Editor’s Note (September 2026): This article reports on research originally published in 2025. It has been reviewed for medical accuracy, clarity, and formatting. Language suggesting that procrastination directly causes health problems has been clarified to reflect the observational nature of the study.
Key Takeaways
- Higher procrastination was associated with slightly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms nine months later.
- Students with higher procrastination scores were also more likely to report disabling upper-extremity pain, poor sleep and physical inactivity.
- Procrastination was associated with greater loneliness and economic difficulties.
- The associations were generally small, and the study does not prove that procrastination caused these health problems.
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Most people put things off occasionally. But when procrastination becomes a persistent pattern, research suggests it may be associated with several aspects of mental, physical and social well-being.
A study published in JAMA Network Open followed 3,525 university students in Sweden and examined whether procrastination was associated with health outcomes nine months later.
Researchers found associations with depression, anxiety, stress, disabling upper-extremity pain, poor sleep, physical inactivity, loneliness and economic difficulties. However, the researchers emphasized that the observed associations were generally weak and should not automatically be interpreted as causal.
A Closer Look at the Study
The research was part of the Sustainable University Life study and included 3,525 students recruited from eight universities in the Stockholm and Örebro regions of Sweden.
Participants completed a shortened version of the Pure Procrastination Scale. Researchers then assessed 16 health outcomes at the nine-month follow-up.
The analysis accounted for numerous potential confounding factors, including participants’ prior levels of the health outcomes, age, gender, education, previous physical and psychiatric diagnoses and other demographic factors.
Of the original participants, 2,587, or 73%, completed the nine-month follow-up.
What Did Researchers Find?
A one-standard-deviation increase in procrastination was associated with slightly higher subsequent levels of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms.
Researchers also found associations with several other outcomes. Higher procrastination was associated with a 27% higher relative risk of disabling upper-extremity pain, a 9% higher relative risk of poor sleep quality, a 7% higher relative risk of physical inactivity, a 7% higher relative risk of loneliness and a 15% higher relative risk of economic difficulties.
These percentages describe relative associations observed in the study and should not be interpreted as an individual’s absolute risk.
Researchers did not find clear adjusted associations with disabling pain in the neck or upper back, lower back or lower extremities. They also found no clear associations with tobacco, alcohol or cannabis use, skipping breakfast or poor general health.
Does Procrastination Cause Health Problems?
The study cannot establish that procrastination directly causes poorer health.
Because it followed students over time and adjusted for prior health problems and numerous potential confounders, it provides stronger evidence about the timing of the associations than a simple one-time survey.
However, it was still an observational study. Other measured or unmeasured factors could contribute to both procrastination and health problems.
The researchers themselves characterized the associations as weak. For example, a one-standard-deviation increase in procrastination was associated with only a 0.13-standard-deviation increase in subsequent depression symptoms.
The findings therefore suggest an association rather than proving that procrastination is responsible for the health outcomes observed.
Why Might Procrastination and Health Be Connected?
Researchers have proposed several possible explanations.
The “procrastination health model” suggests that repeatedly delaying important tasks may contribute to stress and interfere with health-promoting behaviors. Someone who regularly postpones responsibilities might, for example, also delay exercise, sleep, medical appointments or other forms of self-care.
However, the relationship could be more complicated. Stress, mental health difficulties, demanding workloads and other circumstances may themselves make it more difficult to start or complete tasks.
The Swedish study was not designed to establish the precise biological or psychological mechanisms responsible for the associations.
Procrastination and Physical Health
One notable finding was the association between procrastination and disabling pain in the upper extremities.
However, the study did not establish why this association occurred. Explanations such as poor posture, muscle tension or last-minute work sessions may sound plausible, but they were not demonstrated by this research.
Similarly, students with greater procrastination were somewhat more likely to report poor sleep and physical inactivity, but the study does not establish that procrastination directly caused either behavior.
When Does Procrastination Become a Problem?
Occasionally postponing an unpleasant task does not necessarily indicate a health problem.
Procrastination is generally described as voluntarily delaying an intended action despite expecting negative consequences from that delay. For some people it occurs mainly with particular tasks, while for others it can become a more persistent behavioral pattern.
It may deserve attention when repeated delay begins interfering with school, work, relationships, finances or personal well-being.
Can Procrastination Be Treated?
Psychological interventions have been studied for problematic procrastination, including cognitive behavioral approaches that address avoidance, thoughts and behavioral patterns.
Practical strategies may also help some people, such as dividing large tasks into smaller steps, reducing distractions, establishing realistic deadlines and creating structured routines.
Persistent procrastination can sometimes occur alongside stress, anxiety, depression or other difficulties. Someone whose procrastination is significantly affecting daily functioning may benefit from discussing the problem with a qualified healthcare or mental health professional.
Final Thoughts
The Swedish study provides useful evidence that procrastination is associated with several aspects of subsequent health among university students.
Higher procrastination was associated with slightly worse mental health, disabling upper-extremity pain, poor sleep, physical inactivity, loneliness and economic difficulties nine months later.
However, the effects were generally small, and the research does not prove that procrastination itself causes these outcomes.
The findings are also based on university students, so they should not automatically be generalized to everyone. More research is needed to understand how procrastination and health influence one another and whether successfully treating problematic procrastination produces meaningful improvements in physical or mental health.
Reference
Johansson, F., Rozental, A., Edlund, K., Côté, P., Sundberg, T., Onell, C., Rudman, A., & Skillgate, E. (2023). Associations between procrastination and subsequent health outcomes among university students in Sweden. JAMA Network Open, 6(1), e2249346. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.49346