JurnalPost.com - At seven in the evening, a student opens their laptop with the intention of finishing an assignment. However, two hours later, the document remains blank. Their time has instead been consumed by tidying their desk, browsing social media, and replying to messages that were not particularly urgent.
The next morning, they can only conclude one thing: “I am just lazy.”
But is the habit of procrastination always caused by laziness?
In psychology, procrastination is sometimes linked to more complex issues, such as fear of failure, anxiety regarding the judgment of others, or the pressure to produce something perfect.
Without realizing it, individuals may engage in actions that actively hinder the goals they wish to achieve. This behavioral pattern is related to a phenomenon known as self-sabotage or self-sabotage.
Interestingly, this issue can be understood through more than just modern psychology. The thoughts of philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Søren Kierkegaard, and Jean-Paul Sartre also offer perspectives for understanding the conflict between human desires, fears, freedom, and actions.
What Is Self-Sabotage?
Self-sabotage is a pattern of actions or decisions that prevent a person from achieving the goals they actually wish to realize.
Fuhua Zhang (2022), in a scientific article published in Frontiers in Psychology, discusses how self-sabotaging behavior can disrupt academic engagement, self-esteem, and the achievement of one's goals.
This behavior can manifest in various forms, ranging from procrastinating on work and avoiding preparation to setting unrealistic targets or seeking excuses to explain potential failure.
In psychological studies, there is also the concept of self-handicapping, which is the tendency to create or declare obstacles that can be used to protect one's self-esteem when the results obtained do not meet expectations.
For example, a student might intentionally delay studying until just before an exam. If their grade is poor, they can claim they failed due to a lack of time, rather than an inability to understand the material.
Thus, this procrastination serves as a psychological shield against the possibility of negative judgment.
However, not all procrastination is a form of self-sabotage. Fatigue, excessive workloads, difficulty with time management, and environmental conditions can also affect one's ability to complete tasks.
When Self-Protection Becomes a Trap
Why does someone continue to do things that potentially harm themselves?
One explanation relates to the human desire to maintain self-esteem.
When someone fears failure, not starting a task sometimes feels safer than trying earnestly only to achieve disappointing results.
Procrastination provides temporary comfort because one does not yet have to face the possibility of failure.
Unfortunately, this comfort can turn into a cycle that is difficult to break.
The longer a task is delayed, the greater the pressure felt. As deadlines approach, anxiety increases. The resulting suboptimal work then reinforces negative beliefs about one's own abilities.
Research by Rabia Afzal and Hina Saeed (2026) on 600 students in Pakistan found a significant negative relationship between self-sabotaging tendencies and psychological well-being.
The study also showed that an individual's belief in their own abilities, or self-efficacy , plays a role in that relationship.
These findings highlight the importance of addressing self-sabotaging behavior in the context of mental health. However, the relationship found does not necessarily prove that self-sabotage is a direct cause of psychological disorders.
To understand why humans can become trapped in conflict with themselves, philosophical thought offers an interesting perspective.
Understanding Internal Conflict Through Philosophical Thought
Plato and Aristotle: When Desire Conflicts with Reason
In his work Republic, Plato describes the human soul through three elements: reason, spirit, and appetite.
These three do not always move in the same direction.
One famous illustration is the story of Leontius, someone who felt drawn to look at corpses but was simultaneously angry at his own desire.
This story shows that humans can experience conflict between emerging impulses and their rational judgment.
A similar conflict can be found in the habit of procrastinating. A person knows that completing a task is the right thing to do, but the urge to avoid discomfort leads them to do something else instead.
Aristotle discusses this issue through the concept of akrasia, which is a state where someone fails to act in accordance with their best judgment.
In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle also emphasizes the importance of habit in character formation.
From this perspective, the courage to face difficult work is not just an innate trait, but can be developed through repeated actions.
Starting a task even when not feeling fully prepared can be an exercise in building better habits.
Søren Kierkegaard: Anxiety in Facing Freedom
The Danish philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard, developed thoughts on anxiety in his work The Concept of Anxiety.
In his view, anxiety is related to human awareness of possibilities and the freedom to choose.
Kierkegaard describes anxiety as a kind of dizziness that arises when humans are confronted with their own freedom.
Imagine someone who must start an important project.
As long as the project has not been started, various possibilities remain open. They could succeed, fail, receive praise, or face criticism.
All those possibilities can create uncertainty.
For some, that uncertainty feels more frightening than the work itself.
Procrastination ultimately becomes a way to temporarily avoid making a decision and facing its potential consequences.
