Most people procrastinate (put things off) at some stage in their lives, so understanding procrastination and developing some strategies to deal with it can be useful for everyone.

The causes and severity of procrastination differs from person to person. Procrastination is essentially an avoidance strategy. It is a habitual behaviour which leads to feelings of inadequacy, guilt and stress. This in turn can set up a vicious circle which further exacerbates the initial problem.

The key to dealing with procrastination is to gain insight into its causes and symptoms and then to develop non-avoidance strategies to overcome it.

As mentioned earlier, most people procrastinate at some stage in their lives, although for the most part this is sporadic and does not significantly disrupt their lives. For some people, however, procrastination can become a more serious problem with significant negative repercussions. In extreme situations it may result in a student thinking about abandoning their studies. If you find that your procrastination has got out of hand it is important to remember that confidential help is available within the University.

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