Most students become closely acquainted with the disquieting sense that comes with procrastination.

Students continuously defer assignments until days, hours, or minutes before the due date. The average procrastinator replaces important tasks with enjoyable activities that require little to no effort. Postponing a product results from the constant distractions provided by mass communication, such as texting, social media, and multiple forms of other entertainment.

Procrastinators rely on their self-diagnosed lack of motivation to lead them to innovative and exceptional products due to the adrenaline that accompanies  the close proximity of the deadline. When a task comes within a time frame, pressure becomes heightened, this urgency changes when a time restriction is absent. The absence of a deadline presents several threatening effects, including tarnished relationships, career setbacks, and long-term anxiety.

“The effects of procrastination— they’re not contained. It’s usually suffered quietly and privately, and it can be the source of the huge amount of long-term unhappiness and regrets,” Tim Urban, speaker of procrastination TED Talk, “Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator” said.

The repercussions of procrastination fail to show through until it becomes too late. Procrastination affects personal relationships due to the lack of presence, effort, and communication needed to maintain a healthy relationship. Ideally, procrastinators should redirect time and effort otherwise spent on social media and leisure activities towards strengthening and establishing relationships. The importance of the necessary shift of focus, although simple to the average person, may seem impossible to a master delayer. Relationships later become damaged because of the lack of essential effort present in healthy communication.

Constant postponement can lead to massive career setbacks. Necessary advancements that could lead to a successful career requires self motivation and consistent work ethic. The lack of these qualities hinders the path to a prosperous life. Furthermore, the effects of mass communication present several distractions, often leading to the delay of a goal.

Many familiarize with the anxiety accompanying short-term procrastination, but the effects of this angst still show through when those time frames are removed. Long-term uneasiness affects social participation, trouble in work environments, and lack of communication.

In the perpetual presence of leisure activities, there comes a point where relaxation becomes the norm, no longer making it enjoyable. Although procrastination, like most things, proves helpful in moderation, it presents a problem when deadlines appear ahead.

Procrastinators often acknowledge their problem, but cannot seem to break the constant pattern. Time management and motivation presents a solution to the constant delay of important tasks. Although diminishing procrastination requires patience and hard work, it is not impossible. Look ahead for deadlines, create manageable chunks, and remember the perils of procrastination.