Murray, NEB- Procrastination: we’ve all done it. That big essay? It can wait. That project you swore you’d start weeks ago? Tomorrow sounds better. But have you ever stopped to wonder why we procrastinate? Psychologists say it’s not just laziness, there’s more to it.

One common reason is fear of failure. When we care about doing something well, it’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of perfectionism. The thought of not meeting our own, or others’, expectations can be scary. So instead of starting, we avoid the task altogether. Ironically, the longer we wait, the more rushed and imperfect the final product becomes, reinforcing that fear.

Another big factor is how we view time. Behavioral psychologists describe something called present bias: we’re wired to prioritize short, term comfort over long, term goals. Scrolling social media or watching a show feels good right now, while starting a tough assignment feels, well, hard. Even when we know we’re setting ourselves up for stress later, the immediate reward of avoiding the task often wins.

There’s also the issue of decision paralysis. When a task feels overwhelming, our brains struggle to decide where to begin. This often leads to what psychologists call task aversion. The bigger or more complicated something seems, the more we dread starting it. Instead of breaking it into manageable steps, we shut down and do something easier, like cleaning our room or reorganizing our apps.
The good news is that understanding why we procrastinate can help us stop it. Start by breaking tasks into smaller pieces and rewarding yourself for progress, no matter how small. You should tell yourself that perfection isn’t the goal, progress is.

Procrastination is a normal part of life, but it doesn’t have to control us. With a little self awareness and a few strategies, we can stop putting things off and start getting things done.