Why We Keep Delaying: The Real Reason Your Brain Says ‘Not Now’

1. What the Study Looked At

Scientists wanted to understand why people postpone tasks, even when doing the task would help reduce stress.

They focused on emotion regulation, which means how well someone can manage uncomfortable feelings like worry, boredom, or fear of failure.

To explore this, researchers studied adults who often delayed tasks and compared them to people who rarely postponed.

They looked at:

• how emotions affected the urge to delay

• how stress changed motivation

• why doing something else (scrolling, snacking, cleaning) feels easier than starting the task you need to do

The big question was simple:
Do people postpone tasks because they are lazy, or because the task creates uncomfortable emotions their brain wants to avoid?

2. What They Found

1) People postpone to avoid uncomfortable feelings

Procrastination is not about being lazy.
It’s the brain trying to escape stress, boredom, or fear of not doing well.

Avoiding the task gives quick relief, so the brain repeats the delaying behavior.

2) Postponing makes tasks feel heavier

The longer you delay, the more stressful the task feels.
This increases:

• guilt

• anxiety

• pressure

…which makes starting even harder.

3) Postponing is linked to mood—not motivation

The study showed people postpone more when they have trouble regulating emotions.
This means procrastination is emotion-driven, not discipline-driven.

Your brain is protecting you from discomfort, not avoiding responsibility.

3. What This Means for Everyday Life

If you often postpone things like:

• replying to messages

• housework

• starting a project

• studying

• planning

• organizing

…it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.

It means:

• your brain wants to avoid an uncomfortable feeling

• your body may be stressed or overwhelmed

• the task feels emotionally “big,” not logically difficult

Most postponing happens because your brain says:

“Not now… I don’t feel ready.”

But you don’t need to feel ready.
You just need a tiny emotional shift.

Small resets help you start without waiting for perfect motivation.

4. Small Solution (Food, Actions, Thoughts — Simple and Real)

Here are small habits that actually help reduce emotional discomfort and make starting easier:

1) One-Minute Start Trick (Action)

Tell yourself:
“Just one minute.”
Start the task for one minute only.
Once you begin, the emotional block weakens.

2) Warm Drink Reset (Food)

Drink something warm (tea, warm water, ginger drink).
Warm temperature calms the nervous system and lowers stress, making tasks feel less heavy.

3) Micro-Task List (Thought)

Write ONLY the next tiny step:

• “open the document”

• “put one item away”

• “reply to one message”
  Small steps shrink emotional weight.

4) Nature-Switch Break (Action)

Step outside for 2–5 minutes.
Look at something natural: sky, tree, mountain, leaf.
This lowers stress and brings your brain back to “starting mode.”

These shifts don’t require strong motivation — just a small emotional reset.

5. Limitations

• Most research on postponing is done with students, not parents or busy adults.

• Stress, sleep, and mental load change how much people procrastinate.

• Not all delaying is emotional — some tasks are postponed for logical reasons.

• Emotional patterns take time to change; one tool may not fix everything.

• Studies rely on self-report, which may miss deeper emotional causes.

Reference

Sirois, F. M., & Pychyl, T. A. (2013). Procrastination and the priority of short-term mood regulation: Consequences for future self. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(2), 115–127. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12011