Procrastination is the act of unnecessarily and voluntarily delaying or postponing something despite knowing that there will be negative consequences for doing so. It is a common human experience involving delays in everyday chores or even putting off tasks such as attending an appointment, submitting a job report or academic assignment, or broaching a stressful issue with a partner. It is not always associated with stress. It can also be during the aftermath of stress or a stressful event. Productivity is low during times of health issues. It is often perceived as a negative trait due to its hindering effect on one's productivity, associated with depression, low self-esteem, guilt, and feelings of inadequacy. However, it can also be considered a wise response to certain demands that could present risky or negative outcomes or require waiting for new information to arrive.

जब किये जाने वाले कामों को बार-बार बाद में करने के लिये छोड़ा जाता है तो उस व्यवहार को दीर्घसूत्रता या काम टालना कहते हैं। मनोवैज्ञानिकों का विचार है कि दीर्घसूत्रता, काम को शुरू करने या उसे समाप्त करने या निर्णय लेने से जुड़ी हुई चिन्ता से लड़ने का एक तरीका है। किसी व्यवहार को दीर्घसूत्रता कहने के लिये उसमें तीन विशेषताएं होनी चाहिये - यह व्यवहार उत्पादनविरोधी हो ; अनावश्यक हो और देरी करने वाला हो।