Procrastination and Health in Nurses: Investigating the Roles of Stress, Health Behaviours and Social Support.

Objectives: Evidence linking chronic procrastination to a range of poor health outcomes and trajectories continues to build. Yet, much of this research has been conducted in academic contexts or in non-student samples. Despite theory indicating that high-stress contexts increase vulnerability for procrastination, the pathways linking chronic procrastination to health outcomes proposed by the procrastination-health model have not been examined in a high stress environment. Accordingly, we tested the contribution of procrastination to health in nurses and whether social support was a protective factor. Design: Pre-registered cross-sectional study using a random sample of nurses recruited from the membership of a regional nursing association, supplemented by nurses and nurse trainees recruited from online nursing associations, conferences and forums. Methods: Nurses and nurse trainees (N = 597) completed measures of chronic procrastination, stress, health behaviours, social support and self-rated health. Results: Chronic procrastination was associated with perceived stress, health behaviours, self-rated health and social support in the expected directions. Consistent with the procrastination-health model, structural equation modelling revealed significant indirect effects linking chronic procrastination to poor self-rated health through higher stress and fewer health behaviours. Contrary to our hypotheses, social support did not moderate these pathways. Conclusions: This study is the first to demonstrate the relevance of procrastination for health in high-stress, non-academic contexts and to find support for both the stress and behavioural pathways linking procrastination to poor health outcomes. Findings further highlight the importance of addressing chronic procrastination as a vulnerability factor for poor health in nurses.

Nostalgia: An impactful social emotion.

Nostalgia (a sentimental longing for one's past) is a highly social emotion. We provide an evidence-based argument that nostalgia's sociality is one of its most defining and impactful characteristics. First, we review evidence that has established the highly social content of nostalgic reflection. Second, we summarize research that has demonstrated nostalgia's capacity to provide a sense of connectedness with others, and that this social connectedness, in turn, conveys intrapersonal psychological benefits (i.e., meaning in life, self-continuity, optimism, inspiration). Third, we outline research that has documented the interpersonal consequences of nostalgia (e.g., greater physical closeness, strengthened relational goals, increased help seeking, intensified empathy, elevated prosocial behavior). Finally, we call for applied research to investigate how the social character of nostalgia can be harnessed to improve people's social lives.

Using social cognition models to understand why people, such as perfectionists, struggle to respond with self-compassion.

Responding with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit helps people to achieve their goals, yet evidence suggests that some people struggle to respond with self-compassion. The current research proposes that social cognition models such the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Prototype Willingness Model could explain why some people, such as those high in perfectionistic concerns, struggle to respond with self-compassion. We therefore conducted a pre-registered prospective study that measured participants' beliefs about self-compassion, difficulties enacting self-compassionate responding, perfectionistic concerns, and then tested their ability to be self-compassionate in response to a recalled and future lapse. The results showed that participants were less likely to respond with self-compassion to lapses if they held negative beliefs about self-compassion and experienced difficulties enacting self-compassion. Participants high in perfectionistic concerns were more likely to have negative beliefs about self-compassion and experience difficulties enacting self-compassion. Together, these findings provide evidence that social cognition models can be used to understand self-compassionate responding and identify why some people struggle to respond with self-compassion to goal lapses.

A prologue to nostalgia: savouring creates nostalgic memories that foster optimism.

How are nostalgic memories created? We considered savouring as one process involved in the genesis of nostalgia. Whereas nostalgia refers to an emotional reflection upon past experiences, savouring is a process in which individuals deeply attend to and consciously capture a present experience for subsequent reflection. Thus, having savoured an experience may increase the likelihood that it will later be reflected upon nostalgically. Additionally, to examine how cognitive and emotional processes are linked across time, we tested whether nostalgia for a previously savoured experience predicts optimism for the future. Retrospective reports of having savoured a positive event were associated with greater nostalgia for the event (Study 1). Retrospective reports of savouring a time period (college) were associated with greater nostalgia for that time period when participants were in a setting (alumni reunion event) that prompted thoughts of the time period (Study 2). Savouring an experience predicted nostalgia for the experience 4-9 months later (Study 3). Additionally, nostalgia was associated with greater optimism (Studies 2-3). Thus, savouring provides a foundation for nostalgic memories and an ensuing optimism.