“There is nothing good unless you do it.” Erich Kästner already knew this. Procrastinators are also aware of this fact. But they can’t help postponing or completely avoiding tasks. Procrastination is therefore a pathological form of postponement, which causes great distress to those who suffer from it. Instead of devoting their time to the important tasks before their deadlines, they take care of other, more pleasant things. This causes problems and stress, leading to deadlines not being observed.
This clinical picture is particularly frequent in people who can arrange their time freely. The pathological behaviour could already be noted during their school days, and is then continued. Sometimes, “postponitis” is also based on mental disorders. These include, among others, anxiety disorders, ADHD or depression. Stress and chronic postponing often go together. Inversely, chronic postponing can even lead to a mental disorder itself. Procrastination has nothing to do with laziness, instead with a self control disorder.