The Akrasia effect is just a colorful name to make procrastination seem like a complex medical mystery. Indeed procrastination is not a trait that one can easily shake off, this means it is normal for us to plan for a certain time and become reluctant to follow through.
Many times we find ourselves racing against the clock. Working tirelessly to complete a task or meet up with a deadline while feeling guilty about not starting sooner. Now you’re facing a problem which you know deep in your mind could have been easily avoidable if not for your procrastinating. I bet you can count how many tines you had an assignment due in a day, however, you spend your whole day scrolling through your smartphone, playing games or sending unimportant texts. And when it’s a few hours to submission, sometimes even during the class is when you find yourself struggling to at least write two lines down before the teacher asks to hand in your work.
This casts my mind back to that episode from “Bojack Horseman” where titular character “Bojack” sets out to write his autobiography. He picks up a computer, opens Microsoft word but he ends up playing with fonts for 6 hours. While that might be a bit too much from the creative team of writers, it serves as a little insight as to what procrastination does to you. You may be wondering, why does this happen?
What causes procrastination?
Most people think there is a point of convergence between procrastination and laziness but research begs to differ. When a person procrastinates, they end up devoting their time to a less urgent activity and forget the one that demands more attention and this often comes with a consequence. The first step required to curb procrastination is to recognize first and foremost that you’re procrastinating. One way to tell is to evaluate your daily activities. If you usually fill your days with meaningless activities and sideline the important ones until the eleventh hour then yes, you’re there. You need to break free as soon as possible. You can do an activity as soon as it hits your to do list. The more you postpone it, the less likely you are to do it on time.
Also, research says that procrastination could point to series of health issues such as stress. So, if you suffer from chronic procrastination, you could start suffering from chronic stress in no time. And if you find yourself in those shoes, you should seek the advice of a professional medical personnel.
