Key Takeaways:
- Procrastination linked to higher depression, anxiety, and stress.
- Increases risk of upper body pain and poor sleep.
- Tied to less exercise, more loneliness, and money problems.
- Effects remain even after accounting for prior health.
Most of us put things off from time to time—waiting for the right moment or a spark of motivation to strike. But when procrastination becomes a lifestyle, it may start doing more than just stressing you out—it could be quietly undermining your health.
That’s the warning from a study conducted by researchers in Sweden, who tracked over 3,500 university students for nine months. Their findings, published in a leading medical journal, suggest that procrastination isn’t just about missed deadlines. It’s linked to a web of mental, physical, and lifestyle challenges—from anxiety and depression to sleep problems, physical inactivity, and even economic strain.
A Deeper Look at the Study
The research team, led by Fred Johansson at Sophiahemmet University, was interested in how chronic procrastination might shape student health over time. They were working within the framework of the Sustainable University Life study, which surveyed students at eight universities across Stockholm and Örebro. Participants ranged in age but were mostly in their early twenties, and many were juggling the demands of full-time coursework and the freedom of managing their own schedules.
To measure procrastination, students completed a validated psychological scale known as the Pure Procrastination Scale. Then, nine months later, the same group was assessed for a wide range of health outcomes—sixteen in total—including emotional distress, body pain, lifestyle habits, and social and financial well-being.
What the researchers uncovered was subtle but consistent: students who procrastinated more often were also more likely to report worse health across almost every domain they measured
What the Results Showed
Compared to their less-procrastinating peers, those with higher scores were more likely to experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. These students also had greater odds of reporting disabling pain in the upper extremities—such as chronic shoulder or arm pain—and were more likely to struggle with poor sleep and reduced physical activity.
The pattern didn’t stop there. Frequent procrastinators also described greater feelings of loneliness and were more likely to report financial difficulties, such as trouble covering basic expenses or paying bills on time.
While the associations were modest in size—a single standard deviation increase in procrastination was linked to small but statistically significant increases in most negative outcomes—the breadth of the effect was noteworthy. These weren’t isolated consequences. Procrastination, it seems, touched nearly every corner of students’ well-being.
Why Procrastination Takes a Toll
How exactly does putting things off hurt your health? The study doesn’t pinpoint one direct cause, but the explanation lies in what researchers call the “procrastination health model.” This theory suggests that repeated task avoidance fuels chronic stress, erodes healthy routines, and leads people to delay actions that protect their health, like scheduling doctor’s visits, preparing balanced meals, or maintaining regular sleep.
University students may be especially vulnerable. Unlike structured high school environments, higher education often leaves students managing their own time. That freedom can be empowering—but for someone prone to procrastination, it can also be a trap. With fewer external deadlines and more personal responsibility, avoidance behaviors can flourish unchecked.
Stress plays a central role. Each delayed task can carry a weight of guilt or anxiety, and those emotions build over time. Eventually, the student isn’t just procrastinating on an assignment—they’re avoiding exercise, skipping meals, or isolating from social contacts. The health impact, while indirect, can be very real.
Not Just Mental: The Physical Effects
While procrastination is often seen as a psychological issue, this study draws attention to its physical manifestations as well. Students who procrastinated more often reported disabling upper-body pain, likely related to tension, inactivity, or poor posture during last-minute work sprints. Sleep quality also suffered, with procrastinators more likely to have disrupted rest patterns and trouble falling asleep.
Poor sleep and sedentary behavior are well-known contributors to long-term health issues, including cardiovascular disease, weight gain, and weakened immune function. In that light, even a modest link between procrastination and these behaviors raises concern.
Chronic vs. Occasional Delay
To be clear, the study didn’t suggest that the occasional delay is harmful. Everyone puts things off now and then—whether it’s folding laundry or making a phone call. What matters is when this becomes a consistent, habitual response to stress or responsibility.
Chronic procrastination, the kind observed in this study, reflects a persistent pattern. It cuts across many areas of life and is often associated with underlying difficulties in self-regulation. For these individuals, procrastination isn’t just about time management. It’s often an emotional coping strategy—one that may be doing more harm than good.
Can Anything Be Done?
Fortunately, research suggests that chronic procrastination is a treatable behavior. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective approaches. It helps individuals identify avoidance patterns, understand the emotions that trigger them, and develop healthier ways to engage with their goals.
Simple habits can also help. Breaking large tasks into smaller steps, using calendars or timers, and establishing clear routines for sleep, meals, and exercise all support better regulation. In fact, some of the same strategies used to manage anxiety—like mindfulness or guided breathing—can also reduce the urge to avoid tasks.
It may also help to recognize procrastination for what it is: not a character flaw, but a behavior with emotional roots. Being kind to oneself during this process can go a long way.
FAQs
What’s this study actually about?
It tracked Swedish students to see if procrastination affects health. It does.
Who was in the study?
Over 3,500 university students across eight schools.
How long did it run?
Nine months—basically an academic year.
What did they find?
More procrastination = worse mental health, more pain, poor sleep, and money stress.
How bad were the effects?
Small but real. Not life-threatening, but not nothing.
Is this just about students?
No—students were studied, but the patterns likely apply to others, too.
Could this just be burnout?
In some cases, yes. Overload can look like procrastination.
Is procrastination a choice or a symptom?
Sometimes both. It can be a coping mechanism for stress or fear.
Can procrastination hurt your body?
Yes—linked to upper body pain, inactivity, and poor sleep.
Does it make people feel isolated?
Yes. Loneliness and financial trouble were both higher among procrastinators.
What if I just work better under pressure?
That’s fine—unless it’s causing stress, pain, or burnout.
How do I know it’s a problem?
If it’s hurting your mood, sleep, relationships, or health.
Any real-life examples?
Skipping doctor appointments, avoiding emails, or cramming last-minute and crashing after.
How do I deal with it?
Try breaking tasks down, using timers, or talking to a therapist.
Is there a quick fix?
No, but small changes help. Start with one task you’ve been avoiding.
Bottom line?
Chronic procrastination affects health. It’s worth taking seriously.
Final Thoughts
It’s tempting to think of procrastination as just a personal flaw—something you should be able to fix with better discipline or stronger willpower. But as this study reminds us, the reasons people delay aren’t always that simple.
Some students and working adults aren’t putting things off because they don’t care or aren’t trying hard enough. They’re stretched thin. Juggling multiple jobs, coursework, caregiving, or even just staying afloat financially can leave people with very little time, energy, or mental bandwidth. What looks like procrastination from the outside may actually be exhaustion or burnout.
The Swedish researchers measured patterns of delay and linked them to health outcomes. But they didn’t, and couldn’t, capture the full context behind those patterns. That context matters. When people are overwhelmed, even basic self-care—like sleep, exercise, or answering emails—can start to slide. Not because they don’t know better, but because they’re running on empty.
So while the study shows that chronic procrastination is associated with stress, pain, poor sleep, and more, the solution isn’t just about getting organized or managing time better. For some, the real need is recovery. Breathing room. Support.
If you find yourself putting things off more than usual, it might help to ask not just what you’re avoiding, but why. Are you tired? Overloaded? Afraid of failing? Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is pause, take stock, and be honest about what’s really going on.
Procrastination might still need to be addressed—but maybe not with a stricter to-do list. Maybe it starts with being a little kinder to yourself, and figuring out what you need, not just what you should be doing.
References
Johansson, F., Rozental, A., Edlund, K., et al. (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
