From the Guidelines
Procrastination is often caused by underlying mental health conditions, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is characterized by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity 1. Individuals with ADHD may experience difficulties with sustained attention, organization, and time management, leading to procrastination. Additionally, executive function deficits, which are common in ADHD, can also contribute to procrastination 1. Other factors, such as depression and anxiety disorders, can also play a role in procrastination.
Key Factors Contributing to Procrastination
- ADHD symptoms: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity 1
- Executive function deficits: difficulties with planning, organization, and time management 1
- Comorbid mental health conditions: depression, anxiety disorders 1
- Medications: certain medications, such as benzodiazepines or sedating antihistamines, can impair cognitive function and motivation, exacerbating procrastination
Addressing Procrastination
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): can help individuals identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors contributing to procrastination 1
- Pharmacological treatment: may be necessary to manage underlying ADHD or other mental health conditions contributing to procrastination 1
- Lifestyle modifications: establishing a daily routine, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and using time management tools can help individuals with ADHD and procrastination 1
From the Research
Causes of Procrastination
- Procrastination can be caused by a combination of factors, including cognitive, behavioral, and emotional elements 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Executive function problems, such as lack of organizational skills and attention problems, can contribute to procrastination 3
- Internalizing symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, can also play a role in procrastination 3, 4
- Impulsivity, motivation, and emotion regulation difficulties can also contribute to procrastination 5, 6
- Task aversiveness, future incentives, and time delay of these incentives can affect procrastination 6
- Self-control and impulsivity have been identified as two most predictive traits of procrastination 6
Cognitive Mechanisms
- Procrastination can be regarded as a form of self-regulation failure that reflects giving priority to short-term mood repair over achieving long-term goals 6
- Temporal motivation theory explains why people's motivation to act increases when time approaches a deadline with time discounting effect 6
- A novel theoretical model proposes that the motivation to act and the motivation to avoid vary differently when delaying a task, explaining why people decide not to act now but are willing to act in the future 6
Neural Substrates
- Individual differences in procrastination are correlated with structural abnormalities and altered spontaneous metabolism in the parahippocampal cortex and the prefrontal cortex 6
- These brain regions may contribute to procrastination through episodic future thinking or memory and emotion regulation 6