Kierkegaard's thought helps us see that anxiety does not always arise because someone lacks choices. Sometimes, anxiety is present precisely because humans realize they have many possibilities to choose from.
Jean-Paul Sartre: Hiding Behind Self-Labels
Jean-Paul Sartre, a key figure in existentialist philosophy, discusses the concept of mauvaise foi or bad faith in Being and Nothingness.
This concept describes a state where humans avoid acknowledging their own freedom and responsibility.
In daily life, this thought can be used to reflect on the habit of labeling oneself negatively.
For example, someone keeps saying, “I am just lazy. I have always been like this.”
That sentence sounds like an honest admission at first glance. However, if used to consider change as impossible, that label can become an excuse to stop trying.
A person might find it easier to accept an identity as a lazy person than to face the reality that they are afraid of failing or being judged.
Through Sartre's perspective, humans are invited to realize that past habits do not have to determine all future actions.
Although one cannot always control all circumstances, one can still strive to determine their response to the situations they face.
Of course, this thought does not mean that all psychological obstacles can be solved by willpower alone. Mental conditions, environment, and real limitations must still be considered.
How to Break the Cycle of Self-Sabotage?
Recognizing patterns of self-sabotage is the first step toward changing harmful habits.
There are several simple approaches that can be tried in daily life.
First, change how you talk to yourself.
Instead of constantly asking, “Why am I so lazy?”, try replacing it with the question, “What is actually making it difficult for me to start?”
That question can help someone identify the source of the difficulty without immediately passing negative judgment on themselves.
Second, start with small and realistic steps.
Tasks that appear large often create pressure before they are even started.
Breaking a task into several simple parts can make the process feel more manageable.
For example, instead of aiming to finish an entire paper in one night, one could start by creating an outline or finishing a single paragraph.
Third, give yourself room to make mistakes.
The desire to produce something perfect sometimes makes people afraid to start.
In reality, imperfect work can still be improved. Conversely, work that is constantly avoided provides no opportunity for growth.
Fourth, build a supportive environment.
Research by Sertel and Tanrıöğen (2019) on 1,370 teachers and school administrators in Turkey found a negative, albeit relatively weak, relationship between positive perceptions of school climate and levels of self-sabotage.
These findings indicate a link between the social environment and self-sabotaging behavior, although they do not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
In daily life, seeking support from friends, discussing with trusted individuals, or creating a comfortable study space can be part of efforts to reduce avoidance behavior.
Fifth, seek professional help if necessary.
If avoidance behavior continues to recur to the point of disrupting academic activities, work, social relationships, or psychological well-being, consulting a psychologist can be an option.
Psychological approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help individuals recognize and evaluate unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. Its application needs to be tailored to each individual's needs.
Daring to Start and Stopping Avoidance
Not all procrastination means laziness. However, not all procrastination can be called self-sabotage.
There are times when someone truly needs rest, is experiencing burnout, or is facing obstacles beyond their control.
Nevertheless, if the habit of avoidance continues to appear when facing important work, it is worth paying attention to that pattern.
Psychology helps explain how fear, self-esteem, and anxiety can be linked to self-sabotaging behavior. Meanwhile, philosophy invites humans to reflect on the conflict between desires, actions, and freedom in making choices.
From Plato and Aristotle, we can learn to understand internal conflict and the importance of building habits. Kierkegaard reminds us that the freedom to choose can bring anxiety. Sartre invites humans not to hide entirely behind labels that limit them.
Ultimately, overcoming the habit of procrastination is not just a matter of becoming more disciplined. Sometimes, one also needs to understand the fear that makes them reluctant to move forward.
There is no need to wait until all anxiety disappears to start doing something.
Because, sometimes the hardest part of a job is not finishing it, but gathering the courage to start it.
References
Afzal, R., & Saeed, H. (2026). Self-Sabotaging Tendencies and Their Impact on Students’ Mental Health: A Study on the Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy. Social Science Review Archives, 4(1), 2905–2914. DOI: 10.70670/sra.v4i1.1853.
Sertel, G., & Tanrıöğen, Z. M. (2019). The Relationship Between Self-Sabotage and Organizational Climate of Schools. Educational Research and Reviews, 14(15), 541–550. DOI: 10.5897/ERR2019.3784.
Zhang, F. (2022). A Theoretical Review on the Impact of EFL/ESL Students’ Self-Sabotaging Behaviors on Their Self-Esteem and Academic Engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 873734. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.873734.
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