Why We Keep Postponing Things: Procrastination May Be Linked to Mental Health Issues

March 2025

Mental Health

“Depression comes from a place of no hope. When things are uncertain, there is fear and anxiety. You keep asking yourself what happens if you fail, and the easiest thing is to do is to procrastinate.”

 

We all procrastinate. It is normal human behaviour. We can be too tired or not in the mood. The task may require more time than we have at the moment. We may need more information and resources before we can start. 

For whatever reason, you want to put it off to later in the day, tomorrow or next week. 

It is a universal truth and reported throughout history that at one point or another, everyone has said they would attend to a matter later. And most of the time, it isn’t an issue. You may feel some regret but as long as no major crisis erupts, you get on with your life. 

But for some, this may become a pattern. They often procrastinate, then feel guilty because they missed a deadline or didn’t reach a decision. In cases where you frequently delay tasks, feel bad, then repeat the cycle, there may be underlying reasons why this keeps happening. 

 

Why we procrastinate in the first place 

The act of procrastination includes inaction, or postponing, delaying, or putting off a decision or task. It is a self-defeating irrational behaviour with immediate benefits, such as relief from stress, and long-term costs, like the inability to move forward. Regardless of the level of difficulty or amount of time needed for a task, we put it off – even when it is a necessary one, with consequences if we do not complete it on time. 

Procrastination has been widely researched with more than 2,000 studies conducted from 1990 through 2020.  

There are many and varied reasons for procrastination: 

Most of us put things off out of boredom or because we are easily distracted. Other reasons may be that we are not confident in our ability to complete a project or our perfectionist streak prevents us from going ahead until we are sure we can get things done.  

Anxiety is also another reason why people delay making plans. There is also the fear of being judged or humiliated. 

Generally, procrastination has been observed as occurring highest in the 14-to-29 age group, tellingly affecting about half of all students. The tendency to procrastinate declines with age, likely due to personality growth, changes in perception of time, and better management and coping skills. 

  

How procrastination is linked to mental health 

A 2014 study found that 20% of adults worldwide are chronic procrastinators. Among this group of persons, conditions such as greater stress and lower self-esteem were common. The American Psychological Association has also pointed out the role procrastination plays in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), poor impulse control and other conditions. 

Procrastinators are also more prone to poor physical health and sleep deprivation due to the higher levels of stress and anxiety they experience because of procrastination. 

One worrying trend across many studies is the increase in reported procrastination in recent years. 

  

Procrastination and Anxiety 

“I couldn’t make plans. I wanted to, but as the time got closer, I got more anxious, and I just couldn’t do it”, explained Shaun.  

Anxiety may also make it difficult to commence on a task if it is perceived as complicated, or when there is a lot of information to process. This can lead to a sense of feeling overwhelmed. 

A sure sign of anxiety is the avoidance of a task out of fear of a negative outcome. We may delay taking a medical test because we fear the results, and when we do see to it, we will delay getting the results, not wanting to know or find out. 

Many persons with perfectionism are also affected by anxiety, and this makes it more difficult to begin a project if they feel they cannot deliver their best. When they do start, they may stall and freeze when they fear their ideas are not top-notch. 

  

Procrastination and Depression 

“Depression comes from a place of no hope. When things are uncertain, there is fear and anxiety. You keep asking yourself what happens if you fail, and the easiest thing is to do is to procrastinate.” - Dylan 

Persons with depression tend to ruminate and dwell on the negative. Because of their low self-esteem and lack of belief in their abilities, they are convinced that they cannot take on a task. 

They cite the absence of interest and motivation and frequently cannot summon the energy to complete, much less initiate, a project. 

Often, they do not see “the point” of attempting a task, and find it difficult to follow through, leading to the perception that they are unreliable and not dependable. 

  

Procrastination and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) 

Persons with ADHD have difficulty with their self-control, regulating their attention and staying on task. They can get easily distracted and do not stay organised, which disrupts their ability to start or to complete a project. Some executive functioning may be affected, such as the ability to remain open to new ideas, to adapt and be flexible in problem-solving.  

“I couldn’t focus and was easily distracted from what I was supposed to do. And when I couldn’t get things done, the more I couldn’t focus, and the more frustrated I became”, related Anthony, whose psychologist suspects he has ADHD. 

One sign of ADHD is hyperfixation, a complete obsession with or absorption into a particular task or interest. People who hyperfixate may tune out the world around them, forget to take breaks or meals, lose track of time and neglect responsibilities. 

  

How to Tell if Procrastination is Affecting Your Life 

 

Here are a few simple questions you can ask yourself: 

• Are you reluctant to accept a task, even if it is one you have completed before?  
• Do you often worry that you cannot complete a task or get the results you want? 
• Do you resent engaging in tasks that you used to be comfortable doing? 
• Are you procrastinating because you feel that others are holding you up? 
• Do you refuse help or advice because others may not deliver what you expect? 

  

If you have answered Yes to 1 or more questions, you may want to find out if the reasons for your procrastination are indicative of negative mental health.  

Professional help does work. 

Sarah recounts that when she was depressed: “There were some days when I couldn’t even get out of bed, let alone think about planning anything.”   

With counselling and support from WE CARE, Sarah, Shaun, Dylan and Anthony have understood and accepted their condition.  

For Shaun and Dylan, taking small steps, and setting themselves simple goals helped. With time, they were able to undertake more involved tasks and activities. Shaun believes that he has to “keep working on my anxiety” which Dylan agrees with, adding that even when not motivated “one needs to try.” 

Being in a non-judgemental community where there are others with similar mental health concerns has also aided them in coping with and managing their condition, together with their procrastination.