In this study we found a link between overthinking and procrastination, in an extraordinary situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical students and non-medical students, who have already finished their studies, were interviewed to analyse how overthinking and procrastination affects their day-to-day life. Seven individuals between age 17–30 years were a part of our study, in order to figure out if there is a link between overthinking and procrastination. The interviews were broken down into different themes like: effects of procrastination on work, academics, social life, causes of procrastination, guilt due to procrastination, coping with procrastination. The respondents struggle with procrastination and overthinking on a regular basis. We overview how it affects them and how they cope with it.
Papageorgiou C, Wells A. An Empirical Test of a Clinical Metacognitive Model of Rumination and Depression. Cogn Ther Res. 2003;13.
Nolen-Hoeksema S, Wisco BE, Lyubomirsky S. Rethinking Rumination. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2008 Sep;3(5):400–24.
Gregory K, Morón-García S. Assignment submission, student behaviour and experience. Eng Educ. 2009 Jun;4(1):16–28.
Michl LC, McLaughlin KA, Shepherd K, Nolen-Hoeksema S. Rumination as a mechanism linking stressful life events to symptoms of depression and anxiety: Longitudinal evidence in early adolescents and adults. J Abnorm Psychol. 2013 May;122(2):339–52.
Borkovec TD. Insomnia. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1982;50(6):880–95.
Lundh LG, Broman JE. Insomnia as an interaction between sleep-interfering and sleep-interpreting processes. J Psychosom Res. 2000 Nov;49(5):299–310.
Lichstein KL, Rosenthal TL. Insomniacs’ Perceptions of Cognitive Versus Somatic Determinants of Sleep Disturbance. :3.
Nicassio PM, Mendlowitz DR, Fussell JJ, Petras L. The phenomenology of the pre-sleep state: The development of the pre-sleep arousal scale. Behav Res Ther. 1985;23(3):263–71.
Harvey AG. Pre-sleep cognitive activity: A comparison of sleep-onset insomniacs and good sleepers. Br J Clin Psychol. 2000 Sep;39(3):275–86.
Segerstrom SC, Tsao JCI, Alden LE, Craske MG. Worry and rumination: Repetitive thought as a concomitant and predictor of negative mood. Cogn Ther Res. 2000;24(6):671–88.
Kroese FM, De Ridder DTD, Evers C, Adriaanse MA. Bedtime procrastination: introducing a new area of procrastination. Front Psychol [Internet]. 2014 Jun 19 [cited 2021 Oct 21];5. Available from: http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00611/abstract
Kerollos Farid. Procrastination Research 2021. 2021 [cited 2021 Oct 20]; Available from: http://rgdoi.net/10.13140/RG.2.2.18858.64961
Steel P. The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychol Bull. 2007;133(1):65–94.
Hailikari T, Katajavuori N, Asikainen H. Understanding procrastination: A case of a study skills course. Soc Psychol Educ. 2021 Apr;24(2):589–606.