05/06/2026
Procrastination is described as voluntarily delaying or postponing a task, decision or action that we intend to do, even when we know that the consequences will affect us.
In psychology, procrastination is seen as a self-regulatory failure, meaning we fail to align our actions with our intentions, and is associated with instant gratification (our brain wants to do something that it’s rewording now, not later) and emotional discomfort (it’s difficult and it should be easy or I’m not doing it).
Self-regulatory failure is a normal part of being human, but chronic gaps can lead to stress, guilt, lower achievement and mental health issues.