Effects of procrastination on mental health and its homoeopathic management

Chandralekha Ravikanti, Maheswari, Monisha  

 INTRODUCTION

• Procrastination is widely prevalent and pernicious form of self-regulatory failure, or the tendency to postpone an activity under one’s control to the last possible minute, or even not to perform it at all, that is not entirely understood.
• Procrastination is very common and takes place in everyday behavior. Eventhough it has been growing for decades, it wasn’t regarded as a serious psychological problem but it is considered a serious problem today.
• We procrastinate when we know should be done, but put it off for later. This can lead to feelings of anxiety and guilt. It can also leave us feeling unproductive, lazy, and ineffectual. In others words, it can affect the way we feel about ourselves.
• Procrastination in long term affects the person’s mental health which is manifested by depression, low self esteem, loss of behavioral and emotional control, increased interpersonal issues etc.
• Recently after COVID there has been a lot of concern regarding mental health as there is increase in mental disturbances.

DEFINITION:  Oxford Dictionary says Procrastination as “The act of delaying something that you should do, usually because you do not want to do it.

ETIOLOGY:  Even though procrastination results in more stress in the long term, people may delay action with the idea that they will feel better in the short term.

There various reasons why a person may procrastinate are as follows:

• Feeling bored – It makes sense that if you perceive an activity as boring or unpleasant, you’re far more likely to put it off until later.
• Fear and anxiety – You may be overwhelmed with the task and afraid of getting a failing grade. Instead of completing papers, projects, and exams, you spend time worrying about them.
• Being unclear about what to do when the task is unfamiliar.
• Lack of relevance – You may not see a reason for a task, which may lead to low motivation to complete the task.
• Negative beliefs – Self-talk such as “I can’t do anything right” may influence you not to do the work.
• Unrealistic expectations or perfectionism – You may set your standards so high they are unobtainable. This can lead to not completing a project because “it’s not good enough”.
• Poor time management – Procrastination may result from not managing time wisely. Being unclear about your priorities, goals, and objectives can result in putting off academic assignments to hang out with friends or other activities.
• Difficulty concentrating – Work environments that are noisy, distracting, and cluttered are not conducive to focusing on assignments.
• Personal problems such as financial difficulties or problems with your boyfriend/girlfriend.
• Delay – In time there is in between the decision to take on a task and the point when it must be completed. Basically, the longer you have to finish a task, the longer you’ll wait to get started on it.

SYMPTOMS:

Procrastination continuously makes you unproductive. Procrastinators do the following:-

• Are late.
• Find it hard to start working on something.
• Always complain about how hard things are and how busy they are.
• Don’t have proper planning to accomplish a task.
• Usually don’t finish what they start.
• Don’t prioritize task which is important for them and which is not.
• Have too many things on their mind, and on their to-do list.
• Often forget every important thing.
• Check social networks and emails constantly and most often.
• There’s nothing new to see.

DIAGNOSIS
Procrastination is easily noticed by the person themselves. They may have to discuss their symptoms and observed behavior to a psychologist. In cases where mental disorders are suspected, they may be referred to a psychiatrist for diagnosis.

HOMOEOPATHIC RUBRICS

• Complete repertory: Mind – Postponing everything to next day.
• Knerr repertory: Mind and Disposition – Procrastinate, desire to.
• Wards repertory: P – Procrastinate – Dullness of memory and desire to procrastinate.

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES

• Medorrhinum – Cannot do anything with ease. Postpones everything and if fails blames others. Weak memory.
• Natrum Muriaticum – Difficulty in thinking, absence of mind. Weakness of memory and excessive forgetfulness.
• Apis Mellifica – Loss of consciousness, absent-mindedness and slow march of ideas.
• Calcarea Carbonica – Forgetful, confused, low-spirited. Slight mental effort produces hot head. Averse to work or exertion.
• Nux vomica – Time passes slowly. Ennui (great laziness).
• Platina – Great mental depression. Distraction and forgetfulness. Loss of consciousness.
• Silicea – Brain-fag. Fixed ideas. Thinks only about pins.
• Causticum – Indisposition to labor. Disposition to be frightened. Weakness of memory. Absence of mind.
• Pulsatilla – Absent mindedness. Great flow of very changeful ideas. Loss of consciousness. Weakness of memory.
• Sepia – Weakness of memory. Distraction. Unfitness for intellectual labour. Slowness in conceptual thinking. Heavy flow of ideas.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Oxford learner’s dictionary, https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/procrastination
2. Wignall Nick, The 4 Causes of Procrastination According to Research, 30 March 2018
3. Ms.Rajesh Devi, Dr.Dhull Poonam, Procrastination: A Behavior need to be changed to get success, May 2017 (PDF) PROCRASTINATION (researchgate.net)
4. Clarke J.H., A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, volumes 1,2,3, 1st edition, 2005
5. Boericke William M.D., Homeopathic Materia Medica, 3rd edition, 2010
6. Kent J.T., Lectures on Homeopathic Materia Medica, 1st edition, 2007
7. Zandvoort Roger Von, Complete Repertory, volume 1, 1996
8. Knerr Calvin B., Repertory of Hering’s Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica, volume 1, 1st edition, 2009

Chandralekha Ravikanti, Maheswari, Monisha (Interns, AMSHMC)
Under the guidance of Dr. D. H. Mercy (Asst Prof, Department of Pathology, AMSHMC)