按照百度百科的解释，单纯地做事拖拉或是懒得去做，只能定义为“拖延”，也仅是一种坏习惯，改正它并不难。当“拖延”已经影响到情绪，如出现强烈自责情绪，强烈负罪感，不断的自我否定、自我贬低，伴生出焦虑症、抑郁症等心理疾病时，才能称之为“拖延症”。
拖延的基础，实际上是对自身很高甚至不切实际的期望，如果说完成任务是走过一块一人宽、十米长的厚木板，那么当它放在地面上时，几乎人人都可以轻松地走过，但对结果的高期望则像是将这块木板架到了两座高楼间十层楼高的地方，于是我们会害怕掉下来，即害怕失败或害怕成功，甚至不敢向前迈上一步，而deadline则是身后的一团火，当它离我们足够近时，害怕被烧着的恐惧感战胜了对掉下去的恐惧感，于是我们一下子冲了过去，在deadline前赶完了任务，尽管质量难说。
更可怕的是，很多拖延的人甚至很享受那种deadline过后突然一下放松的感觉，而且拖延的结果有时反而挺好。这种时候，会在心里表扬自己很有“效率”。同时，长期这样下去，尽管不愿承认，但潜意识里确实觉得自己如果花了很多时间成绩却平平，会是一件非常丢脸的事情。于是这一切的一切，都再次强化的拖延。
拖延症之歌
See I have to write this essay
that the teacher gave last week
and it’s due tomorrow morning
twenty pages all in Greek
Nah but first I check my Tumblur
Facebook,Twitter, call my Mom
Then just one more, one more page
oh I waste so much time dot com
I’m procrastinating
All day I sit here waiting
for just the perfect moment to begin
we’re procrastinating
Why work, we could be gaming
Agreed! Procrastinating FTM!
I have to start this diet
cause my prom’s a week away
So I’m only eating veggies
and I’m starting that today
But I’m getting really hungry
and those cookies look sublime
Fine,I’ll have just one, or two, or ten
Why not?It’s not crime!
We’re procrasinating
No better way than eating
cause nothing else could possibly compare
I’m procrastinating
It’s really fascinating
I know there’s work to do but I don’t care
I should probably do my laundry
I should probably feed my cat
But right now we’re playing Halo
YOLO! Headshot! Take that!
You should probably call the doctor
Never mind it’s just a scratch
But your arm’s gone
It’s a flesh wound
Now come on let’s play some catch!
I have organized my desktop
Now I’m all set up to work
Wait that picture’s kinda crooked
and it’s driving me berserk
Now I might as well just color code
my pencils one by one
and my papers and my files
I can’t work until it’s done!
We’re procrastinating
All day I sit here waiting
for just the perfect moment to begin
We’re procrastinating
Wait!
You’re procratinating right now
You’re procratinating
Why are you still here watching?
I’m sure that you’ve got things due long ago
You’re procratinating
Please leave a thumbs up rating
Go do your work
Tomorrow!
大学最后论文阶段，我患上了严重的拖延症，导致焦虑，自我否定，最终论文质量大打折扣。因为心情不好，遇到挫折后，就不断拖延，直至弄出个大头佛。大学不但失败，而且被别人冷朝热讽，人啊，要有所兼顾，但要做最重要的事情，不要本末倒置，不然适得其反；戒骄戒躁，坚持前行;不要轻信人言，要懂得分析；不要感情用事，用行动改变现状！
与其沉沉闷闷地抱怨人生,不如轰轰烈烈地扭转乾坤