The Science Of Procrastination (And How To Outsmart It)

by Giulia Stivanello

June 12, 2025

Imagine this: you’re at your desk, books open, highlighters meticulously arranged like an artist preparing their palette. You promise yourself, today is the day I’ll be productive.

Fast forward twenty minutes, and you’re engrossed in a video about the survival tactics of deep-sea creatures.

Fascinating? Definitely.Relevant to your upcoming economics exam? Not even close.Welcome to the world of procrastination, the silent thief of academic success.But what compels us to avoid what we know we should be doing? Science has some intriguing insights.

Procrastination isn’t just about being lazy; it’s a tug-of-war between different parts of your brain. The limbic system, which craves pleasure and immediate rewards, thrives on dopamine, the chemical that makes endless social media scrolling so addictive. Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortex, the rational decision-maker, reminds you of that looming deadline. Unfortunately, the limbic system often overpowers logic, convincing you that another episode of your favourite show is a perfectly reasonable choice.

Sometimes, procrastination is rooted in anxiety. When an assignment feels intimidating or we fear performing poorly, avoidance becomes our default strategy.

“If I don’t start, I can’t fail,” our brain rationalises.

Unfortunately, professors rarely accept “crippling self-doubt” as a valid reason for late work. We tend to believe that our future selves will be more disciplined, focused, and capable of tackling responsibilities.

This concept, known as temporal discounting, leads us to prioritise present comfort over future success.

The truth? Future You will likely also be scrolling social media at 2 AM, regretting today’s decisions. Fortunately, psychology offers strategies to counteract procrastination:

The Five-Minute Rule: Commit to just five minutes of work. Once you start, momentum usually keeps you going.Combine studying with something enjoyable, like playing background music or rewarding yourself after completing a section.

Breaking Tasks into Steps: Large projects feel overwhelming, so trick your brain by dividing them into smaller, manageable parts. Self-Compassion Matters:Research suggests that forgiving yourself for procrastinating makes it easier to break the cycle.

At the end of the day, procrastination is a universal challenge.But with self-awareness and strategic techniques, you can reduce its grip and maybe (just maybe) start that essay before the last minute.

Now, back to studying.

(or at least, planning to study)!