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What Is Procrastination?

Putting off tasks we don't enjoy is common, despite the consequences

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Why Do You Procrastinate?

Types of procrastination.

• The Negative Impact
• Strategies to Stop

Procrastination is the act of delaying or putting off tasks until the last minute, or past their deadline. Some researchers define procrastination as a "form of self-regulation failure characterized by the irrational delay of tasks despite potentially negative consequences."

According to Joseph Ferrari, a professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago and author of "Still Procrastinating: The No Regret Guide to Getting It Done," around 20% of U.S. adults are chronic procrastinators.

No matter how well-organized and committed you are, chances are that you have found yourself frittering away hours on trivial pursuits (watching TV, updating your Facebook status, shopping online) when you should have been spending that time on work or school-related projects.

Whether you're putting off finishing a project for work, avoiding homework assignments, or ignoring household chores, procrastination can have a major impact on your job, your grades, and your life.

In most cases, procrastination is not a sign of a serious problem. It's a common tendency that most people give in to at some point or another.

Remember that time that you thought you had a week left to finish a project that was really due the next day? How about the time you decided not to clean up your apartment because you "didn't feel like doing it right now?"

We often assume that projects won't take as long to finish as they really will, which can lead to a false sense of security when we believe that we still have plenty of time to complete these tasks.

One of the biggest factors contributing to procrastination is the notion that we have to feel inspired or motivated to work on a task at a particular moment.

The reality is that if you wait until you're in the right frame of mind to do certain tasks (especially undesirable ones), you will probably find that the right time simply never comes along and the task never gets completed.

The following are a few other factors that cause procrastination.

Researchers suggest that procrastination can be particularly pronounced among students. A 2007 meta analysis published in the Psychological Bulletin found that a whopping 80% to 95% of college students procrastinated on a regular basis, particularly when it came to completing assignments and coursework.  

According to researchers, there are some major cognitive distortions that lead to academic procrastination.   Students tend to:

• Overestimate how much time they have left to perform tasks
• Overestimate how motivated they will be in the future
• Underestimate how long certain activities will take to complete
• Mistakenly assume that they need to be in the right frame of mind to work on a project

Present Bias

The present bias is a phenomenon observed in human behavior that may result in procrastination. The present bias means that we tend to be motivated more by immediate gratification or rewards than we are by long-term rewards. This is why it feels good in the moment to procrastinate.

For example, the immediate reward of staying in bed and watching TV is more appealing than the long-term reward of publishing a blog post, which would take much longer to accomplish.

Procrastination can also be a result of depression . Feelings of hopelessness , helplessness, and a lack of energy can make it difficult to start (and finish) the simplest task. Depression can also lead to self-doubt . When you can't figure out how to tackle a project or feel insecure about your abilities, you might find it easier to put it off.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Procrastination is also pretty common in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder . One reason is that OCD is often linked with maladaptive perfectionism, which causes fears about making new mistakes, doubts about whether you are doing something correctly, and worry over others' expectations of you.

People with OCD also often have a propensity toward indecision, causing them to procrastinate rather than make a decision.

Many adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggle with procrastination. When you're so distracted by outside stimuli, as well as internal thoughts, it can be hard to get started on a task, especially if that task is difficult or not interesting to you.

Is Procrastination a Mental Illness?

Procrastination itself is not a mental illness. But in some cases, it may be symptomatic of an underlying mental health condition such as depression, OCD, or ADHD.

We often come up with a number of excuses or rationalizations to justify our behavior. According to researchers, there are 15 key reasons why people say they procrastinate:

• Not knowing what needs to be done
• Not knowing how to do something
• Not wanting to do something
• Not caring if it gets done or not
• Not caring when something gets done
• Not feeling in the mood to do it
• Being in the habit of waiting until the last minute
• Believing that you work better under pressure
• Thinking that you can finish it at the last minute
• Lacking the initiative to get started
• Blaming sickness or poor health
• Waiting for the right moment
• Needing time to think about the task
• Delaying one task in favor of working on another

Press Play for Advice On Completing Tasks

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares how to get tasks done with a science-backed trick known as 'temptation bundling.' Click below to listen now.

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Some researchers classify two types of procrastinators: passive and active procrastinators.

• Passive procrastinators : Delay the task because they have trouble making decisions and acting on them
• Active procrastinators : Delay the task purposefully because working under pressure allows them to "feel challenged and motivated"

Others define the types of procrastinators based on different behavioral styles of procrastination, including:

• Perfectionist : Puts off tasks out of the fear of not being able to complete a task perfectly
• Dreamer : Puts off tasks because they are not good at paying attention to detail
• Defier : Doesn't believe someone should dictate their time schedule
• Worrier : Puts off tasks out of fear of change or leaving the comfort of "the known"
• Crisis-maker : Puts off tasks because they like working under pressure
• Overdoer : Takes on too much and struggles with finding time to start and complete task

Procrastinators vs. Non-Procrastinators

"Non-procrastinators focus on the task that needs to be done. They have a stronger personal identity and are less concerned about what psychologists call 'social esteem'—how others like us—as opposed to self-esteem which is how we feel about ourselves," explained Dr. Ferrari in an interview with the American Psychological Association (APA).  

According to psychologist Piers Steel, people who don't procrastinate tend to be high in the personality trait known as conscientiousness , one of the broad dispositions identified by the Big Five theory of personality. People who are high in conscientiousness also tend to be high in other areas including self-discipline, persistence, and personal responsibility.

The Negative Impact of Procrastination

It is only in cases where procrastination becomes chronic and begins to have a serious impact on a person's daily life that it becomes a more serious issue. In such instances, it's not just a matter of having poor time management skills, it's a major part of their lifestyle.

Perhaps they pay their bills late, don't start work on big projects until the night before the deadline, delay gift shopping until the day before a birthday, and even file their income tax returns late.

Unfortunately, this procrastination can have a serious impact on a number of life areas, including a person's mental health and social, professional, and financial well-being:

• Higher levels of stress and illness
• Increased burden placed on social relationships
• Resentment from friends, family, co-workers, and fellow students
• Consequences of delinquent bills and income tax returns

How to Overcome Procrastination

You might find yourself wondering, How can I stop procrastinating?

Fortunately, there are a number of different things you can do to fight procrastination and start getting things done on time. Consider these your procrastination exercises:

• Make a to-do list : To help keep you on track, consider placing a due date next to each item.
• Take baby steps : Break down the items on your list into small, manageable steps so that your tasks don’t seem so overwhelming.
• Recognize the warning signs : Pay attention to any thoughts of procrastination and do your best to resist the urge. If you begin to think about procrastinating, force yourself to spend a few minutes working on your task.
• Eliminate distraction : Ask yourself what pulls your attention away the most—whether it's Instagram, Facebook updates, or the local news—and turn off those sources of distraction.
• Pat yourself on the back : When you finish an item on your to-do list on time, congratulate yourself and reward yourself by indulging in something you find fun.    

Prem R, Scheel TE, Weigelt O, Hoffmann K, Korunka C. Procrastination in daily working life: A diary study on within-person processes that link work characteristics to workplace procrastination . Front Psychol . 2018;9:1087. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01087

American Psychological Association. The Psychology of Procrastination: Why People Put Off Important Tasks Until the Last Minute . 2010.

Bisin A, Hyndman K. Present-bias, procrastination and deadlines in a field experiment . Games and Economic Behavior. 2020;119:339-357. doi:10.1016/j.geb.2019.11.010

Steel P. The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure . Psychol Bull . 2007;133(1):65-94. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65 

Ferrari, Joseph & Johnson, Judith & McCown, William. (1995). Procrastination and Task Avoidance - Theory, Research and Treatment . doi: 10.1007/978-1-4899-0227-6

Beutel ME, Klein EM, Aufenanger S, et al. Procrastination, distress and life satisfaction across the age range - A German representative community study .  PLoS One . 2016;11(2):e0148054. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0148054

Limburg K, Watson HJ, Hagger MS, Egan SJ.  The relationship between perfectionism and psychopathology: A meta-analysis .  J Clin Psychol.  2017;73(10):1301-1326. doi:10.1002/jclp.22435

Altgassen M, Scheres A, Edel MA.  Prospective memory (partially) mediates the link between ADHD symptoms and procrastination .  Atten Defic Hyperact Disord . 2019;11(1):59-71. doi:10.1007/s12402-018-0273-x

Tuckman BW, Abry DA, Smith DR. (2008). Learning and Motivation Strategies: Your Guide to Success (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Zohar AH, Shimone LP, Hen M. Active and passive procrastination in terms of temperament and character .  PeerJ . 2019;7:e6988. doi:10.7717/peerj.6988

American Psychological Association. The first step to overcoming procrastination: Know thyself .

Svartdal F, Nemtcan E. Past negative consequences of unnecessary delay as a marker of procrastination . Front Psychol. 2022;13. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.787337

Schrager S, Sadowski E. Getting more done: Strategies to increase scholarly productivity .  J Grad Med Educ . 2016;8(1):10-13. doi:10.4300/JGME-D-15-00165.1

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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How to Do Your Homework on Time if You're a Procrastinator

Last Updated: June 24, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Katie Styzek . Katie Styzek is a Professional School Counselor for Chicago Public Schools. Katie earned a BS in Elementary Education with a Concentration in Mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She served as a middle school mathematics, science, and social studies teacher for three years prior to becoming a counselor. She holds a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in School Counseling from DePaul University and an MA in Educational Leadership from Northeastern Illinois University. Katie holds an Illinois School Counselor Endorsement License (Type 73 Service Personnel), an Illinois Principal License (formerly Type 75), and an Illinois Elementary Education Teaching License (Type 03, K – 9). She is also Nationally Board Certified in School Counseling from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 553,689 times.

Procrastinating on your homework assignments can make school more stressful and can hurt your grade if you're always finishing homework at the last minute. Once you learn a few techniques to beat procrastination can make homework much easier for you! By keeping organized, setting specific goals, and asking for help, you can transform yourself into an academic star who still has time to watch TV and catch up with friends on Facebook.

Getting Organized

Establishing a Routine

• Set an alarm on your phone to remind you when to get back to work!

Setting Goals

• Very few people can actually work effectively with music playing. If you like to listen to music while you work but find you aren't getting anything done, try going without it for an hour to see if your concentration improves.

Asking for Help

• This doesn't work for everybody. If you find another person distracting, quit working with them.

How Can I Stop Procrastinating?

Community Q&A

Reader Videos

• Good health can improve your study habits and can help you retain what you learn. Exercise, eat well, get plenty of sleep, and skip the alcohol and caffeine. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Ask your parents or a friend to keep your smartphone so you don't get distracted. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Try to set an alarm or a task reminder in your phone. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Even the best students know that they can't work all of the time. Allow some relaxation time for yourself, particularly on the weekends. Good study habits make you work smarter, not harder. Thanks Helpful 120 Not Helpful 9

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Katie Styzek. Professional School Counselor. Expert Interview. 26 March 2021.
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-stop-procrastinating/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/focused.html
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html
• ↑ https://childmind.org/article/strategies-to-make-homework-go-more-smoothly/
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/take-charge-of-distractions/
• ↑ Ted Coopersmith, MBA. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 10 July 2020.
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/school-help-teens.html

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(VIDEO) Understanding Procrastination, and How to Take Action

Dallas jensen, phd.

• September 26, 2023

A huge barrier to living the way we’d like to see ourselves live, and doing the things we know we need to do, is that we frequently just don’t feel like it when it’s time to take action. Put that together with the story we then tell ourselves about how we’ll feel like it later, and we have a perfect recipe for procrastination. The video and article below discuss the compounding spiral of what usually happens next, and suggest a different way of approaching the challenge of taking action.

What Happens When We Procrastinate Instead of Taking Action

We justify procrastination in all sorts of ways. As humans we’ll provide ourselves with any and all reasons we can think of to avoid actually taking action and doing what we know we need to do. 

Research tells us that procrastination happens for two general reasons: One, we feel like we’re in the wrong mood or internal state to complete a task in the moment, and two, we assume our internal state will change in the future, and then we’ll be productive. 

Of course, the problem here is that it bases our ability to take action entirely on a constantly shifting and often-unpredictable internal state. We get stuck believing we need to feel a certain way before we can do what needs to be done.  And when it’s time to take action and we don’t feel like it, from this paradigm the only option is to put it off for later. To procrastinate.

Related Article: (VIDEO) The Skill of Taking Action When You Don’t Feel Like it

And then it often gets worse. Putting off a task we need to do makes us feel anxious, guilty, ashamed, or more stressed. Subsequently, the next time we approach that task, odds are good we’re going to be met by all that extra stored up stress and anxiety, which makes it even more difficult to get started. And so we put it off again, producing even more stress the next time…and so on and so forth.

Before we know it all our energy is sucked into avoiding and holding off all that built up stuff, instead of being directed toward the actions and behaviors of doing something. 

I want to acknowledge this is all very hard, very normal, very human stuff. Also, sometimes not doing something that needs to be done is in fact the best or healthiest decision, for a variety of reasons. But we’ve all run into times when procrastination takes over where it didn’t have to.

Switching Up the Paradigm is Key to the Skill of Taking Action

The usual paradigm described above is the ‘feel like it’ paradigm–aka motivation. Motivation is fantastic as a resource, especially when it shows up when we need it most. But it’s an unpredictable, fickle, and limited resource. 

An alternative to the motivation paradigm is to break out of the belief that we have to have certain thoughts and feelings show up before we take action. And then to accept whatever feelings are or are not there, save the energy we would typically spend fighting with our thoughts/feelings, and instead direct that energy on actually taking steps. At the very least, we can get started, and avoid the procrastination cycle.

Taking Action by Getting Started

One reason it can be helpful to at least get started on the thing we would otherwise procrastinate? Taking action by initiating a task, even if we stop soon after, produces something that has been called the Zeigarnik Effect , identified by a researcher named Bluma Zeigarnik in the 1920s.

Her research showed that people have better memory for tasks they have not yet completed.  She demonstrated that once we’ve started something that we haven’t yet finished, the brain wants to get back to it. It’s as though we activate an itch that our brain wants to scratch, by finishing the unfinished task.

There are plenty of ways to at least get started on what needs to be done. When setting goals in therapy, especially with people who are weighed down by significant levels of anxiety or depression, we often work to narrow the scope down. We identify the next, most immediately available, concrete task that the person can actually complete, even when that means breaking bigger tasks down into micro-steps.

Or, it may help to select the simplest and fastest parts of a task you might otherwise procrastinate–things that would take only a minute or two at most to do–and get started by tackling those first. 

Sometimes just setting the stage helps. Taking the needed steps or actions to get a thing ready to do is still a form of action. Writing out a list of steps, opening the file on your computer, picking up the clothes from the floor and putting them in the basket, setting out your workout gear and shoes so they’ll be ready to grab later…whatever it looks like. 

Basically, when it comes to avoiding the trap of procrastination, any and all actions taken in the direction of the needed task are going to be far more productive than trying to think yourself into feeling like it. And they’re going to prevent that familiar cycle of dread that happens when the stress and anxiety of continued avoidance stack up to an overwhelming degree.

If this is something you’d like more help with, feel free to reach out to us with questions or to ask about our therapy services.

