What is the paradoxical effect of procrastination in response to feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities?
Answer
It increases the overall stress load later on
Procrastination, or the avoidance of responsibilities, often serves as a behavioral coping mechanism when an individual feels overwhelmed by the demands placed upon them. While avoiding a task initially offers a momentary sense of short-term relief from the perceived pressure, this action is inherently paradoxical. By delaying necessary actions, such as important emails or appointments, the pending tasks accumulate. This accumulation inevitably leads to an increased overall stress load in the future, as the individual must then face not only the original tasks but also the added pressure of their delayed completion.

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