"To be sluggish or late in doing something which should be completed: to delay doing anything until a later point in time since you do not want to do it, as you are lazy, etc." is how Merriam-Webster defines procrastination as.
However, research reveals that procrastination is more complicated than the last portion of this definition suggests. The dearth of research on procrastination statistics may maintain the notion that tardiness is a result of laziness.
Procrastination hasn't been taken seriously in academia, according to Joseph Ferrari, a psychology professor at DePaul University in Chicago, because many academics battle with it themselves. The majority of people who deal with procrastination aren't lazy.
In reality, most of them are overworked and anxious. You are hardly lazy or alone if you battle with procrastination.
The following statistics, trends, and insights might help you understand what causes procrastination as well as how to overcome it, which could potentially improve your life.
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Insights, Trends, and Facts About Procrastination
- While everyone avoids unpleasant activities at some point in their lives, chronic procrastination is becoming more common.
- Only 5 percent of adults were deemed chronic procrastinators in the 1970s, but that number has since risen to 20 percent.
- Procrastination is a personality trait that 25% of adults claim is a defining feature of their personality.
- Procrastination, particularly types of bedtime procrastination, is becoming more widespread as the barriers separating work and life blur.
- Serious bedtime procrastination affects twice as many women as it does men.
- Procrastination is most common in people who have low self-confidence, difficulties setting realistic objectives, task aversion, and high degrees of distractibility and impulsivity.
Procrastination Stats Prevalence
How common is procrastination nowadays?
- 15 percent to 20 percent of adults procrastinate on a frequent basis.
- Procrastination affects around 80% - 95% of university students, with 50% of them considering it a problem.
- According to one study, 88% of those polled postpone for a minimum of an hour daily.
- Procrastination affects more people than substance abuse, depression & alcoholism combined.
Facts About Procrastination Causes
It's tough to specify exactly what causes procrastination, a self-destructive tendency. Take a look at the following study, which suggests why so many individuals postpone.
- Procrastination was once thought to be a time-management problem, but current study reveals that it is now linked to mood control.
- Depression, anxiety & ADHD characteristics are all known for procrastination.
- Whether access to technology encourages procrastination is a subject of debate. According to some experts, technological advances have always been available, and it was just a case of whether or not people employed them. Others argue that highly personalized adverts & billions of videos geared to individuals' specific interests exacerbate procrastination.
Facts and Figures on The Effects of Procrastination
- Chronic procrastination is hazardous to one's health. It's been connected to a variety of adverse mental & physical health issues.
- Chronic procrastination has been shown in studies to have a negative influence on mental health, worsen stress, and reduce overall well-being.
- Procrastination, according to 94 percent of poll respondents, has a negative impact on their happiness.
- Frequent procrastinators are more prone to ailments such as headaches, colds, and stomach problems.
- Chronic procrastination has also been linked to hypertension and cardiovascular illness, according to a 2015 study.
- Underperformance, financial issues, and low self-esteem have all been related to procrastination.
Statistics on Academic Procrastination
- Procrastination is common in schools.
- Procrastination is common among pupils in high school, university, & beyond.
- Procrastination is common among 53 percent of high schoolers, 53 percent of undergrads, and 61 percent of graduate students.
- Undergraduates procrastinate the most when preparing term papers (46 percent), weekly readings (30 percent), and preparing for tests (28 percent ).
- Weekly readings (60 percent), preparing term papers (42 percent), and preparing for tests (39 percent) are the three areas where graduate students procrastinate the most.
Statistics on Procrastination In The Workplace
- In the workplace, adults continue to deal with procrastination.
- On any given day, 80 percent of employees get a wage, and 76 percent of entrepreneurs procrastinate for 1 to 4 hours.
- For something like a $40,000 salaried worker, procrastinating three hours per day costs firms $15,000 per year.
Statistics on Procrastination Right Now
Take a look at the latest recent research on procrastination.
- Since the COVID-19 epidemic, 12.4 percent of workers said they've struggled with procrastination, according to a 2020 study.
Other Interesting Insights & Facts About Procrastination
Interested in learning more interesting facts about procrastination?
We've compiled a list of some of the most interesting facts we discovered.- Some people may be able to overcome chronic procrastination by learning mood regulating skills.
- Cat videos on YouTube received approximately 26 billion views in 2014.
- Procrastination was identified as a key cause of this tendency in a 2015 assessment of 7,000 participants.
- The happy sentiments connected with watching cat videos were said to typically offset the negative feelings associated with procrastination.
- Students who exercised self-forgiveness when procrastinating when studying for a test were less inclined to postpone when preparing for the next exam, according to one study.
- Night time procrastination is a developing trend with three different characteristics: the person has no clear purpose for staying up late, the person is aware that staying up late may have bad repercussions, and the person's total quantity of sleep at night is reduced.
- "Revenge bedtime procrastination," a phenomenon among workers who endure high stress levels or long working hours in the office, is one type of bedtime procrastination. It is utilized to "reclaim" personal recreational time that they believe has been taken from them during the day. This is undertaken at the cost of getting a good night's sleep.
- According to a research conducted in 2020, 40 percent of adults experienced higher sleep troubles as a result of the epidemic.
- People were more likely to stay on task after performing mindfulness activities, according to a study published in the International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology.
FAQs On Procrastination Stats
What are the most common places where people procrastinate?
According to one survey, Japanese students procrastinate the most, followed by students from Hong Kong, Taiwan, the United States, Australia, & New Zealand.
Which age group is the most prone to procrastination?
According to one study, procrastination decreases with age. Procrastination was higher among young persons aged 14 to 29. It was also discovered that males procrastinate more than females in this age group, but not in others.
How often does the average individual put off doing something?
According to a YouGov survey, people procrastinate for an average of 218 minutes each day, or 55 days annually!
Quick Links:Conclusion: Procrastination Stats 2022
Many people feel stuck by their procrastination habits, but this does not have to be the case. Learning additional mood-regulating skills, as well as practicing self-forgiveness and mindfulness, can assist you to overcome procrastination. So, be kind to yourself and begin going.