Photo by Eden Constantino on Unsplash

Latest Articles:

Solving Procrastination

Homework Procrastination: Why You Procrastinate on Homework and How to Stop

Homework procrastination involves unnecessarily postponing working on homework assignments. For example, if a student delays starting a homework assignment until right before its deadline for no good reason, even though it would have been better for them to start earlier, that student is engaging in homework procrastination.

Homework procrastination can take various forms, from wasting hours trying to bring yourself to start writing an essay, to putting off an important project until the end of the semester. This is a problem not only because it can harm your performance at school, and therefore cause you to receive lower grades , but also because it can cause you to suffer from various other issues , such as frustration, anxiety, and stress .

If you often procrastinate when it comes to doing homework, know that you’re not alone. Procrastination is a common problem among students ; in terms of statistics, studies show that approximately 80%–95% of college students engage in procrastination to some degree, approximately 75% consider themselves to be procrastinators, and approximately 50% say that they procrastinate in a consistent and problematic manner.

Fortunately, however, there are some things that you can do to solve this problem, as you will see in the following article. Specifically, you will first see an explanation about why students procrastinate on their homework, so you can understand your own behavior better. Then, you will see what you can do in order to stop procrastinating on your homework, so you can start getting them done on time.

Why you procrastinate on homework

You procrastinate on homework because issues such as exhaustion and anxiety outweigh your self-control and motivation. These issues include personal factors, like fear and perfectionism, and situational factors, like distractions and unclear instructions.

Specifically, when you need to get homework done, you rely primarily on your self-control in order to get yourself to do it. Furthermore, your self-control is sometimes supported by your motivation, which helps you complete your homework on time.

However, in some cases, you suffer from issues that interfere with or oppose your self-control and motivation, such as exhaustion and anxiety . When these issues are stronger than your self-control and motivation, you end up procrastinating, until you reach a point where the balance between them shifts in your favor, or until it’s too late.

This explains why you might end up procrastinating on your homework even when you have the necessary motivation and you truly wish that you could just get started. This also explains why you might end up procrastinating on your homework until right before deadlines , when the increased motivation, often in the form of stressful pressure, finally pushes you to get to work.

Accordingly, common reasons for procrastinating on homework include the following :

• Abstract goals , in terms of being vague about how and when you intend to do the homework.
• Feeling overwhelmed , often while being unsure of how to complete the homework.
• Perfectionism , in the form of refusing to create work that has any flaws.
• Fear of failure , often because of concerns over how such failure might reflect on you.
• Anxiety , often in light of potential negative feedback.
• Task aversion , especially in cases where you find the homework boring or unpleasant.
• Lack of motivation , often as a result of feeling disconnected from your future self or having rewards that are far in the future.
• Physical or mental exhaustion , often due to a combination of reasons, such as a high academic workload and associated stress .
• Resentment , generally toward the homework, toward its source, or toward something related, such as a parent pushing you to do well in a subject that you’re not interested in.
• Sensation seeking , generally in the form of enjoying working on things right before the deadline, when there’s intense time pressure.
• Problematic work environment , generally as a result of having many distractions or temptations around.
• Lack of sufficient communication from instructors, for example when it comes to not having clear directions and due dates for a certain class project.

In addition, other issues can also make you more likely to procrastinate on your homework. For example:

• Problematic behaviors like self-handicapping , which involves procrastinating so that if you fail you can blame your failure on procrastination rather than your abilities, and self-sabotaging , which involves procrastinating as a result of a tendency to sabotage your progress.
• Personality traits like distractibility and impulsivity .
• Underlying issues like lack of sleep , ADHD , and depression .

Finally, note that some of these issues can lead to problematic procrastination cycles . For example, this can happen if you’re anxious about your homework, so you procrastinate on it, which makes you even more anxious about your homework due to the added negative emotions that you now associate with it (e.g., guilt and shame), which in turn makes you more likely to keep procrastinating on your homework in the future.

Understanding why you procrastinate on your homework can help you learn how to overcome your procrastination. However, while understanding why you procrastinate can be helpful, in many cases you can reduce your procrastination even without figuring this out. As such, if you find that you’re struggling with this step, don’t worry, and don’t get stuck; simply move on to the next step, which involves trying out various anti-procrastination techniques, until you find the ones that work best for you.

How to stop procrastinating on homework

To stop procrastinating on your homework right now , you should identify the smallest possible thing you can do to make progress on it, and then modify your environment to make it as likely as possible that you will do it.

For example, if you need to write a paper for a university course, the smallest possible step that you can take toward finishing it might be opening the relevant document on your computer, and writing just a single opening line, even if it’s poorly phrased initially. Once you realize that this is all you need to do, you can start modifying your work environment to help yourself achieve that, for example by going to a room with no distractions, leaving your phone outside, and turning on airplane mode on your laptop to disable your access to online distractions .

There are many other anti-procrastination techniques that can help you stop procrastinating on your homework. You don’t need to use all of these techniques, since some won’t be relevant in your case, and since you will generally need only a few of them in order to make significant progress toward overcoming your procrastination. As such, try skimming through this list, and finding the techniques that you think will work best for you.

Improve your planning:

• Set concrete goals for yourself. For example, instead of a vague goal, such as “finish my psychology paper over the weekend”, set a concrete goal, such as “start writing an outline for the psychology paper on Thursday at 5 pm in the library, right after I finish the last class for the week”).
• Break your homework into small and manageable steps. For example, if you need to write a research paper, you can start with steps such as “(1) brainstorm three potential topics, (2) figure out which topic I like best, and (3) find five relevant sources”. If the project that you’re dealing with is large and will therefore require a large number of steps, don’t worry about outlining the whole thing from the start; simply identify the first few steps that you need to take, and add new ones as you go along, to avoid feeling overwhelmed or getting stuck.
• Set a series of milestones and deadlines for yourself. This will help you be accountable and plan ahead, and can also motivate you and give you a rewarding feeling of continuous progress.
• Identify your productivity cycles. Different people are more productive at different times, based on factors such as whether it’s morning, noon, or evening. To reduce procrastination, you should take your personal productivity patterns into account, and schedule your homework for times when you’re most likely to be able to actually work on it.

Improve your environment:

• Change your environment to make it easier for you to focus. For example, if you know that you work best when there are no distracting noises, go somewhere quiet, or put on some noise-blocking headphones.
• Change your environment to make it easier for yourself to get started. For example, if you know that you will need to write an essay tomorrow after you wake up, then leave the document open on your computer before you go to bed.
• Change your environment to make it harder for yourself to procrastinate. For example, if you tend to procrastinate by browsing apps on your phone , leave your phone outside the room where you plan to work.

Change your approach:

• Start with a tiny step. For example, if you need to write an essay, help yourself get started by committing to only write a single sentence at first. This can help you push yourself to get started on homework, and often, once you do so, you’ll find it easy to keep going.
• Start with the best or worst part first. Some people find that starting with the most enjoyable or easiest part of an assignment helps them get going, while others find that getting the worst part out of the way first helps them avoid procrastinating over time. Use either approach if you feel that it works for you.
• Add a time delay before you procrastinate. If you can’t avoid procrastinating entirely, try committing to having a time delay before you indulge your impulse to do so. For example, this can involve counting to 10 before you’re allowed to open a new tab on the social media website that you usually use to procrastinate.
• Use the Pomodoro technique. This involves alternating between scheduled periods of work and rest. For example, you can work on your homework for 25-minute long stretches, with 5-minute breaks in between, and a longer 30-minute break after every 4 work sets that you complete.

Increase your motivation:

• Make doing the homework feel more rewarding. For example, you can gamify your work, by marking down streaks of days on which you’ve managed to make sufficient progress on your assignments, and potentially also give yourself some reward once you reach a sufficiently long streak.
• Make doing the homework feel more enjoyable. For example, you can do your homework in a pleasant location, while listening to energizing music.
• Visualize your future self. For example, you can visualize yourself being able to relax after you finish working, visualize yourself being rewarded for getting a good grade in a course, or visualize yourself having to handle the issues associated with not finishing your homework on time.
• Focus on your goals instead of your assignments. Instead of focusing on the fact that you have an aversion to your homework, for whatever reason, try focusing on your end goals for completing the homework, such as getting a good grade in an important class so you can have a better application for grad school.

Change your mindset:

• Give yourself permission to make mistakes, and accept the fact that your work won’t be perfect, especially at first. This can be helpful, for example, when it comes to assignments that involve writing, where you can give yourself permission to write a bad first draft, and then edit it afterward.
• Address your fears. If you’re procrastinating because you’re afraid of something, try to identify your fears and resolve them. For example, if you’re afraid that your writing won’t be good enough, you can say to yourself that your goal is to just start by getting something written down, and that you can always improve it later.
• Develop self-compassion.   Self-compassion can help reduce your procrastination, as well as various issues that are associated with it, such as stress. It consists of three components that you should develop: self-kindness , which involves being nice to yourself, common humanity , which involves recognizing that everyone experiences challenges, and mindfulness , which involves accepting your emotions in a non-judgmental manner.
• Develop self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is the belief in your ability to carry out the actions that you need to achieve your goals, and it can help you reduce your procrastination. To develop self-efficacy, try to identify the various strategies that you can use to finish your homework, and think about your ability to execute those strategies successfully.

When deciding which approach to use in order to overcome your procrastination , keep in mind that anti-procrastination techniques are especially effective when they’re tailored to the specific causes of your procrastination. For example, if you procrastinate because you set abstract goals for yourself, you should focus on setting concrete goals instead. Similarly, if you procrastinate because of available distractions, you should remove those distractions from your study environment, or go work somewhere else instead.

In addition, note that if you suffer from an underlying issue that leads to procrastination, such as lack of sleep , depression , or ADHD , you will likely need to resolve that issue, using professional help if necessary, if you want to successfully overcome your procrastination.

Finally, keep in mind that most people need more than one technique in order to overcome their procrastination , and that different techniques work better for different people in different circumstances. Accordingly, don’t expect a single technique to solve all your problems, and don’t feel that if some technique works well for others then it will necessarily also work well for you. Instead, try out the various techniques that are available to you, until you figure out which ones work best for you, in your particular situation.

The Hidden Psychology Behind Procrastination

• May 18, 2024
• Resiliency Team

Key Highlights

• Procrastination is a common tendency that most people give in to at some point or another.
• Chronic procrastination can have a major impact on a person’s job, grades, and life.
• The psychological triggers of procrastination include fear of failure, negative thoughts, and difficulty with emotional regulation.
• Procrastination is a self-regulation failure characterized by the irrational delay of tasks despite potential negative consequences.
• The science behind procrastination involves neurological pathways and the role of dopamine in delayed tasks.
• Common causes of procrastination include fear of failure, perfectionism, and lack of motivation.
• Procrastination can hurt mental and physical health, including increased anxiety and stress and a negative impact on grades.
• Strategies to overcome procrastination include time management techniques, setting realistic goals, and cultivating a supportive environment.
• Implementing behavioural changes and self-reflection can lead to long-term success in overcoming procrastination.

Introduction

Procrastination is a common tendency that most people experience at some point in their lives. It is the act of delaying or putting off tasks until the last minute or past their deadline. Whether it’s avoiding homework assignments, putting off finishing a project for work, or ignoring household chores, procrastination can majorly impact a person’s job, grades, and overall life. Despite its prevalence, procrastination is often misunderstood and seen as a harmless habit. However, chronic procrastination can have serious consequences.

Procrastination is a serious problem studied extensively by researchers, including Joseph Ferrari, a professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago. Ferrari, considered a pioneer in modern research on procrastination, has found that around 20% of U.S. adults are chronic procrastinators. Procrastination is not simply a matter of poor time management or laziness; it is a complex behaviour involving various psychological triggers and underlying factors. To understand procrastination and its impact, it is important to delve into its psychological roots and explore the science behind this behaviour.

Understanding Procrastination: A Comprehensive Overview

Procrastination can significantly impact a person’s life, affecting their job performance, academic success, and overall well-being. It is not simply a matter of poor time management or laziness; it is a complex behaviour involving various psychological triggers and underlying factors. Understanding procrastination requires a comprehensive approach that takes into account the various aspects of this behaviour.

Psychologists have defined procrastination as a form of self-regulation failure. It is characterized by the irrational delay of tasks, even when the individual is aware of the potential negative consequences. Procrastinators often struggle with time management and have difficulty prioritizing tasks. They may find themselves constantly putting off important obligations in favour of more immediate and pleasurable activities. It is important to recognize that procrastination is not a personal failing or a character flaw. This behaviour can be understood and addressed with the right tools and strategies.

Defining Procrastination in Modern Contexts

In modern contexts, procrastination has been defined as a chronic issue that affects individuals in various aspects of their lives. Chronic procrastination refers to the consistent delay of tasks, often leading to negative consequences and a sense of frustration. This type of procrastination is beyond the occasional delay of tasks and becomes a habitual pattern of behaviour.

One factor contributing to chronic procrastination is the present bias. The present bias refers to prioritizing immediate gratification or rewards over long-term rewards. Procrastinators often give in to the temptation of engaging in pleasurable activities in the present moment, even if it means delaying important tasks. This present bias can lead to a cycle of procrastination, as the immediate rewards of procrastination outweigh the long-term benefits of completing tasks promptly.

It is important to recognize that chronic procrastination is a behaviour that can be understood and addressed with the right strategies and support. By better understanding the underlying factors contributing to procrastination, individuals can develop effective techniques to overcome this behaviour and improve their productivity and overall well-being.

The Psychological Triggers of Procrastination

Procrastination can be triggered by a range of psychological factors contributing to the delay of tasks and the inability to take action. Understanding these triggers is key to addressing and overcoming procrastination.

One of procrastination’s most common psychological triggers is the fear of failure. Procrastinators often avoid starting tasks because they fear not meeting their or others’ expectations. This fear can paralyze and prevent individuals from taking the necessary steps to start a task. Negative thoughts and self-doubt can also contribute to procrastination, as individuals may have a negative mindset about their abilities or the likelihood of success.

Emotional regulation is another psychological factor that contributes to procrastination. Procrastinators may struggle with regulating their emotions, which can make starting and completing tasks difficult. This can manifest as a lack of motivation, feeling overwhelmed, or inability to focus on the task. Emotional regulation is an important skill that can be developed to help overcome procrastination and improve productivity.

Addressing these psychological triggers involves developing strategies to manage the fear of failure, challenging negative thoughts, and improving emotional regulation. By understanding the underlying psychological factors contributing to procrastination, individuals can develop effective techniques to overcome this behaviour and improve their productivity and well-being.

The Science Behind Procrastination

Procrastination is not just a matter of poor time management or laziness; it is a complex behaviour that has been studied extensively by psychologists and researchers. The science behind procrastination involves understanding the neurological pathways and processes that contribute to this behaviour. By exploring the science behind procrastination, we can better understand why we procrastinate and how we can overcome this behaviour to improve our productivity and well-being.

Neurological Pathways Linked to Procrastination

Neurological research has shown that specific pathways in the brain are linked to procrastination. These pathways are involved in decision-making, motivation, and self-control. Procrastinators often have difficulty activating these pathways, leading to task delays and difficulty taking action.

