For the typical college student, myself included, hastily studying for exams, cranking out a paper the night before it's due, and starting homework late at night is not uncommon. In the moment, I'm miserable—I curse myself for postponing my work to the last minute and vow never to let it happen again. And yet, each time I successfully click that shiny "submit" button just before 11:59 p.m., I forget my lesson. It’s so easy to let this vicious cycle of procrastination repeat itself, but why does it happen in the first place?

A common misconception about procrastination is that it is caused by laziness. However, according to a study conducted at Sorbonne University, procrastination is attributed to temporal discounting. Also called present bias, temporal discounting is the cognitive bias or tendency to prefer smaller, immediate rewards and devalue delayed ones, even if they are greater. This suggests that individuals are less motivated to act on rewards that are temporally distant from their tasks. As the time required to receive a reward after task completion increases, the perceived value of the reward decreases, causing individuals to prioritize immediate tasks over long-term ones.

Additionally, procrastination is more likely to occur when tasks are less rewarding and more effortful. This is linked to emotional regulation failure in response to task aversiveness, a pattern in procrastination behavior. Effort discounting only exacerbates the effects of temporal discounting.

Mood has also been shown to affect impulse control. When you are upset, your impulse control breaks down, giving precedence to emotional distress regulation. In the context of procrastination, an individual in a poor mood is more likely to delay their dull, tedious work in hopes that it will raise their mood, despite knowing that it is only temporary and that there may be adverse consequences to this behavior.

From a biological perspective, procrastination is a stalemate between two conflicting brain parts, the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for cognitive functions like decision-making and rational thought. On the other hand, the limbic system controls our behavioral and emotional responses, which can hinder our productivity. While the prefrontal cortex tells us to prioritize long-term goals over short-term gratification, the limbic system sends emotional signals of boredom and dread when faced with a task that we deem difficult or unenjoyable. 

This tempts us to seek ways of avoiding the task, whether that be mindlessly scrolling on social media or completing random, unimportant jobs. After succumbing to this temptation, the limbic system switches on a function called "immediate mood repair." The brain's reward system then releases dopamine from engaging in an activity perceived as more enjoyable or to have more immediate rewards, reinforcing the habit of avoiding challenging or less enjoyable tasks.

A Sorbonne University study found that recurrent procrastination is linked to iterative decisions to repeatedly defer to temptations. The chase for short-term gratification and rewards over working towards long-term goals makes it more challenging to break the cycle. Additionally, receiving a positive result, such as getting a good grade on an assignment despite procrastinating, can reinforce this behavior. However, the ability to successfully meet deadlines or to function under pressure does not negate the harmfulness of procrastination. According to Georgetown University’s School of Nursing, the chronic stress caused by recurrent procrastination can result in a myriad of mental and physical health issues, such as anxiety, chronic fatigue, cardiovascular disease, migraines, panic attacks, and metabolic disorders.

Procrastination affects around 70% of students. While that may encompass a sizable number of people you know, it is not impossible to overcome. Try practicing time-chunking or reframing your perception of the task at hand to reduce the influence of your limbic system and help your prefrontal cortex regain control. Additionally, consider interspersing your task completion with small rewards to reinforce productive behaviors rather than avoidant ones, and to satisfy your brain’s dopamine craving.