• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

FHE Health - Addiction & Mental Health Care Homepage

Drug, Alcohol and Mental Health Treatment

ContactCareers

Call for Immediate Help (833) 596-3502

MENUMENU
  • About
        • About FHE Rehab
          • About FHE Health
          • Our Staff
          • Locations We Serve
          • Testimonials
        • Our Campus
          • Gallery
          • Our Videos
          • The Health and Wellness Center at FHE Health
        • Our Locations
          • Alcohol Rehab
          • Detox Center
          • Drug Rehab
          • Mental Health Center
          • Outpatient Rehab
        • Careers at FHE Health
          • Employment Opportunities
        • Our Expertise
          • Accreditations
          • Educational Opportunities
          • Community Impact Award
          • First Responder Families Podcast
          • First Responder Paws
          • Education Scholarship
  • Addiction
        • Treatment Programs
          • Treatment Program Overview
          • Alcohol Addiction
          • Drug Addiction Treatment
          • Behavioral Addiction
        • Levels of Care
          • Continuum of Care
          • Addiction Detox
          • Inpatient Addiction Treatment
          • Outpatient Addiction Treatment
        • What We Treat
          • Alcoholism
          • Amphetamines
          • Benzodiazepines
          • Cocaine
          • Heroin
          • Opioids
          • Sedative
  • Mental Health
        • Mental Health Rehab
          • Mental Health Rehab
          • Onsite Psychiatric Care
          • Dual Diagnosis
        • Levels of Care
          • Residential Mental Health Care
          • Outpatient Mental Health Care
        • What We Treat
          • ADD & ADHD
          • Anxiety Disorders
          • Bipolar Disorder
          • Depression
          • Eating Disorders
          • Personality Disorders
          • PTSD
          • Schizophrenia
          • Substance Use Disorder
          • Trauma
  • Programs
        • FHE Programs
          • Specialty Program Overview
          • Restore (Mental Health)
          • Empower! (Women's Program)
          • Shatterproof FHE Health(First Responders)
          • Compass Program
        • Support Programs
          • Alumni
          • Family Support
        • Therapies
          • Acupuncture
          • Breathwork Therapy
          • CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
          • DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy)
          • EMDR Therapy
          • Expressive Arts Therapy
          • Individual Therapy
          • Group Therapy
          • Gambling Therapy
          • Massage
        • Medical Care
          • Medical Integration
          • Ketamine Infusion
          • IV Vitamin
          • Fitness & Nutrition
          • Medication-Assisted Treatment
          • Medication Management
        • NeuroRehab Services
          • Neuro Rehabilitation
          • Neurofeedback Training
          • Neurostimulation Therapy
          • EEG Brain Mapping
          • Insomnia Treatment for PTSD
  • Resources
        • FHE Guides
          • Understanding Drug Abuse
          • Signs of Addiction
          • The Disease of Addiction
          • Confronting Addiction
          • Staging an Intervention
          • Rehab Success Rate – Does It Really Work?
          • Withdrawal Timelines
          • Life After Rehab
          • LGBTQ+ Community Resources
          • Veteran Resources
          • FHE Podcasts
          • Remote Resources Toolkit
        • Learning Center
          • Help for You
          • Help For Loved Ones
          • Help For Alcoholism
          • Help With Substance Abuse
          • Behavioral & Mental Health
          • Life in Recovery
          • Rehab Explained
          • Addiction Statistics
          • Our Research Articles
          • View All Articles
        • The Experience Blog
          • Addiction News
          • Alumni
          • Community Events
          • Expert Opinions
          • FHE Commentary
          • FHE News
          • Treatment Legislation
          • View All Articles
  • Admissions
        • Insurance
          • Blue Cross Insurance
          • Beacon Health / Value Options Insurance
          • Cigna Insurance
          • Humana Insurance
          • TRICARE Insurance
        • Admissions
          • Steps to Addiction Help
          • Will Insurance Cover Behavioral Treatment?
          • Self-Pay Rehab
        • FAQ
          • Keeping Your Job in Rehab
          • Example Day in Rehab
        • Contact Admissions
          • Contact Us
          • Secure Payment Form
  • Contact
  •  
Home > Featured in Mental Health > Is Procrastination a Sign of a Mental Health Issue?

June 21, 2022 By Chris Foy

Is Procrastination a Sign of a Mental Health Issue?

Procrastination: Mental Health Red Flag?

Procrastination is something that happens to everyone at some point. Whether it’s letting the dishes pile up in the sink, pushing the grocery shopping to another day, or waiting until the last minute to prep for a presentation at work, it’s normal to put off things we don’t want to do. But when is procrastination a mental illness? In some cases, procrastination can be a sign that there’s a larger mental health issue that needs to be addressed. Keep reading to find out what procrastination can be and how to get help if it’s negatively affecting your life.

Is Procrastination a Mental Illness?

Procrastination in and of itself isn’t a mental illness, and there’s no mental health diagnosis based solely on procrastination. Procrastination is extremely common and something many people struggle with from time to time. By itself, it’s not a sign of any mental health disorders, and most procrastination can be explained by the pure fact that people avoid unpleasant, boring, or difficult tasks.