Furthermore, research has shown that individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be more prone to procrastination. ADHD is a neurological condition affecting a person’s ability to focus, stay organized, and regulate emotions. These difficulties can contribute to the procrastination behaviour seen in individuals with ADHD.

Understanding the neurological pathways linked to procrastination can help individuals develop effective strategies and interventions to overcome this behaviour. By targeting these pathways and improving self-control and motivation, individuals can improve their ability to take action and complete tasks on time.

The Role of Dopamine in Delayed Tasks

Dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain, plays a significant role in procrastination. Dopamine is associated with the brain’s reward system, which motivates and reinforces the behaviour. When we complete a task or achieve a goal, our brain releases dopamine, giving us a sense of reward and satisfaction.

Procrastinators often struggle with releasing dopamine, as they delay tasks and miss out on the immediate rewards associated with completing them. This can lead to a vicious cycle of procrastination, as individuals may continue to delay tasks in search of more immediate and pleasurable activities that provide a quick dopamine boost.

Understanding the role of dopamine in procrastination can help individuals develop strategies to overcome this behaviour. By creating a system of immediate rewards for completing small tasks or breaking larger tasks into smaller, more manageable parts, individuals can increase the release of dopamine and improve their motivation to take action.

Common Causes of Procrastination

A variety of factors, both internal and external can cause procrastination. Understanding the common causes of procrastination is key to addressing and overcoming this behaviour.

As mentioned, a common cause of procrastination is the fear of failure. Procrastinators may avoid starting tasks because they fear not meeting their or others’ expectations. This fear can paralyze individuals from taking the necessary steps to get started.

Another cause of procrastination is perfectionism. Procrastinators may feel the need to complete tasks perfectly, leading to delays as they strive for perfection. Poor time management and lack of motivation are also common causes of procrastination.

By identifying the underlying causes of procrastination, individuals can develop strategies to address and overcome these barriers to productivity.

Fear of Failure and Its Paralyzing Effects

One of the most common causes of procrastination is the fear of failure. Procrastinators may avoid starting tasks because they fear not meeting their or others’ expectations. This fear can paralyze individuals from taking the necessary steps to get started.

The fear of failure can also lead to higher levels of stress. Procrastinators may experience anxiety and worry as the deadline for a task approaches, which can further hinder their ability to take action. This cycle of fear and stress can create a negative feedback loop, making it even more difficult to overcome procrastination.

Addressing the fear of failure involves challenging negative thoughts and beliefs about one’s abilities. By reframing failures as opportunities for growth and learning, individuals can overcome the paralyzing effects of the fear of failure and take action toward their goals.

Perfectionism Leading to Avoidance

Perfectionism is another common cause of procrastination. Procrastinators may feel the need to complete tasks perfectly, leading to delays as they strive for perfection. This quest for perfection can be overwhelming and paralyzing, preventing individuals from taking action.

Perfectionism is often accompanied by poor time management. Procrastinators may spend excessive amounts of time on minor details or become overwhelmed by the scope of a task, leading to delays in starting or completing it. This poor time management can exacerbate feelings of stress and anxiety and contribute to a cycle of procrastination.

Addressing perfectionism involves setting realistic goals and expectations and learning to prioritize tasks. Individuals can overcome the tendency to procrastinate and improve their productivity by focusing on progress rather than perfection.

Lack of Motivation and Its Underlying Factors

Lack of motivation is a common cause of procrastination. Procrastinators may struggle with finding the energy or motivation to start and complete tasks, particularly when they are perceived as difficult or unimportant.

Several factors can contribute to a lack of motivation. Procrastinators may feel overwhelmed by the size or scope of a task, leading to fatigue and a lack of energy. They may also struggle with prioritizing tasks or have difficulty finding meaning or importance in the task at hand.

Addressing a lack of motivation involves setting realistic goals, breaking tasks into smaller, more manageable parts, and finding ways to make tasks more meaningful or enjoyable. By finding strategies to increase motivation, individuals can overcome procrastination and improve their productivity.

The Impact on Mental and Physical Health

Procrastination can have a significant impact on both mental and physical health. By delaying tasks and putting off important responsibilities, individuals may experience increased levels of stress and anxiety. This can lead to a decrease in overall well-being and a negative impact on mental health.

Procrastination can also have physical health consequences. The stress and anxiety caused by procrastination can manifest in physical symptoms, such as headaches, sleep disturbances, and increased vulnerability to illness. Additionally, procrastination can lead to lower grades and academic performance, further contributing to stress and negative outcomes.

Understanding the impact of procrastination on mental and physical health is important for addressing and overcoming this behaviour. By developing strategies to improve time management and motivation, individuals can improve their overall well-being and achieve their goals.

Anxiety and Stress: The Emotional Cost

Procrastination can have a significant impact on a person’s emotional well-being, especially when it comes to increased anxiety and stress. Procrastinators often experience increased levels of anxiety as deadlines approach and tasks remain unfinished. This chronic anxiety can lead to a decrease in overall mental health and well-being. Avoidance definitely fuels anxiety.

The cycle of procrastination and anxiety can become self-perpetuating. Procrastinators may experience feelings of guilt and shame for delaying tasks, which can further contribute to anxiety and stress. This emotional cost can hurt relationships, job performance, and overall quality of life.

Addressing anxiety and stress related to procrastination involves developing strategies to manage time effectively, challenge negative thoughts and beliefs, and seek support from friends, family, or professionals. Individuals can improve their mental health and overall well-being by addressing the emotional cost of procrastination.

Procrastination’s Toll on Physical Well-being

Procrastination not only takes a toll on mental health but can also have physical consequences. The stress and anxiety caused by procrastination can lead to physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances. This chronic stress can also weaken the immune system, leaving individuals more susceptible to illness and disease.

Procrastination can also impact physical health indirectly through its effects on academic performance and grades. Procrastinators may experience lower grades and academic achievement due to delayed or incomplete assignments. This can have a negative impact on future opportunities and overall well-being.

Addressing the toll of procrastination on physical well-being involves developing strategies to manage time effectively, reduce stress, and prioritize self-care. By taking steps to improve physical health, individuals can also improve their productivity and overall quality of life.

Strategies to Overcome Procrastination

Procrastination is a behaviour that can be overcome with the right strategies and support. By developing effective techniques to manage time, set goals, and cultivate a supportive environment, individuals can overcome the tendency to procrastinate and improve their productivity and overall well-being.

Time Management Techniques for Better Productivity

Managing time effectively is crucial in overcoming procrastination. By implementing time management techniques, individuals can improve their productivity and stay on track with their tasks.

One effective time management technique is the use of a planner or to-do list. This allows individuals to prioritize tasks, set deadlines, and track progress. Breaking larger tasks into smaller, more manageable parts can also help create a sense of accomplishment and reduce feeling overwhelmed.

Another strategy is to implement short-term goals and deadlines. By setting specific timeframes for completing tasks, individuals can create a sense of urgency and motivation. This can help overcome the tendency to procrastinate and encourage consistent progress.

Implementing time management techniques requires discipline and consistency. By practicing these strategies consistently, individuals can develop effective habits and overcome procrastination.

Setting Realistic Goals and Breaking Them Down

Setting realistic goals is essential in overcoming procrastination. Procrastinators often set unrealistic or overwhelming goals, which can lead to feelings of stress and a sense of being overwhelmed.

By setting realistic goals, individuals can create a sense of accomplishment and progress. Breaking larger tasks into smaller, more manageable parts can also help reduce being overwhelmed and make tasks more approachable.

In addition to setting realistic goals, it is important to celebrate progress and acknowledge achievements along the way. This can help in building motivation and positive emotions, which are essential in overcoming procrastination.

By setting realistic goals and breaking them down into smaller, more manageable parts, individuals can overcome the tendency to procrastinate and improve their productivity.

Cultivating a Supportive Environment for Success

Creating a supportive environment is crucial in overcoming procrastination. Surrounding oneself with supportive individuals who understand the challenges of procrastination can provide encouragement and accountability.

In addition to seeking support from others, it is important to create a physical environment that is conducive to productivity. This may involve removing distractions, creating a designated workspace, and establishing a routine.

By cultivating a supportive environment, individuals can create the conditions for success and overcome the tendency to procrastinate. This includes addressing negative self-talk, setting boundaries, and seeking support when needed.

Implementing Behavioral Changes for Long-term Success

Overcoming procrastination requires implementing behavioural changes that can lead to long-term success. By making conscious efforts to change habits and patterns of behaviour, individuals can improve their productivity and overall well-being.

One important aspect of implementing behavioural changes is self-reflection. Procrastinators often engage in avoidance behaviours without fully understanding why they are procrastinating. By engaging in self-reflection, or attending therapy that helps to build insight, individuals can better understand the underlying causes of their procrastination.

In addition to self-reflection, it is important to develop strategies for self-regulation and self-control. This may involve setting boundaries, managing distractions, and developing effective time management techniques. By taking control of their behaviour and making conscious choices, individuals can overcome the tendency to procrastinate.

Implementing behavioural changes for long-term success also requires commitment and perseverance. It is important to recognize that change takes time and effort. By consistently practicing new habits and strategies, individuals can develop new patterns of behaviour that promote productivity and success.

The Importance of Self-Reflection in Beating Procrastination

Self-reflection is a crucial component of overcoming procrastination. Procrastinators often engage in avoidance behaviours without fully understanding the underlying causes of their procrastination.

Engaging in self-reflection allows individuals to gain insight into their thought processes, emotions, and behaviours. By understanding why they are procrastinating, individuals can develop effective strategies to address and overcome this behaviour.

Self-reflection also helps individuals connect with their future selves and identify the long-term benefits of taking action. By visualizing the positive outcomes of completing tasks and understanding the potential negative consequences of procrastination, individuals can develop motivation and commitment to overcome procrastination.

Building Resilience Against Future Procrastination

Building resilience is essential in overcoming procrastination and preventing future occurrences. Resilience involves developing the ability to bounce back from setbacks and stay motivated in the face of challenges.

One way to build resilience is by developing better judgment and decision-making skills. This involves weighing the potential costs and benefits of procrastination and making conscious choices to take action. By practicing better judgment, individuals can overcome the tendency to procrastinate and stay on track with their tasks.

Another important aspect of building resilience is developing effective coping mechanisms for stress and negative emotions. By finding healthy ways to manage stress and regulate emotions, individuals can better handle the challenges that may contribute to procrastination.

Building resilience against future procrastination also involves learning from past experiences and setting realistic expectations. By reflecting on past instances of procrastination and identifying patterns and triggers, individuals can develop strategies to prevent future occurrences.

In conclusion, understanding the psychology of procrastination is crucial for overcoming its challenges. By recognizing the triggers, causes, and impacts on mental and physical health, individuals can implement effective strategies for long-term success. Embracing self-reflection, time management techniques, and creating a supportive environment are key steps in combating procrastination. Remember, setting realistic goals, cultivating resilience, and seeking behavioural changes are essential to enhance productivity and well-being. Procrastination may be a common struggle, but with dedication and perseverance, it can be overcome for a more fulfilling and balanced life.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the psychological roots of procrastination.

The psychological roots of procrastination can be traced to factors such as fear of failure, perfectionism, and difficulty with emotional regulation. Procrastination is not simply a matter of poor time management; it is a complex behaviour that involves a range of psychological factors.

How Does Procrastination Differ Among Individuals?

Procrastination can differ among individuals, with some individuals being more prone to procrastination than others. Personality traits and habitual hesitation can contribute to individual differences in procrastination behaviour.

Can Procrastination Ever Be Beneficial?

While procrastination is generally seen as a negative behaviour, it can be beneficial in some instances. Some individuals may engage in what is known as “beneficial procrastination,” where delaying a task can lead to improved creativity and problem-solving.

What Strategies Are Most Effective in Overcoming Procrastination?

Effective strategies for overcoming procrastination include time management techniques, goal setting, and cultivating a supportive environment. By developing these strategies, individuals can improve their productivity and overcome the tendency to procrastinate.

How Can One Identify and Tackle Unconscious Procrastination?

Identifying and tackling unconscious procrastination requires self-awareness and reflection. By recognizing patterns of behaviour and understanding the underlying causes of procrastination, individuals can develop strategies to address and overcome this behaviour.

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How to Stop Procrastinating Homework

Procrastination creates stress for students and can impact the production of quality work.  Putting things off, for all of us, creates an overall feeling of things hanging over our heads and never being free from responsibility.  

When students procrastinate, they can create a situation that makes it difficult to self-regulate .  When a student is not well-regulated – in other words, they’re experiencing a moderate to high level of anxiety related to homework –  it’s more difficult for their frontal lobe to be engaged in thinking and problem-solving.  

Want to help your student stop procrastinating homework and reach their full academic potential?  This article takes an objective view of homework procrastination to examine the root cause and provides some expert advice on how parents and educators can best help students.

Common Reasons for Procrastinating Homework

So, why is procrastination so common?  Contrary to what many might believe, the root cause has nothing to do with students being ‘lazy’ or dismissive about their schoolwork.  Rather, some of the most common reasons for homework procrastination include,  

• Students may underestimate the length or complexity of a project because they have not fully developed the concept.
• When students feel overwhelmed or become aware of the significance of the project/paper/essay etc, they can ‘freeze up’, rendering them incapable of completing any work at all.  
• Trying to accomplish homework with ADHD presents unique challenges for students; students with ADHD often need help further developing essential executive functioning skills .
• Some students may not be getting enough sleep and feel exhausted – both physically and mentally; an exhaustive state robs them of their natural ability to motivate. 
• The home environment where students typically complete homework may have too many distractions. 

The rule of thumb for parents: perspective is key for parents .  Motivating students from a place of shame is a non-starter.  Alternatively, parents will have more success when they objectively consider the root causes for procrastinating homework – anxiety, exhaustion, constant distractions, or living with ADHD – and look for ways to help alleviate these common factors. 

Homework Tips for Parents : A Word On Motivation

First, motivating students is a misnomer.  Students may want to do well, but really do not know how to do well.  Others may procrastinate because they’re afraid to fail or not be perfect.  

Try following these steps to help your student,  

• Begin by asking your student if they are open to help.  While students may say no, parents have the ability to respond by saying they respect their position but would kindly ask them to reconsider.  In other words, forcing students to comply simply compounds the stress and frustration the student is experiencing. 
• Recognize that your student may be more emotional with you than with a tutor.  It’s not personal – by keeping your emotions in check, you provide a great example of self-regulation for your student to model.  If you need to step away to get a break, do so.  
• Model, model, model!  Get involved by reading the assignment out loud with your student, and create a schedule of how to do a little each day so the student learns how to complete a little at a time 
• Perhaps the most important thing to do: empathize!  Kids, just like us, want to be understood and supported.  Even as adults, having to do what you don’t like to do stinks – we call it ‘adulting’. Want to shorten the proverbial gap between you and your student? Provide some real-life examples of how you have to do things you don’t like as an adult and acknowledge their feelings.  You will become instantly relatable. 

