According to new research, individuals who have a hopeful attitude about the future are less likely to struggle with severe procrastination. While procrastinators often criticize themselves for their ‘bad habit,’ it turns out that their concerns about the future play a bigger role. A study of nearly 300 young individuals revealed that those who had a positive perspective on their stress levels decreasing in the future, as opposed to the past or present, were less likely to experience severe procrastination. Their views on personal well-being did not seem to make a difference. Enhancing people’s outlook and preparedness for the future could assist them in overcoming procrastination.
A recent study at the University of Tokyo has found that individuals with a positive outlook on the future are less likely to be severe procrastinators. The research indicates that worrying about the future may be a major contributor to procrastination. Surveys of almost 300 young adults revealed that those who believed their stress levels would decrease in the future were less prone to severe procrastination. Interestingly, views on personal well-being did not seem to have the same effect.
It can be challenging to overcome procrastination and achieve a less stressful lifestyle. Improving people’s outlook and readiness for the future could have a positive impact.
Have you ever made a to-do list and found yourself working on the least important task first or getting distracted by something else entirely? Despite our efforts to overcome procrastination, it can lead to increased stress and create a cycle. This was the experience of graduate student Saya Kashiwakura from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the University.Keiko Kashiwakura, a postgraduate student at the University of Tokyo, noticed that she had been struggling with procrastination for a long time. She found herself cleaning her room instead of studying for tests and prioritizing aikido practice over her research. This habit of delaying important tasks became a constant challenge for her. Kashiwakura acknowledged that she needed to change her behavior and confront the future impact of her actions.
Motivated by her own experience, Kashiwakura decided to investigate the connection between procrastination and an individual’s perspective on time, especially their outlook on the future. As she delved into her research on procrastination, she aimed to understand the reasons behind this behavior.she was surprised to find that a larger number of people experience it than she had thought and it made her feel better knowing that her issues were not unique.
Previous studies have indicated that one aspect of procrastination is not caring about the future or having trouble connecting present actions with future consequences. However, the reasons for this have not been clear. Kashiwakura and co-author Professor Kazuo Hiraki, also from UTokyo, suggested that it could be because serious procrastinators have a more negative outlook.
The scientists conducted a survey of 296 participants in Japan in their 20s to gather their perspectives on stress and well-being, and specifically how these could potentially lead to procrastination.The study involved asking participants about their experiences over a 10-year period, from the past to the present, and their expectations for the next 10 years. Based on the results, participants were grouped into four categories based on their outlook (for example, whether they expected their situation to improve or remain the same), and each group was further broken down into severe, moderate, and mild procrastinators.
The research revealed that people with an optimistic outlook, who believe that stress does not increase over time, are less likely to exhibit severe procrastination habits. Kashiwakura stated, “This finding has influenced my own habits Looking at the future from a more positive and lighthearted perspective can lead to a more direct view and less procrastination.” It wasn’t just the amount of stress people felt, but how they saw it change over the 20-year period that affected their procrastination habits. Surprisingly, there was no connection found between procrastination and negative views on well-being, such as how people felt about themselves or not having yet found purpose and goals in life.
The team hopes to use these results to develop strategies to help people cultivate a more optimistic mindset and overcome procrastination.The researchers hope that their findings will be valuable in the field of education. They believe that students will have better results and overall well-being if they can understand their procrastination tendencies scientifically and actively work on improving them, rather than blaming themselves. Kashiwakura stated, “Thoughts can change with just a few minutes of watching a video or be shaped by years of accumulation. Our next step is to investigate which approach is appropriate this time, and how we can develop the ‘right’ mindset to lead a happier and more fulfilling life.”Title: Future Optimism and Chronological Stress in Relation to Procrastination
Saya Kashiwakura and Kazuo Hiraki, in their article “Future optimism group based on the chronological stress view is less likely to be severe procrastinators,” published in Scientific Reports on 30 May 2024, explore the relationship between future optimism and chronological stress on severe procrastination. The study finds that individuals with a future optimism group based on the chronological stress view are less likely to be severe procrastinators.
Useful Links:
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: https://www.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/eng_site/info/about/education/GSAS/
Funding:
This research was funded by CREST of JST, grant number JPMJCR18A4 and supported by JST[Moonsho[Moonsho
Funding
This research was supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) through the Center of Innovation (COI) program[[JPMJMS2293-04].
Competing interests
There are no competing interests to declare.
Research Contact:
Contact person: Ms. Saya Kashiwakura
Affiliation: Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan
Email: kashiwakura@ardbeg.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Press contact:
Contact person: Mrs. Nicola Burghall (she/her)
Affiliation: Public Relations Group, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan
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