However, if procrastination is happening with everyday life tasks, such as showering or texting someone you have a good relationship with, and there are other issues, it may be a sign of a larger problem. Below are some common symptoms of mental health disorders that may present with procrastination:

  • Feeling overwhelmed all the time
  • Experience signs of burnout
  • Difficulty sleeping or sleeping all the time
  • Changes in eating habits
  • Feeling anxious or worried
  • Mood swings
  • Substance abuse
  • Problems maintaining close relationships

If you’re struggling with procrastination and experiencing any of the issues above, it’s important to consider that you may not be dealing with a minor motivation problem.

Common Mental Health Disorders That May Include Procrastination

Below, we cover a few of the more common mental health disorders and how procrastination can manifest in these specific disorders.

Depression

Depression is a word that gets tossed around a lot by people, but it’s a mental health disorder: major depressive disorder. One of the main symptoms of depression is apathy, which can manifest as a lack of motivation or a loss of interest in things you once found enjoyable. This can often come out in procrastination tendencies, as it can be difficult to find the energy to complete even simple tasks when you are experiencing depression.

Anxiety

Anxiety is an emotion and something many people feel at some point in their lives, but when it’s chronic and interferes with your quality of life, it may be an indicator that you have an underlying anxiety disorder. Several disorders fall under the umbrella of anxiety disorders, including:

  • Generalized anxiety disorder
  • Panic disorder
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Phobic disorders, such as agoraphobia

If you experience anxiety about doing a task, this can contribute to procrastination. For example, if you have anxiety about going out in public or being around large crowds of people, you may procrastinate doing the grocery shopping or getting the oil changed in your car.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a rare but serious mental health disorder that affects approximately 4.4% of the population. It has three main subtypes and is characterized by mood swings known as manic and depressive episodes.

Procrastination can manifest in those with bipolar disorder in both manic and depressive states. In a depressive state, the person may have the same apathy and lack of motivation to do anything that happens in those with depression. However, procrastination can also happen in a manic state because the person may be very focused on some actions while completely neglecting others.

Personality Disorders

Personality disorders are a category many mental health diagnoses fall into. Some of the more common ones include:

  • Borderline personality disorder
  • Histrionic personality disorder
  • Avoidant personality disorder
  • Narcissistic personality disorder
  • Antisocial personality disorder

The category of personality disorders is wide, and individual disorders can present with a variety of symptoms, many of which can trigger or exacerbate procrastination.

What Can You Do About Chronic Procrastination?

If your procrastination problem is a symptom of a mental health disorder, taking action to get that disorder managed is the first step. Talking with your doctor or a trained mental health professional can help you better understand what might be going on and get started with a treatment plan.

But what if your procrastination isn’t related to a mental illness? In this scenario, procrastination can often be managed with some lifestyle changes and behavioral adjustments. For example, many people find it helpful to do the hardest or least enjoyable task first on their daily list. This immediately gives you a big win and ensures you don’t keep pushing it off until the last minute.

Staying organized through lists — whether you prefer old-fashioned pen and paper or a digital planner that syncs across all your devices — can also help. Consider strategies such as color-coding your to-do list by tasks that need to be done right away, those that can wait a day or two and those that need to be done by the end of the week. This can be especially helpful for those who process things better visually.

Relying on a support system for encouragement and accountability is also important. It can help to find a friend who’s also struggling with procrastination and willing to do regular check-ins. You can tell each other what you’re planning on doing and by when and then follow up to make sure it actually got done.

When It’s Time To Seek Professional Help

Procrastination may not be something you can ever completely erase from your life, particularly if it’s a symptom of a mental health disorder. But that doesn’t mean you just have to live with it. If procrastination is negatively affecting your life and your own attempts at change haven’t been successful, talking with a therapist can help. At FHE, our team can help determine what’s contributing to your procrastination tendencies and give you a plan to start moving forward.

Filed Under: Featured in Mental Health, Behavioral & Mental Health

About Chris Foy

Chris Foy is a content manager and webmaster for FHE Health with years of experience in the addiction treatment industry...read more

Primary Sidebar

Learning Center

  • Help for You
  • Help For Loved Ones
  • Help For Alcoholism
  • Help With Substance Abuse
  • Behavioral & Mental Health
  • Life in Recovery
  • Rehab Explained
  • All Articles

Sign up for the Blog

Our Facilities

Take a look at our state of the art treatment center.

View Our Gallery

The Experience Blog

  • Addiction News
  • Alumni
  • Community Events
  • Expert Columns
  • FHE Commentary
  • FHE News
  • Treatment Legislation
  • All Articles

Footer

FHE Health

© 2025 FHE Health

505 S Federal Hwy #2,
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441
1-833-596-3502
youtube facebook instagram linkedin twitter
  • Contact
  • Careers at FHE Health
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
A+ BBB and Top Places to Work - Sun Sentinel

Copyright © 2025 · FHE Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}

The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. If one of our articles is marked with a ‘reviewed for accuracy and expertise’ badge, it indicates that one or more members of our team of doctors and clinicians have reviewed the article further to ensure accuracy. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care.

If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at marketing@fhehealth.com.

833-596-3502

Text/Call Me