Additional Homework Tips for Students

• Start with something easy to help you get going – we call this behavioral momentum.  Format your paper, write your name at the top of the assignment, and answer the question you feel most comfortable with – just get the ball rolling. 
• After you establish behavioral momentum, tackle something more challenging – but set a timer (around 30 minutes) so you don’t feel like it will take all night. 
• Some research shows that individuals are more likely to perform better on an assessment when part of a group.  If you have the time and opportunity, join a study group of people who are all working like you.  
• Create a work/break schedule and definitely put distractions in another room (phone! Or games/Youtube or other streaming videos).  

Creating an Efficient Homework Schedule 

Okay, parents – you likely already know how important structure and routine can be for your kids. In helping your student learn how to stop procrastinating homework, creating a schedule can give them a greater sense of autonomy while helping them manage expectations.   

In a de-escalated environment, (when things are chill) ask your student to create a homework schedule that he/she would like to implement.  After they present it to you, you’ll have an opportunity to give feedback and set up a trial period.  

The proposal itself is a plan;  the student is evaluating their resources (time) and responsibilities (tasks) and formulating a plan.  Ask your student how they want to be held accountable and let them know you want to discuss it with them at the end of the week to evaluate their progress.  

With this approach, parents demonstrate trust in their students and give them an opportunity to practice being self-direct.  The key word here is practice – so, don’t expect it to be perfect!  Over time and with further practice, they will develop these skills.  

Academic Coaching with Effective Students

Fortunately, for parents and students who feel overwhelmed by homework or are frustrated trying to help their kids, there is help in the form of academic coaching from Effective Students. Our academic coaching services empower students who may be struggling to manage materials or assignments, apply what they’re learning, transition into a new academic environment (high school to college, for example), and procrastinate homework due to heightened feelings of anxiety, fear, and exhaustion. 

Learn how to help your child meet and exceed their academic goals – contact us today!

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30 Tips to Stop Procrastinating and Find Motivation to Do Homework

Updated on June 6, 2023 By Daniel Wong 44 Comments

To stop procrastinating on homework, you need to find motivation to do the homework in the first place.

But first, you have to overcome feeling too overwhelmed to even start.

You know what it feels like when everything hits you at once, right?

You have three tests to study for and a math assignment due tomorrow.

And you’ve got a history report due the day after.

You tell yourself to get down to work. But with so much to do, you feel overwhelmed.

So you procrastinate.

You check your social media feed, watch a few videos, and get yourself a drink. But you know that none of this is bringing you closer to getting the work done.

Does this sound familiar?

Don’t worry – you are not alone. Procrastination is a problem that everyone faces, but there are ways around it.

By following the tips in this article, you’ll be able to overcome procrastination and consistently find the motivation to do the homework .

So read on to discover 30 powerful tips to help you stop procrastinating on your homework.

Enter your email below to download a PDF summary of this article. The PDF contains all the tips found here, plus  3 exclusive bonus tips that you’ll only find in the PDF.

How to stop procrastinating and motivate yourself to do your homework.

Procrastination when it comes to homework isn’t just an issue of laziness or a lack of motivation .

The following tips will help you to first address the root cause of your procrastination and then implement strategies to keep your motivation levels high.

1. Take a quiz to see how much you procrastinate.

The first step to changing your behavior is to become more self-aware.

How often do you procrastinate? What kinds of tasks do you tend to put off? Is procrastination a small or big problem for you?

To answer these questions, I suggest that you take this online quiz designed by Psychology Today .

2. Figure out why you’re procrastinating.

Procrastination is a complex issue that involves multiple factors.

Stop thinking of excuses for not doing your homework , and figure out what’s keeping you from getting started.

Are you procrastinating because:

• You’re not sure you’ll be able to solve all the homework problems?
• You’re subconsciously rebelling against your teachers or parents?
• You’re not interested in the subject or topic?
• You’re physically or mentally tired?
• You’re waiting for the perfect time to start?
• You don’t know where to start?

Once you’ve identified exactly why you’re procrastinating, you can pick out the tips in this article that will get to the root of the problem.

3. Write down what you’re procrastinating on.

Students tend to procrastinate when they’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

But you might be surprised to discover that simply by writing down the specific tasks you’re putting off, the situation will feel more manageable.

It’s a quick solution, and it makes a real difference.

Give it a try and you’ll be less likely to procrastinate.

4. Put your homework on your desk.

Here’s an even simpler idea.

Many times, the hardest part of getting your homework done is getting started.

It doesn’t require a lot of willpower to take out your homework and put it on your desk.

But once it’s sitting there in front of you, you’ll be much closer to actually getting down to work.

5. Break down the task into smaller steps.

This one trick will make any task seem more manageable.

For example, if you have a history report to write, you could break it down into the following steps:

• Read the history textbook
• Do online research
• Organize the information
• Create an outline
• Write the introduction
• Write the body paragraphs
• Write the conclusion
• Edit and proofread the report

Focus on just one step at a time. This way, you won’t need to motivate yourself to write the whole report at one go.

This is an important technique to use if you want to study smart and get more done .

6. Create a detailed timeline with specific deadlines.

As a follow-up to Point #5, you can further combat procrastination by creating a timeline with specific deadlines.

Using the same example above, I’ve added deadlines to each of the steps:

• Jan 30 th : Read the history textbook
• Feb 2 nd : Do online research
• Feb 3 rd : Organize the information
• Feb 5 th : Create an outline
• Feb 8 th : Write the introduction
• Feb 12 th : Write the body paragraphs
• Feb 14 th : Write the conclusion
• Feb 16 th : Edit and proofread the report

Assigning specific dates creates a sense of urgency, which makes it more likely that you’ll keep to the deadlines.

7. Spend time with people who are focused and hardworking.

Jim Rohn famously said that you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

If you hang out with people who are motivated and hardworking, you’ll become more like them.

Likewise, if you hang out with people who continually procrastinate, you’ll become more like them too.

Motivation to do homework naturally increases when you surround yourself with the right people.

So choose your friends wisely. Find homework buddies who will influence you positively to become a straight-A student who leads a balanced life.

That doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun! It just means that you and your friends know when it’s time to get down to work and when it’s time to enjoy yourselves.

8. Tell at least two or three people about the tasks you plan to complete.

When you tell others about the tasks you intend to finish, you’ll be more likely to follow through with your plans.

This is called “accountability,” and it kicks in because you want to be seen as someone who keeps your word.

So if you know about this principle, why not use it to your advantage?

You could even ask a friend to be your accountability buddy. At the beginning of each day, you could text each other what you plan to work on that day.

Then at the end of the day, you could check in with each other to see if things went according to plan.

9. Change your environment .

Maybe it’s your environment that’s making you feel sluggish.

When you’re doing your homework, is your super-comfortable bed just two steps away? Or is your distracting computer within easy reach?

If your environment is part of your procrastination problem, then change it.

Sometimes all you need is a simple change of scenery. Bring your work to the dining room table and get it done there. Or head to a nearby café to complete your report.

10. Talk to people who have overcome their procrastination problem.

If you have friends who consistently win the battle with procrastination, learn from their experience.

What was the turning point for them? What tips and strategies do they use? What keeps them motivated?

Find all this out, and then apply the information to your own situation.

11. Decide on a reward to give yourself after you complete your task.

“Planned” rewards are a great way to motivate yourself to do your homework.

The reward doesn’t have to be something huge.

For instance, you might decide that after you finish 10 questions of your math homework, you get to watch your favorite TV show.

Or you might decide that after reading one chapter of your history textbook, you get to spend 10 minutes on Facebook.

By giving yourself a reward, you’ll feel more motivated to get through the task at hand.

12. Decide on a consequence you’ll impose on yourself if you don’t meet the deadline.

It’s important that you decide on what the consequence will be before you start working toward your goal.

As an example, you could tell your younger brother that you’ll give him $1 for every deadline you don’t meet (see Point #6).

Or you could decide that you’ll delete one game from your phone for every late homework submission.

Those consequences would probably be painful enough to help you get down to work, right?

13. Visualize success.

Take 30 seconds and imagine how you’ll feel when you finish your work.

What positive emotions will you experience?

Will you feel a sense of satisfaction from getting all your work done?

Will you relish the extra time on your hands when you get your homework done fast and ahead of time?

This simple exercise of visualizing success may be enough to inspire you to start doing your assignment.

14. Visualize the process it will take to achieve that success.

Even more important than visualizing the outcome is visualizing the process it will take to achieve that outcome.

Research shows that focusing on the process is critical to success. If you’re procrastinating on a task, take a few moments to think about what you’ll need to do to complete it.

Visualize the following:

• What resources you’ll need
• Who you can turn to for help
• How long the task will take
• Where you’ll work on the task
• The joy you’ll experience as you make progress

This kind of visualization is like practice for your mind.

Once you understand what’s necessary to achieve your goal, you’ll find that it’s much easier to get down to work with real focus. This is key to doing well in school .

15. Write down why you want to complete the task.

You’ll be more motivated when you’re clear about why you want to accomplish something.

To motivate yourself to do your homework, think about all the ways in which it’s a meaningful task.

So take a couple of minutes to write down the reasons. Here are some possible ones:

• Learn useful information
• Master the topic
• Enjoy a sense of accomplishment when you’ve completed the task
• Become a more focused student
• Learn to embrace challenges
• Fulfill your responsibility as a student
• Get a good grade on the assignment

16. Write down the negative feelings you’ll have if you don’t complete the task.

If you don’t complete the assignment, you might feel disappointed or discouraged. You might even feel as if you’ve let your parents or your teacher – or even yourself – down.

It isn’t wise to dwell on these negative emotions for too long. But by imagining how you’ll feel if you don’t finish the task, you’ll realize how important it is that you get to work.

17. Do the hardest task first.

Most students will choose to do the easiest task first, rather than the hardest one. But this approach isn’t effective because it leaves the worst for last.

It’s more difficult to find motivation to do homework in less enjoyable subjects.

As Brian Tracy says , “Eat that frog!” By this, he means that you should always get your most difficult task out of the way at the beginning of the day.

If math is your least favorite subject, force yourself to complete your math homework first.

After doing so, you’ll feel a surge of motivation from knowing it’s finished. And you won’t procrastinate on your other homework because it will seem easier in comparison.

(On a separate note, check out these tips on how to get better at math if you’re struggling.)

18. Set a timer when doing your homework.

I recommend that you use a stopwatch for every homework session. (If you prefer, you could also use this online stopwatch or the Tomato Timer .)

Start the timer at the beginning of the session, and work in 30- to 45-minute blocks.

Using a timer creates a sense of urgency, which will help you fight off your urge to procrastinate.

When you know you only have to work for a short session, it will be easier to find motivation to complete your homework.

Tell yourself that you need to work hard until the timer goes off, and then you can take a break. (And then be sure to take that break!)

19. Eliminate distractions.

Here are some suggestions on how you can do this:

• Delete all the games and social media apps on your phone
• Turn off all notifications on your phone
• Mute your group chats
• Archive your inactive chats
• Turn off your phone, or put it on airplane mode
• Put your phone at least 10 feet away from you
• Turn off the Internet access on your computer
• Use an app like Freedom to restrict your Internet usage
• Put any other distractions (like food, magazines and books unrelated to your homework) at the other end of the room
• Unplug the TV
• Use earplugs if your surroundings are noisy

20. At the start of each day, write down the two to three Most Important Tasks (MITs) you want to accomplish.

This will enable you to prioritize your tasks. As Josh Kaufman explains , a Most Important Task (MIT) is a critical task that will help you to get significant results down the road.

Not all tasks are equally important. That’s why it’s vital that you identify your MITs, so that you can complete those as early in the day as possible.

What do you most need to get done today? That’s an MIT.

Get to work on it, then feel the satisfaction that comes from knowing it’s out of the way.

21. Focus on progress instead of perfection.

Perfectionism can destroy your motivation to do homework and keep you from starting important assignments.

Some students procrastinate because they’re waiting for the perfect time to start.

Others do so because they want to get their homework done perfectly. But they know this isn’t really possible – so they put off even getting started.

What’s the solution?

To focus on progress instead of perfection.

There’s never a perfect time for anything. Nor will you ever be able to complete your homework perfectly. But you can do your best, and that’s enough.

So concentrate on learning and improving, and turn this into a habit that you implement whenever you study .

22. Get organized.

Procrastination is common among students who are disorganized.

When you can’t remember which assignment is due when or which tests you have coming up, you’ll naturally feel confused. You’ll experience school- and test-related stress .

This, in turn, will lead to procrastination.

That’s why it’s crucial that you get organized. Here are some tips for doing this:

• Don’t rely on your memory ; write everything down
• Keep a to-do list
• Use a student planner
• Use a calendar and take note of important dates like exams, project due dates, school holidays , birthdays, and family events
• At the end of each day, plan for the following day
• Use one binder or folder for each subject or course
• Do weekly filing of your loose papers, notes, and old homework
• Throw away all the papers and notes you no longer need

23. Stop saying “I have to” and start saying “I choose to.”

When you say things like “I have to write my essay” or “I have to finish my science assignment,” you’ll probably feel annoyed. You might be tempted to complain about your teachers or your school .

What’s the alternative?

To use the phrase “I choose to.”

The truth is, you don’t “have” to do anything.

You can choose not to write your essay; you’ll just run the risk of failing the class.

You can choose not to do your science assignment; you’ll just need to deal with your angry teacher.

When you say “I choose to do my homework,” you’ll feel empowered. This means you’ll be more motivated to study and to do what you ought to.

24. Clear your desk once a week.

Clutter can be demotivating. It also causes stress , which is often at the root of procrastination.

Hard to believe? Give it a try and see for yourself.

By clearing your desk, you’ll reduce stress and make your workspace more organized.

So set a recurring appointment to organize your workspace once a week for just 10 minutes. You’ll receive huge benefits in the long run!

25. If a task takes two minutes or less to complete, do it now.

This is a principle from David Allen’s bestselling book, Getting Things Done .

You may notice that you tend to procrastinate when many tasks pile up. The way to prevent this from happening is to take care of the small but important tasks as soon as you have time.

Here are some examples of small two-minute tasks that you should do once you have a chance:

• Replying to your project group member’s email
• Picking up anything on the floor that doesn’t belong there
• Asking your parents to sign a consent form
• Filing a graded assignment
• Making a quick phone call
• Writing a checklist
• Sending a text to schedule a meeting
• Making an online purchase that doesn’t require further research

26. Finish one task before starting on the next.

You aren’t being productive when you switch between working on your literature essay, social studies report, and physics problem set – while also intermittently checking your phone.

Research shows that multitasking is less effective than doing one thing at a time. Multitasking may even damage your brain !

When it comes to overcoming procrastination, it’s better to stick with one task all the way through before starting on the next one.

You’ll get a sense of accomplishment when you finish the first assignment, which will give you a boost of inspiration as you move on to the next one.

27. Build your focus gradually.

You can’t win the battle against procrastination overnight; it takes time. This means that you need to build your focus progressively.

If you can only focus for 10 minutes at once, that’s fine. Start with three sessions of 10 minutes a day. After a week, increase it to three sessions of 15 minutes a day, and so on.

As the weeks go by, you’ll become far more focused than when you first started. And you’ll soon see how great that makes you feel.

28. Before you start work, write down three things you’re thankful for.

Gratitude improves your psychological health and increases your mental strength .

These factors are linked to motivation. The more you practice gratitude, the easier it will be to find motivation to do your homework. As such, it’s less likely that you’ll be a serial procrastinator.

