General Topic
Procrastination
What is Procrastination
Procrastination is the act of delaying or putting off tasks until the last minute, or past their deadline.
Why this topic
I wanted to focus on this topic because it relates to me on a personal level. I am one of the biggest procrastinators I know. Especially with working from home, my work habits have completely deteriorated. This made me wonder what contributes to procrastination and productivity.
mental health on productivity
I am studying the relationship of mental health on productivity and procrastination because I want to find out how it affects the level of productivity and working habits to help my readers understand why.
According to what is known as “The Yerkes-Dodson law,” performance increases with physiological or mental arousal (stress) but only up to a point. When the level of stress becomes too high, performance decreases.
https://hbr.org/2016/04/are-you-too-stressed-to-be-productive-or-not-stressed-enough
Job conditions are relatively more important in understanding diminished productivity at work if workers are in good rather than poor mental health.
Other Sources
https://hive.com/blog/productivity-mental-health/
https://cmha.ca/brochure/mental-illnesses-in-the-workplace/
https://www.business.com/articles/stress-and-productivity-what-the-numbers-say/
psychology behind procrastination & productivity
I am focusing on the psychology behind procrastination & productivity because I want to find out how psychology (ex. personality trait, emotional state etc.) plays along with procrastination and productivity to help my readers understand why people procrastinate while others have a higher level of productivity.
Experts like Tim Pychyl at Carleton University in Canada and his collaborator Fuschia Sirois at the University of Sheffield in the UK have proposed that procrastination is an issue with managing our emotions, not our time. The task we’re putting off is making us feel bad – perhaps it’s boring, too difficult or we’re worried about failing – and to make ourselves feel better in the moment, we start doing something else, like watching videos.
The reality is that if you wait until you're in the right frame of mind to do certain tasks (especially undesirable ones), you will probably find that the right time simply never comes along and the task never gets completed.
https://www.verywellmind.com/the-psychology-of-procrastination-2795944
Other Sources
https://colinboyd.co/time-management-doesnt-work-and-what-to-do-instead/
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/why-wait-the-science-behind-procrastination
https://time.com/5322514/stop-procrastinating-tips/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/basics/productivity
https://www.inc.com/magazine/201503/leigh-buchanan/the-psychology-of-productivity.html
Do Personality Traits Affect Productivity? Evidence from the Lab
https://www.inc.com/magazine/201503/leigh-buchanan/the-psychology-of-productivity.html
influence of work environement on procrastination
I am focusing on the influence of the work environment on procrastination because I want to find out how/why your environment influences how you work to help my readers understand how their physical space attributes to their productivity.
Nick Bloom, who previously identified the productivity gains of WFH in Bloom et al. (2015) said that WFH may lead to a decrease in productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic, simply because people are home working alongside their children, in unsuitable spaces, with no choice and no in-office days (Gorlick 2020).
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2021005/article/00004-eng.htm
Temperature, air quality, lighting and noise conditions in the office affect the work concentration and productivity.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877705811029730
A feng shui office is a positive and productive place to work. But contrary to popular belief, feng shui isn’t a way to decorate or a Chinese style of decor. Both a science and an art, feng shui is all about energy and attraction. The purpose is to create a space that triggers specific emotions and feelings.
https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/decorating/tips-techniques/feng-shui-office-tips
Other Sources
https://www.forbes.com/sites/adigaskell/2020/12/08/productivity-in-times-of-covid/
https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/decorating/tips-techniques/feng-shui-office-tips
https://hbr.org/2017/05/work-friends-make-us-more-productive-except-when-they-stress-us-out
Visual Essay/Moodboard
Installation/print
showcasing the emotions that affect one’s productivity and the psychological effects that contribute to productivity
Using a mix of photography, 3D renders,
generative/AI art
Digital
a webpage that showcases different emotions and contributions of procrastination
