Procrastination is a common experience—one that almost everyone has encountered at some point. However, it is far more complex than not wanting to do something and is actually deeply rooted in our psychology, cognitive function, and mental health.
For some people, procrastination is occasional, but for others, it becomes a persistent challenge that can affect academic performance, work productivity, mental health, and overall well-being. So, why do we procrastinate? And how does it relate to mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, ADHD, and perfectionism? This blog explores the neuroscience behind procrastination, its connection to mental health, and strategies for managing it effectively.
Procrastination is the intentional delay of a task, usually something we find boring or difficult, even though we recognize the potential consequences of avoiding it. However, addressing procrastination is not as simple as perhaps it's made out to be. Things like better time management don't begin to cover the complexities of procrastination. People procrastinate for different reasons and in different ways. In this article, we’re focusing on procrastination driven by emotional factors such as fear, anxiety, or overwhelm—when avoidance becomes a coping mechanism.
Procrastination isn’t about willpower—it’s how our brain responds to stress, effort, and reward. Two key systems influence whether we complete or avoid a task:
Ideally, these systems work together, but when we feel immense stress, fatigue, or overwhelm, the limbic system becomes more active, influencing our decisions. As part of the limbic system includes our ‘fight or flight’ response, it prioritizes immediate relief over long-term benefits. Thus, when the limbic system is more activated, we are much more likely to procrastinate.
For example, choosing between cleaning your house (effortful but rewarding later) or watching TV (effortless and instantly soothing) depends on which system is in control. If the prefrontal cortex is engaged, it weighs the future benefits and keeps you on track. But if the limbic system is driving the response, it pushes for the quickest way to reduce discomfort, making avoidance feel like the best option.
Dopamine, the brain’s reward neurotransmitter, also plays a role (7) . Dopamine helps the brain assess effort vs. reward and when we receive dopamine in our brian, we get a “feel good” boost, telling us that we should repeat that behaviour and vice versa low dopamine tells us that something is not enjoyable and we tend to want to avoid it. Low dopamine levels make tasks feel harder, delaying the sense of reward and increasing procrastination while healthy dopamine levels support motivation, focus, and learning from past experiences (i.e. what experiences feel like they should be repeated). Since dopamine helps us assess effort vs. reward, those with lower levels struggle more with motivation, distraction, and task initiation.
Since decision making is impacted by our emotional and mental resources, a person’s current mental health state impacts their ability to take action. As we have learned, procrastination can be a response to emotional distress or cognitive overload.
Perfectionism & Procrastination
Perfectionism refers to the demand on oneself to perform flawlessly, without error and setting very high expectations of oneself that are not always realistic to the situation. Perfectionism is also categorized by a critical self evaluation (2; 12). When the fear of making mistakes or not meeting unrealistic standards becomes overwhelming, avoidance can feel like the best option to gain relief - even if only temporarily - which can ultimately lead to delays in starting or completing tasks.
Anxiety, Depression & Procrastination
Anxiety and depression affect decision-making by disrupting the brain’s ability to assess risk, reward, and effort (3), making procrastination more likely.Those with anxiety tend to overestimate the risk involved, particularly when there is existing fear around a specific association. For example; if someone experiences social anxiety and has to prepare for a presentation, this would provoke a lot of fear, and the risk would feel substantial. Depression lowers energy and motivation, which increases the effort to complete a task and also reduces the expectation that engaging in a task will feel rewarding (3). Because anxiety and depression affect how we assess rewards and perceive threats, avoidance—or procrastination—can feel like the safest option to escape what feels overwhelming or distressing.
ADHD & Procrastination
ADHD also plays a significant role in procrastination due to challenges with attention, emotional regulation, and motivation. Those with ADHD often have lower dopamine levels, which can make it harder to engage with and sustain effort on tasks—especially routine or mundane ones—leading to a higher likelihood of procrastination. As noted above, emotion regulation plays a key role in managing procrastination. People with ADHD struggle with self-regulation and self-esteem making it harder to work through emotions like overwhelm, frustration, or boredom, increasing the tendency to seek immediate relief through avoidance(1).
Getting to the Root of it: As we have learned, procrastination is not just a time management issue—it is influenced by cognitive processes, emotional regulation, and mental health. While general strategies can help, working with a mental health professional can provide deeper insight into understanding what triggers procrastination for you personally and helo you to develop tailored approaches that support your unique needs and challenges.
Optimize your Environment: Our environment plays a big role in our ability to focus. Maybe you are someone who is easily drawn to your phone by the ring of a message or likely to seek that instant gratification by watching a show instead of writing your paper. If you have a specific task to work on, think about where you might be most likely to engage - maybe removing some of those instant gratification distractions. If possible, you can pair the activity with something you enjoy (i.e. working in a coffee shop) so the task doesn’t feel as burdensome.
Break Tasks into Manageable Steps: Specifically for those who deal with feeling overwhelmed and tend to avoid as a result, breaking tasks into smaller and more digestible chunks makes it feel more achievable. For every section of work completed, you can associate a small reward with it to build motivation. You can even use apps that gamify tasks turning them into challenges or rewards.
Emotion Regulation: When self-regulation is low—whether due to anxiety, stress, or depression—procrastination is more likely. Learning to recognize emotional roadblocks and practicing coping tools that work for you can help. If we don’t know how to regulate our emotions, when faced with an emotional trigger or we become emotionally overwhelmed, our limbic system kicks into overdrive urging us to seek that instant relief. Building emotion regulation can be done through therapy, but there are also apps and online resources that can teach skills such as anxiety coping strategies, deep breathing, and mindfulness that can introduce individuals to emotion regulation strategies.
Be Curious, Not Critical: Procrastination happens! We are all human. We cannot reverse time. Try reflecting on the situation with curiosity instead of self-criticism. Think about how you would respond to your best friend or loved one if they were telling you about the situation. Think about what stressors were present, were there any emotional aspects at play, is there anything that is within your control to adjust?
Create a Schedule That Works for You: Everybody works differently and has different needs when they are approaching a task or a project. Consider when you focus best, how often you need breaks, and any life factors that may affect your productivity. Factor in the fact that there may be distractions that could pull you away. For example: If you work afternoons but manage to get your children ready for school in the morning, planning to get caught up on house tasks on your mornings off may not be supportive of your goals and your unique needs.
Overall, procrastination - while a seemingly simple decision - is actually complex interaction. While occasional procrastination is normal, chronic avoidance can have a significant impact on our overall well-being. By understanding the underlying causes of procrastination that are specific to you and implementing strategies to optimize our environment, regulate emotions, and create realistic routines, we become better equipped to manage procrastination—or rather, the factors that contribute to it.
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References
P. Sederlund, A., R. Burns, L., & Rogers, W. (2020). Multidimensional models of perfectionism and procrastination: Seeking determinants of both. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(14), 5099. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17145099