Before you get down to work for the day, write down three things you’re thankful for. These could be simple things like good health, fine weather, or a loving family.

You could even do this in a “gratitude journal,” which you can then look back on whenever you need a shot of fresh appreciation for the good things in your life.

Either way, this short exercise will get you in the right mindset to be productive.

29. Get enough sleep.

For most people, this means getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. And teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night to function optimally.

What does sleep have to do with procrastination?

More than you might realize.

It’s almost impossible to feel motivated when you’re tired. And when you’re low on energy, your willpower is depleted too.

That’s why you give in to the temptation of Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube videos more easily when you’re sleep-deprived.

Here are ways to get more sleep , and sleep better too:

• Create a bedtime routine
• Go to sleep at around the same time every night
• Set a daily alarm as a reminder to go to bed
• Exercise regularly (but not within a few hours of bedtime)
• Make your bedroom as dark as possible
• Remove or switch off all electronic devices before bedtime
• Avoid caffeine at least six hours before bedtime
• Use an eye mask and earplugs

30. Schedule appointments with yourself to complete your homework.

These appointments are specific blocks of time reserved for working on a report, assignment, or project. Scheduling appointments is effective because it makes the task more “official,” so you’re more likely to keep the appointment.

For example, you could schedule appointments such as:

• Jan 25 th , 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Math assignment
• Jan 27 th , 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Online research for social studies project
• Jan 28 th , 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm: Write introduction for English essay

Transform homework procrastination into homework motivation

Procrastination is a problem we all face.

But given that you’ve read all the way to here, I know you’re committed to overcoming this problem.

And now that you’re armed with these tips, you have all the tools you need to become more disciplined and focused .

By the way, please don’t feel as if you need to implement all the tips at once, because that would be too overwhelming.

Instead, I recommend that you focus on just a couple of tips a week, and make gradual progress. No rush!

Over time, you’ll realize that your habit of procrastination has been replaced by the habit of getting things done.

Now’s the time to get started on that process of transformation. 🙂

Like this article? Please share it with your friends.

Images: Student and books , Homework , Group of students , Consequences , Why , Writing a list , Organized desk , Gratitude

January 19, 2016 at 11:53 am

Ur tips are rlly helpful. Thnkyou ! 🙂

January 19, 2016 at 1:43 pm

You’re welcome 🙂

August 29, 2018 at 11:21 am

Thanks very much

February 19, 2019 at 1:38 pm

The funny thing is while I was reading the first few steps of this article I was procrastinating on my homework….

November 12, 2019 at 12:44 pm

same here! but now I actually want to get my stuff done… huh

December 4, 2022 at 11:35 pm

May 30, 2023 at 6:26 am

October 25, 2023 at 11:35 am

fr tho i totally was but now I’m actually going to get started haha

June 6, 2020 at 6:04 am

I love your articles

January 21, 2016 at 7:07 pm

Thanks soo much. It’s almost like you could read my mind- when I felt so overwhelmed with the workload heap I had created for myself by procrastination, I know feel very motivated to tackle it out completely and replace that bad habit with the wonderful tips mentioned here! 🙂

January 21, 2016 at 8:04 pm

I’m glad to help 🙂

January 25, 2016 at 3:09 pm

You have shared great tips here. I especially like the point “Write down why you want to complete the task” because it is helpful to make us more motivated when we are clear about our goals

January 25, 2016 at 4:51 pm

Glad that you found the tips useful, John!

January 29, 2016 at 1:22 am

Thank you very much for your wonderful tips!!! ☺☺☺

January 29, 2016 at 10:41 am

It’s my joy to help, Kabir 🙂

February 3, 2016 at 12:57 pm

Always love your articles. Keep them up 🙂

February 3, 2016 at 1:21 pm

Thanks, Matthew 🙂

February 4, 2016 at 1:40 pm

There are quite a lot of things that you need to do in order to come out with flying colors while studying in a university away from your homeland. Procrastinating on homework is one of the major mistakes committed by students and these tips will help you to avoid them all and make yourself more efficient during your student life.

February 4, 2016 at 1:58 pm

Completely agreed, Leong Siew.

October 5, 2018 at 12:52 am

Wow! thank you very much, I love it .

November 2, 2018 at 10:45 am

You are helping me a lot.. thank you very much….😊

November 6, 2018 at 5:19 pm

I’m procrastinating by reading this

November 29, 2018 at 10:21 am

January 8, 2021 at 3:38 am

March 3, 2019 at 9:12 am

Daniel, your amazing information and advice, has been very useful! Please keep up your excellent work!

April 12, 2019 at 11:12 am

We should stop procrastinating.

September 28, 2019 at 5:19 pm

Thank you so much for the tips:) i’ve been procrastinating since i started high schools and my grades were really bad “F” but the tips have made me a straight A student again.

January 23, 2020 at 7:43 pm

Thanks for the tips, Daniel! They’re really useful! 😁

April 10, 2020 at 2:15 pm

I have always stood first in my class. But procrastination has always been a very bad habit of mine which is why I lost marks for late submission .As an excuse for finding motivation for studying I would spend hours on the phone and I would eventually procrastinate. So I tried your tips and tricks today and they really worked.i am so glad and thankful for your help. 🇮🇳Love from India🇮🇳

April 15, 2020 at 11:16 am

Well I’m gonna give this a shot it looks and sounds very helpful thank you guys I really needed this

April 16, 2020 at 9:48 pm

Daniel, your amazing information and advice, has been very useful! keep up your excellent work! May you give more useful content to us.

May 6, 2020 at 5:03 pm

nice article thanks for your sharing.

May 20, 2020 at 4:49 am

Thank you so much this helped me so much but I was wondering about like what if you just like being lazy and stuff and don’t feel like doing anything and you don’t want to tell anyone because you might annoy them and you just don’t want to add your problems and put another burden on theirs

July 12, 2020 at 1:55 am

I’ve read many short procrastination tip articles and always thought they were stupid or overlooking the actual problem. ‘do this and this’ or that and that, and I sit there thinking I CAN’T. This article had some nice original tips that I actually followed and really did make me feel a bit better. Cheers, diving into what will probably be a 3 hour case study.

August 22, 2020 at 10:14 pm

Nicely explain each tips and those are practical thanks for sharing. Dr.Achyut More

November 11, 2020 at 12:34 pm

Thanks a lot! It was very helpful!

November 15, 2020 at 9:11 am

I keep catching myself procrastinating today. I started reading this yesterday, but then I realized I was procrastinating, so I stopped to finish it today. Thank you for all the great tips.

November 30, 2020 at 5:15 pm

Woow this is so great. Thanks so much Daniel

December 3, 2020 at 3:13 am

These tips were very helpful!

December 18, 2020 at 11:54 am

Procrastination is a major problem of mine, and this, this is very helpful. It is very motivational, now I think I can complete my work.

December 28, 2020 at 2:44 pm

Daniel Wong: When you’re doing your homework, is your super-comfortable bed just two steps away? Me: Nope, my super-comfortable bed is one step away. (But I seriously can’t study anywhere else. If I go to the dining table, my mum would be right in front of me talking loudly on the phone with colleagues and other rooms is an absolute no. My mum doesn’t allow me to go outside. Please give me some suggestions. )

September 19, 2022 at 12:14 pm

I would try and find some noise cancelling headphones to play some classical music or get some earbuds to ignore you mum lol

March 1, 2021 at 5:46 pm

Thank you very much. I highly appreciate it.

May 12, 2023 at 3:38 am

This is great advice. My little niece is now six years old and I like to use those nice cheap child friendly workbooks with her. This is done in order to help her to learn things completely on her own. I however prefer to test her on her own knowledge however. After a rather quick demonstration in the lesson I then tend to give her two simple questions to start off with. And it works a treat. Seriously. I love it. She loves it. The exam questions are for her to answer on her own on a notepad. If she can, she will receive a gold medal and a box of sweets. If not she only gets a plastic toy. We do this all the time to help her understand. Once a week we spend up to thirty minutes in a math lesson on this technique for recalling the basic facts. I have had a lot of great success with this new age technique. So I’m going to carry on with it for now.

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Procrastination

11 ways to overcome procrastination, easy tips to stop putting things off..

Posted March 7, 2017 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

• What Is Procrastination?
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• Procrastination is not a time management problem; rather, it's likely due to difficulty managing negative feelings like boredom or anxiety.
• But avoiding negative emotions—and important tasks—tends to lead to much worse outcomes in the long run, including more stress and regret.
• Changing your mindset, rewarding yourself for progress, and letting go of perfectionism can all help you overcome procrastinating tendencies.

Everyone has put off a task at some point in their life. (Take, for example, this article that I had planned on posting yesterday...) But have you ever wondered why you—or others—procrastinate? While some view it (in themselves or other people) as laziness, there might be something else at play.

In psychology, it has long been believed that people who procrastinate have a faulty sense of time—that they think they will have more time to get something done than they actually do. While that may be true for some, more recent research suggests procrastination is linked to difficulty managing distress. Specifically, it seems that task aversion is to blame—that is, when people view a task in an unpleasant manner (“It will be tough, boring, painful...”), they are more likely to put it off.

While procrastinators may be trying to avoid distress, this approach can ironically cause more distress in the long run. Procrastination can lead to increased stress, health problems, and poorer performance. Procrastinators tend to have more sleep issues and experience greater stressful regret than non-procrastinators. What’s more, procrastination can also hinder your self-esteem with the guilt , shame , or self-critical thoughts that can result from putting off tasks.

If you struggle with putting things off, try any of these tips to get you on track:

1. Get rid of catastrophizing .

One of the biggest reasons people procrastinate is because they catastrophize, or make a huge deal out of something. It may be related to how tough, how boring, or how painful it will be to complete the task; whatever the case, the underlying theme is that doing the task will be “unbearable.”

In reality, challenges, boredom , and hard work will not kill you—or even make you sick. Procrastination, on the other hand, is associated with stress—think of the stress you feel when you avoid making a phone call you know you need to make. So keep things in perspective: “Sure, this is not my favorite task, but I can get through it.”

2. Focus on your “why.”

Procrastinators focus more on short-term gains (avoiding the distress associated with the task), as opposed to long-term results (the stress of not doing it, as well as the consequences of avoiding this task). Instead, try focusing on why you are doing this task: What are the benefits of completing it?

If you've been putting off cleaning out a closet, imagine walking into the closet when it is decluttered and how good that will feel. And consider how much money you will make by selling the items on eBay, or how those in need will feel when they receive these items as donations.

If it is an exercise program you have been avoiding, focus on how exercising will help you have more positive energy, give you a boost of self-esteem, and serve as a great role model for your children.

3. Get out your calendar.

Projects that will get done "when I have time” (as in “I will do it when I have time”) tend not to get done very often, if ever. You need to schedule when you are going to work on a project and block out that time, just as you would an important meeting.

And when it is time to do your work, set a timer so you can be focused for the entire allotted time.

4. Be realistic.

As you establish your schedule, set yourself up for success. Projects often take much longer than expected, so bake in some extra time. And look for ways to make it easier on yourself: If, for example, you are not a morning person, don’t expect yourself to get up an hour early to start the exercise program you have put off for months. It might be better to schedule that activity during lunch or before dinner.

5. Chunk it.

When a task seems overbearing, procrastination often follows. So how can you break that task into smaller, more manageable parts? For example, if you want to write a book, you may choose to make an outline, identify each chapter, figure out the sections in the chapters, and then commit to writing one segment at a time. Chunking it down like this will help you feel less overwhelmed and more empowered.

6. Excuses be gone.

Do any of these sound familiar? “I need to be in the mood.” “I will wait until I have time.” “I work better under pressure.” “I need X to happen before I can start.”

Be honest with yourself: These are excuses. Sure, it might be nice to ”be in the mood,” but waiting for that to happen can mean you never start your project.

7. Get a partner.

Establish specific deadlines for completing a task. Then find someone who will help you be accountable. It could be a promise to your boss or client that you will complete the job by a certain date. Or it may be a coach who helps you stay on track. Or simply find an accountability partner. In this relationship, you connect with someone (on the phone, for example) at certain time intervals (such as once per week) and commit to what you will do before your next meeting. Not wanting to go back on your word, this can be a great way to squash procrastination. (Note: In an effort to save your relationship with your significant other, I recommend this person not be your partner. You don’t want a lack of follow-through to cause tension between you.)

8. Optimize your environment.

Your environment can help or hinder your productivity . Beware especially of technology, such as your email or messenger that keeps pinging to let you know someone has reached out. Social media , internet “research” that leads you far off track, and phone calls can lead to procrastination.

So try this: During your scheduled block of time for working on a particular task, close your email and IM, turn off your phone (or at least set it on “Do Not Disturb” and put it out of sight), and don’t let yourself get on the web until you have completed the task, or hold off any necessary internet searches until the end.

9. Reward good behavior.

Establish a reward if—and only if—you do what you set out to do. Do not let yourself binge that new Netflix show, check your social media, or get lunch until you complete what you've scheduled. So instead of using these tasks and distractions to procrastinate, make them contingent on you actually finishing what you schedule yourself to do.

10. Forgive yourself.

Stop beating yourself up about the past. Thoughts such as “I should have started earlier” or “I always procrastinate; I am such a loser” will only make matters worse. Research shows that forgiving yourself for past procrastination will help you stop putting off working on a task.

You can try to use past procrastination to your advantage as well. How? Determine what went into your avoidance— fear , stress, not having a good understanding of how to progress, lack of accountability, etc. Then address those obstacles in the present and future. If, for example, it was fear that contributed to your procrastination, what steps can you take to feel more empowered and less fearful next time around?

11. Drop the perfectionism.

Perfectionism is an all-or-nothing mentality: Something is either perfect, or it is a failure. People with perfectionistic tendencies tend to wait until things are perfect in order to proceed—so, if it's not perfect, you cannot be finished. Or if it is not the perfect time, you believe you can't start. This all-or-nothing mentality can hold you back from starting or completing tasks.

Instead, focus on being better than perfect. This means to still strive for excellence, creating excellence, or setting yourself up with excellent conditions, but at the same time, you focus on getting the job done. Done is better than perfect.

Make “some day” today. Follow these steps to get started on your project, and be proud of every bit of progress you make.

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LinkedIn image: Prostock-studio/Shutterstock

Elizabeth Lombardo, Ph.D . is a Licensed Practicing Psychologist with an MS in physical therapy who combines research findings, real-life stories, and humor to provide actionable tips for individuals.

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Understanding & Dealing With Student Procrastination

• April 12, 2024

Does your child struggle with homework procrastination? Did you find out that your child has a big homework project… and it’s due tomorrow?

Why do students procrastinate on homework and put off a big project until the last minute? Despite what some parents might believe, it’s not because your child is lazy, doesn’t want to do the work, or because they have a bad work ethic.

Kids often put more value on what is happening today than what will happen tomorrow. There’s a biological reason for this: similar to the same biological systems that tell us to pull our hand out of a flame, putting off a task that feels not great relieves the pressure of facing an unpleasant task . We naturally opt toward what feels better. Paired with the fact that many students dislike the idea of doing schoolwork at home (home is for relaxation!), you have the perfect recipe for a procrastination problem.

So, what can parents do to help?

