Is procrastination just laziness?

Usually not—it's mostly avoiding uncomfortable feelings.

Is it linked to ADHD?

Chronic procrastination can be a symptom; consider an evaluation if it's severe.

Procrastination

🧠 Psychology By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated October 26, 2026

Procrastination is voluntarily delaying an intended task despite expecting to be worse off. Researchers see it less as laziness than as a problem of managing emotions.

Contents

1. Why we procrastinate
2. What actually works
3. FAQ
4. References

Why we procrastinate

Fuschia Sirois and Tim Pychyl describe procrastination as short-term mood repair: dodging boredom or anxiety right now at the cost of your future self. Piers Steel's meta-analysis found people delay more when tasks are unpleasant, rewards are distant, impulsivity is high, and self-efficacy is low. Perfectionism mattered less than expected.

What actually works

Form implementation intentions—"at 9 a.m. at my desk, I'll write the intro." Break big tasks into a five-minute first step and remove distractions. One study found students who forgave themselves for procrastinating procrastinated less next time, so self-compassion helps. Pad your deadlines to counter the planning fallacy.

FAQ

Is procrastination just laziness?: Usually not—it's mostly avoiding uncomfortable feelings.
Is it linked to ADHD?: Chronic procrastination can be a symptom; consider an evaluation if it's severe.

Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26

References

Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65–94.
Sirois, F., & Pychyl, T. (2013). Procrastination and the priority of short-term mood regulation. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(2), 115–127.
Gollwitzer, P. M. (1999). Implementation intentions. American Psychologist, 54(7), 493–503.

Reports and materials that use this theory (Korean)

There are no materials dedicated to this theory yet, but you can search related reports in the CampusDown library (Korean).

Find more reports · Search '지연행동' on CampusDown →

Planning fallacyKahneman and Tversky's planning fallacy, the thesis-deadline study, famous cost overruns like the Sydney Opera House, and fixes that work: taking the outside view and reference class forecasting.🧠 Psychology Self-compassionWhat self-compassion means in Kristin Neff's model—self-kindness, common humanity, mindfulness—how it differs from self-esteem, research on lower anxiety and higher motivation, and simple exercises to try.🧠 Psychology Self-EfficacyBandura's self-efficacy: efficacy versus outcome expectations, the four sources (mastery, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, physiological states), level, strength and generality, measurement, and uses in learning, health behaviour and counselling.🧠 Psychology Maslow's Hierarchy of NeedsMaslow's hierarchy of needs explained: definition, the five levels, deficiency vs. growth needs, the pyramid myth, empirical criticisms and limitations, report examples for social work, nursing and business, and references.🧠 Psychology

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This article was last updated on October 26, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.