Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part D (2025)

The present review study examines the complex relationships between anxiety, procrastination, and self-compassion. Anxiety, characterized by excessive worry and fear, often leads to avoidance behaviors, including procrastination. Procrastination, defined as the voluntary delay of intended tasks despite anticipating negative consequences, is prevalent among youth and strongly linked to anxiety symptoms, forming a bidirectional cycle that exacerbates academic stress and mental health challenges. Self-compassion, involving self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness, emerges as a protective factor that moderates this relationship by reducing self-criticism and emotional dysregulation associated with anxious procrastination. This review synthesizes 23 empirical studies from 2015-2025, primarily on university students, revealing consistent positive correlations between anxiety and procrastination (r ≈ 0.30-0.50) and negative associations with self-compassion (r ≈ -0.20-0.40), with mediational and moderational evidence supporting self-compassion interventions. Youth populations, including college students aged 18-25, face heightened risks from this triad due to academic pressures, digital distractions, and transitional life stressors, leading to poorer academic performance, sleep issues, and increased depression. Findings indicate self-compassion buffers procrastination's impact on anxiety, with interventions showing small-to-moderate effect sizes in reducing delay behaviors. This paper outlines implications for targeted psychological programs in educational settings to foster self-compassion and break procrastination-anxiety loops.