Learn more about the causes and effects of procrastination and tips for how you can help your child avoid procrastinating so they can become a better, self-motivated learner.

Why Do Students Procrastinate at Homework Time?

Students often procrastinate because they don’t see how a project is relevant or important to them, don’t understand the material, or don’t know how to get started. When you boil it down, procrastination combines motivation, confidence, and comprehension issues.

As a parent, it can be frustrating to struggle with your child not completing their homework and assignments. It can leave many parents feeling like their child is lazy or doesn’t care about school.

However, much of the time, procrastination has very little to do with laziness or a lack of caring. In many cases, there are deeper issues that lead students to develop a procrastination problem.

Causes of student procrastination include:

• Lack of motivation
• Low self-confidence
• Fear of failure
• Lack of understanding
• Trouble concentrating
• Perfectionism
• Low energy levels
• Poor organization skills

Effects Of Homework Procrastination

Homework procrastination can harm students’ schoolwork, grades, and even their overall health. Students who procrastinate experience higher levels of frustration, guilt, stress, and anxiety —in some cases leading to serious issues like low self-esteem and depression.

The effects of procrastination can have an even bigger impact on high school students. Once students reach high school and start receiving more take-home assignments and larger projects, students who procrastinate until the last minute tend to receive lower grades than their peers.

This can create a cycle of bad grades and low self-confidence that can be difficult for students to overcome. At a time when marks start to impact the post-secondary opportunities for students, this can lead to a lot of extra stress and frustration.

How Can Students Learn To Avoid Homework Procrastination?

How can you help your child beat the temptation to procrastinate on homework? Check out these tips and learn how students can stop procrastinating on homework and be more productive.

1. Break the Project into Smaller Tasks

Big projects can be overwhelming at the outset. Help your child break the project down into manageable parts such as research, writing, and editing. Then, they can tackle each task step by step until the project is done. This will also help your child develop and practice their project planning and time management skills.

2. Make the Project Meaningful to Them

Finding ways to make a project meaningful and relevant for students helps them connect it to their interests and motivates them to start. Relate the project to something your child is interested in or a real-world scenario; this can help make homework and assignments less like work and more interesting.

3. Build Up Your Child’s Confidence

Some children procrastinate because they fear failure or think they can’t meet expectations. Boosting your child’s confidence by pointing out their efforts and past achievements can help your child develop a more positive attitude toward their work, making it easier to get started.

4. Create a Dedicated Study Space

Without a proper study space, children can become distracted by everything around them, which can quickly lead to procrastinating on homework. To avoid this, create a dedicated quiet space where your child can sit down and do their work each day. Ensure this space has all the materials your child will need, including pencils, paper, and erasers.

5. Eat Healthy and Get Lots of Sleep

Healthy eating and sleeping habits can help increase the amount of energy your child has as well as how much brainpower and focus reserves available…things your child needs to perform their best in school. A regular sleep routine and consistent bedtime each night help with this. Choosing healthy options like fruits and yogurt as midday snacks (these work great as after-school study snacks, too)are optimal.

6. Set Clear Goals to Stop Procrastinating on Homework

Fear of failure and perfectionism are major causes of procrastinating on homework and can be difficult for many students to overcome. Helping your child set clear and realistic goals will help them manage expectations and track his or her progress. Let your child know that sometimes it is okay to fail, and treat it as a lesson for next time.

7. Make a Project Plan and Stick to It

Create a schedule with your child, setting dedicated blocks of “homework time” they use to work on schoolwork each day. When bigger projects are assigned, sit down with your child as early as possible and make a project plan of attack they can follow. Set mini-project due dates or milestones your child can aim for. This will help break down the assignment, making big projects seem more manageable.

8. Develop Good Study Skills

Help your child improve their study skills by focusing on the learning process—not just their grades. Getting a good grade is the goal, but it is good study skills that will help your child achieve it. Encourage active thinking and critical problem-solving skills by talking through any challenges your child is facing with their homework or assignments and working out a solution together.

Stop Procrastinating on Homework—Today!

Helping students improve their learning skills and develop motivation for their work are the keys to helping students complete homework and assignments on time, reduce school stress, and end procrastination for good. If your child still needs an extra boost, our study skills program can help!

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Cover Story

Why wait the science behind procrastination.

• Cognitive Psychology
• Emotional Control
• Personality/Social

Believe it or not, the Internet did not give rise to procrastination. People have struggled with habitual hesitation going back to ancient civilizations. The Greek poet Hesiod, writing around 800 B.C., cautioned not to “put your work off till tomorrow and the day after.” The Roman consul Cicero called procrastination “hateful” in the conduct of affairs. (He was looking at you, Marcus Antonius.) And those are just examples from recorded history. For all we know, the dinosaurs saw the meteorite coming and went back to their game of Angry Pterodactyls.

What’s become quite clear since the days of Cicero is that procrastination isn’t just hateful, it’s downright harmful. In research settings, people who procrastinate have higher levels of stress and lower well-being. In the real world, undesired delay is often associated with inadequate retirement savings and missed medical visits. Considering the season, it would be remiss not to mention past surveys by H&R Block, which found that people cost themselves hundreds of dollars by rushing to prepare income taxes near the April 15 deadline.

In the past 20 years, the peculiar behavior of procrastination has received a burst of empirical interest. With apologies to Hesiod, psychological researchers now recognize that there’s far more to it than simply putting something off until tomorrow. True procrastination is a complicated failure of self-regulation: experts define it as the voluntary delay of some important task that we intend to do, despite knowing that we’ll suffer as a result. A poor concept of time may exacerbate the problem, but an inability to manage emotions seems to be its very foundation.

“What I’ve found is that while everybody may procrastinate, not everyone is a procrastinator,” says APS Fellow Joseph Ferrari, a professor of psychology at DePaul University. He is a pioneer of modern research on the subject, and his work has found that as many as 20 percent of people may be chronic procrastinators.

“It really has nothing to do with time-management,” he says. “As I tell people, to tell the chronic procrastinator to just do it would be like saying to a clinically depressed person, cheer up .”

Suffering More, Performing Worse

A major misperception about procrastination is that it’s an innocuous habit at worst, and maybe even a helpful one at best. Sympathizers of procrastination often say it doesn’t matter when a task gets done, so long as it’s eventually finished. Some even believe they work best under pressure. Stanford philosopher John Perry, author of the book The Art of Procrastination , has argued that people can dawdle to their advantage by restructuring their to-do lists so that they’re always accomplishing something of value. Psychological scientists have a serious problem with this view. They argue that it conflates beneficial, proactive behaviors like pondering (which attempts to solve a problem) or prioritizing (which organizes a series of problems) with the detrimental, self-defeating habit of genuine procrastination. If progress on a task can take many forms, procrastination is the absence of progress.

“If I have a dozen things to do, obviously #10, #11, and #12 have to wait,” says Ferrari. “The real procrastinator has those  12 things, maybe does one or two of them, then rewrites the list, then shuffles it around, then makes an extra copy of it. That’s procrastinating. That’s different.”

One of the first studies to document the pernicious nature of procrastination was published in Psychological Science back in 1997. APS Fellow Dianne Tice and APS William James Fellow Roy Baumeister, then at Case Western Reserve University, rated college students on an established scale of procrastination, then tracked their academic performance, stress, and general health throughout the semester. Initially there seemed to be a benefit to procrastination, as these students had lower levels of stress compared to others, presumably as a result of putting off their work to pursue more pleasurable activities. In the end, however, the costs of procrastination far outweighed the temporary benefits. Procrastinators earned lower grades than other students and reported higher cumulative amounts of stress and illness. True procrastinators didn’t just finish their work later — the quality of it suffered, as did their own well-being.

“Thus, despite its apologists and its short-term benefits, procrastination cannot be regarded as either adaptive or innocuous,” concluded Tice and Baumeister (now both at Florida State University). “Procrastinators end up suffering more and performing worse than other people.”

A little later, Tice and Ferrari teamed up to do a study that put the ill effects of procrastination into context. They brought students into a lab and told them at the end of the session they’d be engaging in a math puzzle. Some were told the task was a meaningful test of their cognitive abilities, while others were told that it was designed to be meaningless and fun. Before doing the puzzle, the students had an interim period during which they could prepare for the task or mess around with games like Tetris. As it happened, chronic procrastinators only delayed practice on the puzzle when it was described as a cognitive evaluation. When it was described as fun, they behaved no differently from non-procrastinators. In an issue of the Journal of Research in Personality from 2000, Tice and Ferrari concluded that procrastination is really a self-defeating behavior — with procrastinators trying to undermine their own best efforts.

“The chronic procrastinator, the person who does this as a lifestyle, would rather have other people think that they lack effort than lacking ability,” says Ferrari. “It’s a maladaptive lifestyle.”

A Gap Between Intention and Action

There’s no single type of procrastinator, but several general impressions have emerged over years of research. Chronic procrastinators have perpetual problems finishing tasks, while situational ones delay based on the task itself. A perfect storm of procrastination occurs when an unpleasant task meets a person who’s high in impulsivity and low in self-discipline. (The behavior is strongly linked with the Big Five personality trait of conscientiousness.) Most delayers betray a tendency for self-defeat, but they can arrive at this point from either a negative state (fear of failure, for instance, or perfectionism) or a positive one (the joy of temptation). All told, these qualities have led researchers to call procrastination the “quintessential” breakdown of self-control.

“I think the basic notion of procrastination as self-regulation failure is pretty clear,” says Timothy Pychyl of Carleton University, in Canada. “You know what you ought to do and you’re not able to bring yourself to do it. It’s that gap between intention and action.”

Social scientists debate whether the existence of this gap can be better explained by the inability to manage time or the inability to regulate moods and emotions. Generally speaking, economists tend to favor the former theory. Many espouse a formula for procrastination put forth in a paper published by the business scholar Piers Steel, a professor at the University of Calgary, in a 2007 issue of Psychological Bulletin . The idea is that procrastinators calculate the fluctuating utility of certain activities: pleasurable ones have more value early on, and tough tasks become more important as a deadline approaches.

Psychologists like Ferrari and Pychyl, on the other hand, see flaws in such a strictly temporal view of procrastination. For one thing, if delay were really as rational as this utility equation suggests, there would be no need to call the behavior procrastination — on the contrary,  time-management would fit better. Beyond that, studies have found that procrastinators carry accompanying feelings of guilt, shame, or anxiety with their decision to delay. This emotional element suggests there’s much more to the story than time-management alone. Pychyl noticed the role of mood and emotions on procrastination with his very first work on the subject, back in the mid-1990s, and solidified that concept with a study published in the Journal of Social Behavior and Personality in 2000. His research team gave 45 students a pager and tracked them for five days leading up to a school deadline. Eight times a day, when beeped, the test participants reported their level of procrastination as well as their emotional state. As the preparatory tasks became more difficult and stressful, the students put them off for more pleasant activities. When they did so, however, they reported high levels of guilt — a sign that beneath the veneer of relief there was a lingering dread about the work set aside. The result made Pychyl realize that procrastinators recognize the temporal harm in what they’re doing, but can’t overcome the emotional urge toward a diversion.

A subsequent study, led by Tice, reinforced the dominant role played by mood in procrastination. In a 2001 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , Tice and colleagues reported that students didn’t procrastinate before an intelligence test when primed to believe their mood was fixed. In contrast, when they thought their mood could change (and particularly when they were in a bad mood), they delayed practice until about the final minute. The findings suggested that self-control only succumbs to temptation when present emotions can be improved as a result.

“Emotional regulation, to me, is the real story around procrastination, because to the extent that I can deal with my emotions, I can stay on task,” says Pychyl. “When you say task-aversiveness , that’s another word for lack of enjoyment. Those are feeling states — those aren’t states of which [task] has more utility.”

Frustrating the Future Self

In general, people learn from their mistakes and reassess their approach to certain problems. For chronic procrastinators, that feedback loop seems continually out of service. The damage suffered as a result of delay doesn’t teach them to start earlier the next time around. An explanation for this behavioral paradox seems to lie in the emotional component of procrastination. Ironically, the very quest to relieve stress in the moment might prevent procrastinators from figuring out how to relieve it in the long run.

“I think the mood regulation piece is a huge part of procrastination,” says Fuschia Sirois of Bishop’s University, in Canada. “If you’re focused just on trying to get yourself to feel good now, there’s a lot you can miss out on in terms of learning how to correct behavior and avoiding similar problems in the future.”

A few years ago, Sirois recruited about 80 students and assessed them for procrastination. The participants then read descriptions of stressful events, with some of the anxiety caused by unnecessary delay. In one scenario, a person returned from a sunny vacation to notice a suspicious mole, but put off going to the doctor for a long time, creating a worrisome situation.

Afterward, Sirois asked the test participants what they thought about the scenario. She found that procrastinators tended to say things like, “At least I went to the doctor before it really got worse.” This response, known as a downward counterfactual , reflects a desire to improve mood in the short term. At the same time, the procrastinators rarely made statements like, “If only I had gone to the doctor sooner.” That type of response, known as an upward counterfactual , embraces the tension of the moment in an attempt to learn something for the future. Simply put, procrastinators focused on how to make themselves feel better at the expense of drawing insight from what made them feel bad.

Recently, Sirois and Pychyl tried to unify the emotional side of procrastination with the temporal side that isn’t so satisfying on its own. In the February issue of Social and Personality Psychology Compass , they propose a two-part theory on procrastination that braids short-term, mood-related improvements with long-term, time-related damage. The idea is that procrastinators comfort themselves in the present with the false belief that they’ll be more emotionally equipped to handle a task in the future.

“The future self becomes the beast of burden for procrastination,” says Sirois. “We’re trying to regulate our current mood and thinking our future self will be in a better state. They’ll be better able to handle feelings of insecurity or frustration with the task. That somehow we’ll develop these miraculous coping skills to deal with these emotions that we just can’t deal with right now.”

The Neuropsychology of Procrastination

Recently the behavioral research into procrastination has ventured beyond cognition, emotion, and personality, into the realm of neuropsychology. The frontal systems of the brain are known to be involved in a number of processes that overlap with self-regulation. These behaviors — problem-solving, planning, self-control, and the like — fall under the domain of executive functioning . Oddly enough, no one had ever examined a connection between this part of the brain and procrastination, says Laura Rabin of Brooklyn College.

“Given the role of executive functioning in the initiation and completion of complex behaviors, it was surprising to me that previous research had not systematically examined the relationship between aspects of executive functioning and academic procrastination — a behavior I see regularly in students but have yet to fully understand, and by extension help remediate,” says Rabin.

To address this gap in the literature, Rabin and colleagues gathered a sample of 212 students and assessed them first for procrastination, then on the nine clinical subscales of executive functioning: impulsivity, self-monitoring, planning and organization, activity shifting, task initiation, task monitoring, emotional control, working memory, and general orderliness. The researchers expected to find a link between procrastination and a few of the subscales (namely, the first four in the list above). As it happened, procrastinators showed significant associations with all nine , Rabin’s team reported in a 2011 issue of the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology .

Rabin stresses the limitations of the work. For one thing, the findings were correlative, meaning it’s not quite clear those elements of executive functioning caused procrastination directly. The assessments also relied on self-reports; in the future, functional imaging might be used to confirm or expand the brain’s delay centers in real time. Still, says Rabin, the study suggests that procrastination might be an “expression of subtle executive dysfunction” in people who are otherwise neuropsychologically healthy.

