Tomorrow Never Comes: The Risks of Procrastination for Adolescent Health

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between procrastination and declining healthy habits among adolescents, a topic lacking systematic reviews in the existing literature. The primary purpose is to lay the groundwork for promoting mental health and preventing procrastination as risky behavior. This systematic review examined five areas related to procrastination and its influence on healthy lifestyle habits in adolescents: technology and procrastination; sleep and procrastination; academic procrastination; and the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings highlight that technology misuse is linked with procrastination; adolescents tend to procrastinate when going to sleep; academic procrastination negatively impacts long-term educational achievements, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this phenomenon. Ultimately, it is concluded that procrastination is related to all these aspects and has detrimental effects on adolescents’ physical and psychological development.