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By: Kayla Lam

I’m sure you have caught yourself, or know of a friend, who does virtually nothing despite being aware of their workload and the unavoidable consequences of not fulfilling their responsibilities. Yet many still cannot pick themselves up to get started until the very last minute. Why is that?


If that sounds like you, you are likely experiencing the global phenomenon of procrastination. Procrastination is defined as the act of delaying or putting off tasks, usually till the very last minute or even past the deadline. If you do experience this, you are not alone. In fact, a recent study by an educational company Magoosh has shown that 86% of high school students procrastinate on their schoolwork. How does procrastination have such a strong grip on students worldwide? 

Procrastination can be caused by a variety of reasons—but first it must be understood that it can go beyond what many people consider to be laziness. Procrastinators are often perfectionists, who would rather not start the task at all than to face the risk of not doing it well. Procrastination can also be driven by avoiding tasks as the procrastinator does not believe they will enjoy doing it, and therefore put off the task to avoid making themselves unhappy. Another reason people may procrastinate is when they are intimidated by the sheer amount and complexity of their workload. They feel too overwhelmed to even start or too drained and fatigued to begin. It can also be something else entirely—they may even believe that the tasks are easy, resulting in a sense of security that they still have plenty of time to complete it. 

So, how can one combat procrastination? A big factor that contributes to procrastination is the feeling that you need to feel motivated to work, so you wait for that feeling of motivation to arrive. The truth is, if it is an undesirable or unenjoyable task, that motivation might never come and the task never gets finished. If you don’t have the motivation to do it, find it! Instead of focusing on the task itself, focus on why you should do it. Consider why it is important that you do it. What would be the consequences of not doing it? For example, the consequences of not finishing your homework could be a lowered grade average. This provides a reason and a drive for you to start. Once you realize why you should do it, get started immediately. Don’t let your brain have time to find reasons for you to not do it and convince you otherwise. Once you start and build momentum, you will likely not want to stop. 

If you don’t believe you will be able to do the task well and that others will judge you for it, focus instead on how you feel about not doing anything at all, even though you have the capacity to. Consider what is a better use of your time—working towards your goal or not doing anything at all. Think of it as a school test: would you rather at least attempt to fill out your sheet and potentially get a low grade, or would you rather leave it blank since you believe you won’t get a high grade anyway and end up with a zero? 

And if you simply feel too overwhelmed and fatigued to start, try to break down your task into smaller steps and commit to them. If you have a large assignment to complete, separate it into different sections and complete them one by one across multiple days. If you have a content-heavy test to study for, work on one unit or chapter at a time each day. Make the tasks seem so simple that you just want to get it done because it’s just that easy.

To conclude, procrastination commonly stems from either an overwhelming workload, avoiding unhappiness in fulfilling their responsibilities, not having the energy to start, perfectionism and fear of failure, or a false sense of security that one has plenty of time to finish their work. By identifying the specific reason behind your case and strategizing against it, you can also escape the cycle of procrastination. 

Works Cited

Cherry, Kendra. “Procrastination: Why It Happens and How to Overcome It.” Verywell Mind, 29 September 2025, https://www.verywellmind.com/the-psychology-of-procrastination-2795944. Accessed 26 November 2025.

“Procrastination.” Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/basics/procrastination. Accessed 26 November 2025.

Wong, Ava. “Students suffer at the hands of time: the root of procrastination in high school.” The Dispatch, 12 January 2023, https://thedispatchonline.net/17272/indepth/students-suffer-at-the-hands-of-time-the-root-of-procrastination-in-high-school/. Accessed 26 November 2025.