“This has direct implications for how we understand the behavior and possibly intervene,” she says.

Possible Interventions

As the basic understanding of procrastination advances, many researchers hope to see a payoff in better interventions. Rabin’s work on executive functioning suggests a number of remedies for unwanted delay. Procrastinators might chop up tasks into smaller pieces so they can work through a more manageable series of assignments. Counseling might help them recognize that they’re compromising long-term aims for quick bursts of pleasure. The idea of setting personal deadlines harmonizes with previous work done by behavioral researchers Dan Ariely and Klaus Wertenbroch on “precommitment.” In a 2002 issue of Psychological Science , Ariely and Wertenbroch reported that procrastinators were willing to set meaningful deadlines for themselves, and that the deadlines did in fact improve their ability to complete a task. These self-imposed deadlines aren’t as effective as external ones, but they’re better than nothing.

The emotional aspects of procrastination pose a tougher problem. Direct strategies to counter temptation include blocking access to desirable distraction, but to a large extent that effort requires the type of self-regulation procrastinators lack in the first place. Sirois believes the best way to eliminate the need for short-term mood fixes is to find something positive or worthwhile about the task itself. “You’ve got to dig a little deeper and find some personal meaning in that task,” she says. “That’s what our data is suggesting.”

Ferrari, who offers a number of interventions in his 2010 book Still Procrastinating? The No Regrets Guide to Getting It Done , would like to see a general cultural shift from punishing lateness to rewarding the early bird. He’s proposed, among other things, that the federal government incentivize early tax filing by giving people a small break if they file by, say, February or March 15. He also suggests we stop enabling procrastination in our personal relationships.

“Let the dishes pile up, let the fridge go empty, let the car stall out,” says Ferrari. “Don’t bail them out.” (Recent work suggests he’s onto something. In a 2011 paper in Psychological Science , Gráinne Fitzsimons and Eli Finkel report that people who think their relationship partner will help them with a task are more likely to procrastinate on it.)

But while the tough love approach might work for couples, the best personal remedy for procrastination might actually be self-forgiveness. A couple years ago, Pychyl joined two Carleton University colleagues and surveyed 119 students on procrastination before their midterm exams. The research team, led by Michael Wohl, reported in a 2010 issue of Personality and Individual Differences that students who forgave themselves after procrastinating on the first exam were less likely to delay studying for the second one.

Pychyl says he likes to close talks and chapters with that hopeful prospect of forgiveness. He sees the study as a reminder that procrastination is really a self-inflicted wound that gradually chips away at the most valuable resource in the world: time.

“It’s an existentially relevant problem, because it’s not getting on with life itself,” he says. “You only get a certain number of years. What are you doing?”

I am writing my seventh speech for my Toastsmasters meeting and I am speaking about procrastination. This article provided me with great research and information about this subject. Thanks.

I too am writing my 7th speech for Toastmasters on the same subject. Hope yours went well. Mine is due tomorrow!

Me too! 7th ToastMaster Speech. I’ve procrastinated over every speech topic so far, so decided to research into the meaning of my procrastination to overcome the problem. Hence, it has become the topic for my speech!This article has been very informative.

mis hijos lo padecen. Como ayudar a mis hijos esta de pormedio su vida.

this could be a great article to use for one of my classes.

As a counselor, this article is powerful. I don’t think I will ever be stuck with a client who presents procastination as a distress issue.

Thanks Eric for publishing this

I’m currently researching an apt second show topic behind the science of procrastination and this has been quite helpful.

I’ll be sure to send my listeners this way.

People say that procrastination reduces the productivity. But scientifically it actually increases the productivity. People tend to work more and try to be more productive in the last few hours before the deadline. On the other hand, it also increases the internal stress. So it is better to avoid procrastination for a perfect work-life balance. To avoid procrastination, I chose Habiliss virtual assistant services, which really helped me in increasing my productivity.

it helped me so much to write my essay and it has so many information, thanks.

My daughter belongs to the type of people who will procrastinate or avoid anything that implies making an effort. Or she will start something and leave it unfinished to do something else. I don’t know what to do, rowing just makes things worse.

tell her this steps: 1. Chop the whole task in small pieces. 2. Observe the small task very deeply. 4. make a mind map of how you are going to do it. 3. make an expected and meaningful deadline’ 4. and most importantly try to visualize the small tasks you are completing before the deadline.

Interesting that no procrastinators have posted. Does that demonstrate the guilt and shame they feel for wasting their lives?

Hello Christina, I’ve been waiting a year to reply to you comment in order to maximize my creativity in doing so. Uhm wait, Catfish just came on and it’s a really good episode! I’ll get back to you about the gilt and shame another day, hope you understand.

Comments from a procrastinator; I don’t know what to say. It is so stressful to always feel like you are behind the eight ball. I have always taken on a little more than most sensible people would. So, I set myself up from the get go. I have a long history of depression, so when I get depressed, my chores, projects, whatever seem to be too heavy to deal with. I have a totally unrealistic sense of time. I am chronically late. As I have gotten older, this has gotten worse.My career was mostly in nursing management, which worked out for me because I didn’t have an exact time to be at work unless I had meetings. I often stayed late to finish projects when everyone was gone for the day and I could focus in total peace and quiet. Of course, when I worked late, I felt the inner guilt of neglecting my family. I am almost 70, raising 2 grandchildren and unable to find the peace and quiet or the time to work on the projects I saved for retirement. This was voluntary and I really felt I could give them the best environment for their special needs. So, maybe I have given myself an acceptable, selfless reason to procrastinate. But, it only makes me feel more stressed. I really want to be relaxed, happy and unstressed.

I’m right there with you, Elyse. I wonder if anyone has ever studied procrastination from the perspective of someone who just perpetually takes on more than they can handle. I’m so sick of it. I’m a PhD student and I see peers turning things in early and I’m always last. It’s a horrible feeling. My work is usually very good, but almost always late. I empathize with you and hope that we can both beat this problem soon.

Well…Sometimes thing come into my life to make my nightmares a bit more manageable. This article showed me the STRONG effect that emotions have on procrastination. I identified with every single thing in it and I am grateful I came across it.

Finally, I begin to understand the psychology behind my chronic procrastination. My levels of distraction are such that I rarely get through an article without feeling like I must be doing something else. Not this one. Words and phrases that leaped off the page (screen) to me were “self-defeating behavior”, “intention” vs. “action”, “self-regulating”. True. True. True. Now I must delve into my belief system to pull out the reasons why these negative behaviors take precedence over those that are far more positive. Clearly, I feel I am getting some benefit out of my self-defeating behavior or else why repeat it? I’ll have to be careful when attempting to reason this out though. I AM a ponder-er by nature which means I tend to over-think to the degree that by the time I believe I understand my ‘whys’, the opportunity for action has already passed. The irony in this is that my pondering IS procrastinating.

Countless times I have wanted desperately to attach my inability to move forward in my tasks, projects, etc. to the fact that I’m just lousy at managing my time. And then I read this:

“It really has nothing to do with time-management,” he says. “As I tell people, to tell the chronic procrastinator to just do it would be like saying to a clinically depressed person, cheer up.”

THANK YOU! This explains why every single Day Planner I’ve ever attempted to use failed so miserably. Bullet Journals? Ha! Nope. Productivity Apps? Not for me. I confess to being inadequate at anything that requires planning. Planning, then, requires taking the time to sit quietly and write out some kind of an action plan. Action plans require lists. Lists become my number one enemy. It’s at times like this that I feel It’s an almost physical reaction that comes over me when I force myself to think through to the natural end of an action. This snowballs into an overwhelming sense of confusion. My thoughts begin to scramble which triggers my impulse to get up and distract myself with something that will return an immediate sense of accomplishment. “I need to water my plants”.

Has anyone else experienced this? Does all this mean I am now officially becoming OCD? ADD?

I work full-time in a position that requires intense focus (which I love) but also requires that I am organized enough to prioritize my daily workload. It’s as though I recognize the importance of this but I feel I constantly fall short due to that sense of confusion that distracts me (remember that list thing?) and I end up just ‘winging’ it in order to complete the task. I’ve been known to work overtime (w/o pay) just to feel I’ve accomplished what I should have done all day. I have been known to work 10-12 hour workdays which, I realize, is simply ridiculous. And then begins that cycle of negative feelings: unproductive, inadequate, guilt, shame…etc. To say it is exhausting on all levels would be a gross understatement.

Perhaps you can point me (us) to articles that will help me begin to better understand — and help to end — such cycles of negative patterns.

Thank you for addressing the psychology of procrastination. It’s as though my name was written all over it.

I’m similar, I think, since I’ve wanted to only get things done perfectly or I’d see myself as a total failure. Avoiding trying to take care of this test, etc., means my not wanting to face seeing myself as a failure. I never expected to do anything as good as it should be. I’ve always suffered from a strong fear of rejection… I have been linked with AvPD, DPD, OCD, GAD, depression, bulimia, perf ectionism, agoraphobia… According to a psychiatrist, I saw things only in extremes, i.e. all or nothing, good or bad, black or white… I now have to believe, that according to tests run by this current psychiatrist that I suffer from Asperger’s Syndrome… I have been put under the 1% of the population with memory but I do not remember any of my growing up years… Only faced accepting someone as a friend at the age of 28. I saw her as a guardian angel…

Ditto. I wrote a post I aim to publish on the subject. I was the worst procrastinator. When I ceased depriving myself of all the things I love to do. It made it easier to tackle any task I dreaded. Try to strike a balance between work and play. Familiarise yourself with prioritizing important and urgent tasks. And getting them done. Focus a little more on the future, of where you’d like to see yourself. It’ll help you get past the immediate feeling of anxiety. The emotion that underlies the prolonged periods of procrastination the chronic procrastinator is prone to feeling.

Wow this was great how they took this one concept that sometimes cripples most of us, and turned it into a science! Wonderful and highly informative reading! I even posted this to Facebook!

Amazing article, lot of research and efforts, thanks for sharing this abundance of information

WOW!! This was an extremely helpful AND educational article! And I think I can speak for many! And I thank all the contributors to this piece who offered there insight along with case studies that actually break down this human nemesis that has plagued the human race since man learned to walk upright! But there is one thing that I do that most other people do and maybe you could do an article on this subject also. And that is impulsivity. Before I finish one task I jump to do something else! I am just now learning to recognize mine, and am making a strong effort to an alias and correct it.

WOW! This was quite an article! Never before have I read anything so descriptive about a long time human nemesis such as this, what it actually is and how it can be dealt with. I certainly did not know that this is an issue that dates back hundred of years before Jesus Christ was born! But not until now has this problem been looked at and broken down. I will definitely apply these principles! Thank you!

This article is more helpful than others I have read, but my own reasons for procrastination are still elusive to me. Sometimes I will work on a project for a little while, which relieves anxiety. Then I set it aside, saying that I want to see it with fresh eyes a day or two later. Other times I have had the experience of doing something too early, like prepping a presentation, and when I go to make it, I have lost the train of thought. Some tasks are just boring, like many household chores, or present a knotty problem which I just don’t feel like dealing with. Oddly enough, I have no trouble downloading bank and credit card statements and balancing the checkbook. I think it’s the short term pleasure of knowing my finances are in order, even if I still owe money on something, at least the numbers are going down.

Very interesting and educating article with so much research. Thanks for putting this together

I really liked this article. I’ve been going thru a mid life crisis because of a battle I have with chronic procrastination. Like many of the others I read above it’s not one thing it’s many different emotions one has to deal with while h in turn leads one to live one very stressful life. I have a deadline at midnight tonight for something I’ve been wanting/needing to do for a couple months now. Just by reading this article and seeing that I am not alone in this fight has given me the desire to get it done! I pray that everyone that struggles with this nemesis gets closer to defeating our life long enemy. Never give up!

Whoa. I’m writing a speech for school on procrastination, since I have been a chronic procrastinator for pretty much as long as I can remember. I hit an all time low at one point, where I basically never did my homework. For many years, I tried and failed to come up with a reason for that. I very much enjoyed school and my work, I was more than capable of completing the work, and I did have enough time on my hands. I have concluded that the only plausible reason is that, like now, there is something in my brain that simply cannot get work done. When I read the comparison between telling a chronic procrastinator to “get it done” and a clinically depressed person to “cheer up” I was shocked. People never seemed to understand how much I desperately want to be able to just get it done. Even the act of procrastinating is not enjoyable in the slightest – I feel too guilty and self-loathing. I have looked at a number of resources for my speech regarding why we procrastinate, and have disagreed with every one, knowing that I did not fall under those reasons. I agreed with Every. Single. Thing. mentioned in this article. Whoa. Where has this been all my life.

P.S. – if you, like me, are a chronic procrastinator I would very much recommend a brief TedTalk entitled “Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator”. Blew me away.

Thank you so so much for your work. Reading this article helps me feel that I’m not alone. Procrastination is a thief, a liar, a destroyer. I’m in midlife now and I’m seeing how much procrastination has stolen from me, I’ve let it and now I live with the consequences of dreams unfulfilled and shattered. My quilt literally leaves me in a state of numbness and it’s like I’m frozen and not moving forward. Slowly, through prayer and acceptance through my faith, I’m realizing that, and this is key: that forgiving myself and knowing that God loves me unconditionally that I can move forward. I thank God for people like you that are able to gather info and better help all of us.

Everything is coming together now, I now know why I am the way that I am. Thank you so much for this article

I just turned 60. Since my 30s I’ve not been able to keep table surfaces clean of piled up mail, papers, etc. I clean it off and slowly over time it magically piles up again. I want my home to be clutter free but can’t keep up with it, or am I putting off cleaning? I’m always too busy and find activities to do that keep me from taking care of my home. Setting aside time, marking days on the calendar don’t always work either. Am I just lazy? I work better at keeping my home cleaned up when someone is there helping me. Anyone else feel this way?

its a wakeup call for me,such an eye opener

It’s really frustrating, this procrastination thing. My procrastination started to get worse from the day I began doing my practical research. I am unsure but it felt overwhelming (because researches are usually long, I think that is why) and because of that, I.. procrastinated. I watched youtube most of the time when I get home even though I’m aware that I should be doing my research. I tried to fight it off for several months. I’ve won over my procrastination stuff but it keeps coming back. It’s been a little over a year now and getting worse. I try to find my way out of this because it severely affects my academic performance and my social life. I am still finding my way out of this by doing research on procrastination.. (kind of ironic considering that my procrastination habits kicked off due to practical research).. Anyway, I wish the very best for anyone who is struggling with procrastination.. I wish the best for myself too…

Mind-blowing! I am finally able to understand a big part of why I procrastinate and I now feel there is hope. For example, I felt immensely relieved when I read the comparison between a chronic procrastinator and a depressed person; a heavy weight was lifted off my chest -which is pretty much always in agony because of all the tasks and projects postponed. So there is hope.

