students accommodate to a non-traditional school setting, we had to transition to learning remotely, a new norm for us. The school I attended had a no cell-phone policy, being that I was not allowed to have my phone entering the school building. Giving in my phone was for the best and even though I did not like giving my phone, it evidently led me to being more attentive in class. Now that I have transitioned to learning remotely, I have more access to my phone and it has caused me to procrastinate a bunch, which has been a major disadvantage to my academics. I have dealt with procrastination and have taken note that the root problem is my phone, so to succeed in remote learning, I usually have to mute my phone and put it as far as away from me as possible. Hiding it under my covers is my resort and has helped me focus on work. Hopefully through the time we have to learn remotely, students including myself can find ways to accommodate and resort to effective learning.
Kaitlyn Chen:
“Did you finish the project yet?” I asked.
It was a dull question. It had a dull answer. After all, the next words were already on my lips- I haven’t. I’ll do it tomorrow. I’ll do it later. But they didn’t leave my tongue just yet. I needed the balm of camaraderie- joint failure, common struggle- to dull the sting of the confession. It wasn’t like it was ever so much of a secret that I hadn’t done my work. Breathing it into sound only affirmed what was already fact.
“Actually, yeah… I did, yeah,” came the answer.
“Oh,” I said, a little surprised. It was out of the routine to have work done before the absolute last minute. Had been, ever since our workloads increased to whole days at school and then hours after-hours.
“Yeah,” the answer continued. “I’ve actually started this thing where I don’t procrastinate. At all.”
I looked again. Beyond the face, there must have been whirring gears instead of flesh and bone and blood. A backup generator for when regular motivation failed; maybe a tangle of wires that spirited lessons back and forth and churned out 100s in a constant stream. It’s this kind of wonderchild that thrives in the meritocracy, this kind of minority always held up as proof that- look- it can be done. Only you aren’t trying hard enough. You aren’t working hard enough. Look, they all insist. Your friends. Your peers. It has been done. It can be done.
But I look and I see dark circles.
The gears and generators and wires catapult right into the working world as the ever-sought after “promising young professional”. From nine to five the electricity would click on and cycle on- this time, spreadsheets and quarterly reports. Always on time becomes a mantra. No matter what, always on time. Me time becomes on time. The hands forget where the off button is when the fingers are always typing. Always, on time, until, old and grey, the rusted gears meet obsoletion in the sheen of new steel.
“I could never. I like sleep too much,” I said.
“It’s been working really well for me.”
I smiled- “I’m glad.”
Under my eyes, the drugstore concealer crinkled. Too thick a layer and a half-shade off, but I’d never had the time to search for a better match. I couldn’t go a day without it. The colour palette of my face flicked on red and grey and purple instead of gentle pinks and olives. Instead, I dabbed on the pink over chapped lips. Coffee rubbed off the lipstick, but it warmed cold hands shaking too much to reapply.
I am only flesh and bone and blood. But ever so slow, wires grow instead of veins.
One day I will have gears.
Elizabeth Bardales:
It’s a hand reaching, grabbing your mind with it’s
Oily black fingers, consuming you with whispers
Oil drips down from your head down to your
Heart enveloping it, tightening its horrid grip
For me, this is what procrastination feels like
A feeling you can’t shake
Procrastination presents itself as doubt and insecurities
Can you really do that? Are you smart enough, strong enough to do it? You’ll fail anyway
I let myself get consumed and believe it
Maybe it’s somebody else’s problem, not something of mine
The future
That’s what procrastination postpones,
The ever present knowledge that it exists, and yet it doesn’t
So we push our tasks until tomorrow because the future doesn’t exist yet
The future can deal with this problem
But not the present me
The future is always just out of reach, fluttering in our sight
Slamming itself into our face with the realization that it’s arrived
Your heart races, mind closes,
All you can think of is the thought that if you start
There's a chance you won’t be capable of finishing
A different experience for some
But a plaguing fear that anchors you to the ocean floor
Ever present for you to kick and swim against
Every time you get away to freedom, the tendrils of it come back to grab you,
Ever helpless in its grips
Can you really do it?
Can you really beat me?
Written by: Marvin Lezama, Elizabeth Bardales, Jasmine Chen, Rachel Patel, Elijah Yikes, Mary Sawyer, Francesca Villanueva, Elle Weiner, Kaitlyn Chen
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