Dianne, I feel you. Your pain is my pain. Let’s hope this insightful article will help us get better. In my case, the positive emotions clearly help me stay on task, so, when I catch myself procrastinating out of control, I engage in a lifting and energizing short activity to change my mood. At the end of it, and without stopping for anything, I’ll get started on the task/project. I find myself immersed in the task (I am doing it, yeay!), and I feel happy for what I accomplished. That positive loop can keep me going for a little while….until I see a fly on the wall and my mind gets lost on something else. Thanks to this ‘technique’ I have accomplished diminishing the paralysing effects of the guilt. I have accomplished accepting the reality of the time lost and the work not done. I am accepting that whatever feeling I am feeling about procrastinating, THAT WILL ALSO PASS. I am accepting that I can change my emotional apporach to the task and that allows me to start on the positive loop all over. Slowly, yes, I am learning that I am not exactly repeating the same behaviour over and over. It’s taken me 30 years of adult life to get here but I’m improving and now I’m understanding more. Id say this is good.

Thank you for this article. I’ll read it later.

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Eric Jaffe is a regular Observer contributor and author of The King’s Best Highway: The Lost History of the Boston Post Road, the Route That Made America (Scribner, 2010).

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Suspicion probes are meant to inform researchers about how participants’ beliefs may have influenced the outcome of a study, but it remains unclear what these unverified probes are really measuring or how they are currently being used.

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Social psychologist Elizabeth Necka shares her experiences as a program officer at the National Institute on Aging.

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How to Stop Procrastinating on Homework?

reviewed by Jo-ann Caballes

Created on Jun 05, 2024

Updated on June 6, 2024

Do you ever hear the dreaded “I can’t do this!” or the classic “I’ll do it later” when it comes to homework? All the moms have been there. According to the American Psychological Association , more than 80% of students procrastinate with their coursework. Later, this procrastination leads to learning struggles, lowering the child’s GPA.

In this article, we will explore the reasons for procrastination and how to deal with it. With Brighterly, you’ll overcome those challenges to achieve the maximum child’s productivity.

Why do some students procrastinate when they have to do homework?

• Feeling overwhelmed
• Perfectionism
• Fear of failure
• Lack of motivation
• Distractions
• Poor time management

A big assignment or a lot of homework from different classes can feel like a mountain to climb. Students might not know where to start or how to do their homework perfectly, which can lead to choice paralysis and homework procrastination.

Some people are so worried about getting a bad grade that they avoid doing the work altogether. It often happens with adults, so it’s just as possible with your child.

If your child is just spinning in circles from boredom, they are definitely not interested in homework

Stop procrastinating homework with Bridgterly

Brighterly tutors understand the struggles of young students and the reasons behind their procrastination. We will create a tailored curriculum for your child, adapting to their needs. It will be beneficial for 7th graders who may be struggling with specific concepts or want to move ahead on topics they grasp easily.

Improve your child’s math skill today with Brighterly.

Let them be at the top of their class.

Our tutors emphasize a hands-on, interactive learning approach. This can make math more for teenagers and help to develop a deeper understanding of the concepts. Brighterly tutors focus on problem-solving, which is a crucial skill in math. Students won’t just learn formulas; they’ll practice applying them to solve real-world problems.

Erin Beers,  7th grade language arts teacher and resource creator from Cincinnati, supports the same studying approach:

“As a middle school teacher, I work with a wide array of different learners, and these simple strategies work well with procrastinating students”

Causes of homework procrastination

Two main reasons for procrastination are task aversiveness (e.g., a task being perceived as boring or unpleasant), and timing of rewards and punishments (e.g., a task having rewards or punishments that are far in the future).

Therefore, it’s natural that students don’t want to spend their time on a boring task that they don’t understand how it will apply to their lives. Considering the fact that we live in a world of distractions, boring homework is the last thing that a child wants to see.

Dr. James A. Barham, an education expert and the Senior Vice President of Academic Influence, confirms it with his vast experience.

“The key to figuring out how to stop procrastinating homework is to understand why it happens in the first place.”

Another common reason for procrastinating on homework is undiagnosed learning difficulties. Multiple researches show that ADHD is one of the most common neurodiverse conditions that affects productivity. Individuals with ADHD have difficulty delaying gratification and shift responding to a variety of tasks often resulting in inaccuracy.

How does procrastination affect students?

Procrastination affects students by drastically lowering their grades. Procrastination among undergraduate students leads to an average 2.2% lower GPA.

Other effects of procrastination included but were not limited to:

• Stress and anxiety. The looming pressure of unfinished work creates a constant feeling of unease. Students who procrastinate often experience heightened stress and anxiety levels, which negatively impact their well-being.
• Sleep deprivation. Cramming all night to meet deadlines takes a toll on sleep. This sleep deprivation leads to difficulty focusing in class, decreased energy levels, and poorer overall health.
• Time management issues. Procrastination supports poor time management habits. Students who get used to procrastinating homework, transfer this habit into adulthood.
• Lower self-esteem: The cycle of procrastination, missed deadlines, and lower grades can damage a student’s confidence. This can lead to a negative attitude towards school and a reluctance to take on new challenges.

How many high school students procrastinate?

A study by Magoosh shows that 86% of high schoolers procrastinate on assignments. However, you don’t need to panic, as it’s just a part of human behavior.

If your child doesn’t  find strategies to overcome procrastination while young, they may continue to suffer from it during adulthood

Varsha Naik, DP Math Teacher at School Lane Charter School, saw hundreds of procrastinating high schoolers grow up into successful adults. She refers to the main trick to beat procrastination is to find student’s motivation:

“I have been teaching high school mathematics; my students usually procrastinate because they are teenagers. In my opinion, the child should be so important to properly understand the content.”

What can procrastination lead to?

Procrastination leads to a cascade of negative consequences, such as academic problems, sleep deprivation, and workplace procrastination once students get older and find their first job.

Students procrastinating on homework often face the brunt of the impact. Rushed work, missed deadlines, and forgotten assignments can lead to plummeting grades and academic disappointment.  The looming shadow of unfinished tasks casts a long shadow of stress and anxiety. It will lead to low self-confidence, task aversion, distractibility, impulsivity, and even sleep deprivation.

Make a consistent learning routine. Otherwise, your child may stuck in a self-doubting loop

The effects of procrastination on students can linger into adulthood. According to recent statistics , 42.6% of adults procrastinate daily, spending 218 minutes on nothing. It impacts their work performance and relationship with colleagues, which may be reflected by getting a lower salary.

How to stop procrastinating on homework

It’s achievable to stop procrastinating on homework, even the boring one. Use this instruction to beat this habit.

1. Identify the child’s triggers

What makes them ditch homework? Is it a specific subject? Feeling overwhelmed? Determine those triggers and try to remove them from the child’s life.

If they are triggered by distractions, ensure that you study in a quiet room. If the students ditch math because they don’t understand it, find out their knowledge gaps and ensure that a child fully understands previous material.

2.  Create a to-do list for their math homework

Break down large assignments into smaller, more manageable tasks.

Let your child incorporate the “art of doing nothing” into their schedule

You can also use the Pomodoro technique, where the learner will study for 30 minutes and relax for 5-10 minutes. Once a child finishes some part of the task, let them rest. That way you make kids relax more predictable and less procrastinate.

You don’t procrastinate if you fit this relaxation into your schedule. To stop procrastinating on homework, a child should find out their own patterns and include resting times in it.

3. Prime the environment

Find a quiet, distraction-free zone to work in. You and the child should both silence your computers’ and phones’ notifications and avoid having tempting tabs. Remove posters and anything that can distract you or your child from studying.

4. Reward even the smallest victories

It will motivate a student to keep going. If it is within your budget, it can be literally anything that your kid likes. You can reward small and big victories, such as pizza for good grades this month, a new PS4 game for a B+ annual test, or a Disneyland trip for an A+ SAT test . Determine what your kid likes and define your own reward system.

Pavan Sampath, the COO and Managing Partner of Ascend Now, uses the next tricks to motivate his students.

“One method we use with our students was developed by famous author Raymond Charles, called the Nothing Alternative.”

Humans hate boredom. That’s why we have magazines in the waiting room. It's boring to do absolutely nothing. After a certain point, doing nothing (staring at a wall) seems more tedious than finishing up homework.

It launches a mental contrasting phenomenon, where your mind automatically compares your state of doing nothing to doing homework and realizes that doing homework seems like the more salient and positive choice.

How to stop procrastinating for students?

To stop students’ procrastination, identify their triggers and remove them. After that, craft a schedule to treat homework time like an important appointment. Break down large assignments into smaller, more manageable tasks. 

How to not procrastinate on homework if it’s too boring?

To ensure that the child doesn’t procrastinate with boring homework, find relevance to real-world applications and think of ways to make this task more interactive and fun. Use the Pomodoro technique and reward the child even with the smallest progress. Change the scenery to refresh the student’s mind and make the work feel less monotonous.

Procrastination impact not only grades but student’s well-being and overall academic success. Understanding the reasons behind procrastination, such as feeling overwhelmed, perfectionism, or simply distractions, is the first step to overcoming it.

Effective strategies on how to not procrastinate on homework include creating a schedule, chunking down assignments, setting realistic goals, and rewarding yourself can equip students with the tools to slay the procrastination monster.

Brighterly tutoring can be a valuable weapon in this arsenal. Our certified tutors provide a tailored curriculum to meet student’s needs with productive yet engaging lessons. Book the first free lesson today to see the first results tomorrow!

Jessica is a a seasoned math tutor with over a decade of experience in the field. With a BSc and Master’s degree in Mathematics, she enjoys nurturing math geniuses, regardless of their age, grade, and skills. Apart from tutoring, Jessica blogs at Brighterly. She also has experience in child psychology, homeschooling and curriculum consultation for schools and EdTech websites.

There are so many Internet resources and platforms that provide information on different subjects. But what are the best websites to learn math? Short answer: it depends on what you’re looking for. From online math learning programs to tutoring services, you have a lot of options.  In this article, we outlined 15 websites that help […]

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Long division, or the standard algorithm for division, deals with dividing multi-digit numbers — and that may be easier said than done. If kids haven’t gained confidence in using multiplication and subtraction, they can struggle even more with learning long division. At the same time, knowing how to multiply and subtract doesn’t help with remembering […]

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Home › Psychological News

Why do we procrastinate? Researchers finally did their homework to find out

By StudyFinds Staff

Mar 04, 2024

Photo by Magnet.me from Unsplash

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Procrastination, the art of delaying tasks we’d rather not tackle, is a familiar foe for many. However, an innovative new study sheds light on why some people are more prone to procrastination than others, linking this tendency to a psychological concept known as valence weighting bias . This bias influences whether individuals are more guided by positive or negative attitudes when facing new situations or decisions.

Scientists at The Ohio State University found a fascinating interplay between our attitudes and our actions, particularly when approaching tasks we find unpleasant .

Valence weighting bias, as explained by the team, is a mental process where individuals lean more heavily on either positive or negative attitudes or “signals” when encountering something new or deciding whether to engage in an activity.

“And the question is, which wins that battle — if, indeed, there are elements of both positivity and negativity?” says study senior author Russell Fazio, professor of psychology at Ohio State, in a university release .

Through a series of studies, researchers discovered that individuals with a tendency to focus on the negative aspects of a situation are more likely to procrastinate. Intriguingly, their research also suggests that it’s possible to adjust this bias towards a more neutral stance, potentially reducing the inclination to delay tasks.

The first study involved 232 participants and focused on a relatable scenario: filing federal tax returns . Researchers found that those who tend to file their returns late in the tax season also exhibited a stronger negative weighting bias. This connection suggests that people’s general attitudes can significantly influence their propensity to procrastinate on specific tasks.

A second study with 147 college students further explored this concept by examining how valence weighting bias and self-control affected students’ participation in a research program for course credit. The findings indicated that students with a negative bias and low motivation or self-control were more likely to delay their participation.

“The first study established the basic effect of negative weighting bias, but study two provides some nuance,” explains study first author Javier Granados Samayoa, a former Ohio state graduate student and now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.

“For people who don’t think about it too much or can’t think about it too much, their valence weighting tendencies guide their behavior in a straightforward manner. But if somebody is more motivated and able to think more about it, that might bring other considerations that dampen the influence of the valence weighting bias.”

The third study targeted self-identified procrastinators with a high negative weighting bias, attempting to alter their bias to make positive and negative signals more balanced. This intervention led to a significant change in behavior , with students earning credit hours more quickly than those who did not undergo the manipulation.

Researchers also found that a negative weighting bias isn’t always detrimental. It can encourage individuals to be more realistic in their self-assessment , such as when questioning if they’ve studied enough for a test. A positive bias, on the other hand, might lead to overconfidence .

“It’s better to be more objectively balanced than to be at either extreme,” notes Fazio. “But the situation where a particular valence weighting bias is likely to be problematic is going to vary.”

The implications of their research extend beyond academic curiosity, offering potential strategies for addressing procrastination by understanding and possibly altering our inherent biases. This study not only provides insight into why we procrastinate but also suggests a path towards more effective management of our tendencies to delay, which could have broad applications in educational settings and personal productivity strategies.

The study, supported by the John Templeton Foundation and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, is published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences .

You might also be interested in:

• Are you a ‘Precrastinator’? Study finds it may be worse than procrastinating
• Why We Hate Waiting: Science Solves Puzzle Behind Impatience
• Why do we still procrastinate despite it causing so much stress? Blame cognitive biases

About StudyFinds Staff

StudyFinds sets out to find new research that speaks to mass audiences — without all the scientific jargon. The stories we publish are digestible, summarized versions of research that are intended to inform the reader as well as stir civil, educated debate. StudyFinds Staff articles are AI assisted, but always thoroughly reviewed and edited by a Study Finds staff member. Read our AI Policy for more information.

Our Editorial Process

StudyFinds publishes digestible, agenda-free, transparent research summaries that are intended to inform the reader as well as stir civil, educated debate. We do not agree nor disagree with any of the studies we post, rather, we encourage our readers to debate the veracity of the findings themselves. All articles published on StudyFinds are vetted by our editors prior to publication and include links back to the source or corresponding journal article, if possible.

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This is a place for engineering students of any discipline to discuss study methods, get homework help, get job search advice, and find a compassionate ear when you get a 40% on your midterm after studying all night.

If I procrastinate engineering homework by watching videos on engineering, am I really procrastinating?

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If You Know What ‘Brainrot’ Means, You Might Already Have It

A popular term captures the condition of being terminally online, with humor and pathos.

Credit... Ohni Lisle

Supported by

By Jessica Roy

Jessica Roy is a writer based in Paris, where she moved at least in part to avoid brainrot after decades spent working in digital media.

• Published June 13, 2024 Updated June 17, 2024

If you or someone you love speaks almost exclusively in internet references — “It’s giving golden retriever boyfriend energy” or “Show it to me Rachel” — they may be suffering from a condition known as “brainrot.”

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

The term refers primarily to low-value internet content and the effects caused by spending too much time consuming it. Example: “I’ve been watching so many TikToks, I have brainrot.”

Online discussion of brainrot has recently grown so widespread that some social media users have begun creating parodies of people who seem to embody the condition.

Several videos by the TikTok user Heidi Becker show her facing the camera as she strings together one internet reference after another in rapid-fire fashion.

“Hiii, oh my god, the fit is fitting, pop off king!” she says at the start of a recent video that has over 200,000 likes.

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