The flames are already close — I can hear them crackling, licking the walls, consuming the corners. They’re inside the room now, but not close enough yet to drown in the fire along with the rest of the paperwork. Not yet. I sit hunched over my screen, scrolling through another short video, as if each new clip is my fireproof shield. The feed is tempting — so much easier to face than the tasks I need to do. My fingers greedily touch the glass while the fire creeps toward today’s growing pile of important things. But it’s not really burning yet, right? At least not badly enough to drop the phone. Not yet. I tell myself I’ll make it — just a little later. When the flames are closer. When the smoke is thicker and there’s no air left — then I’ll know. For now — maybe I’ll just listen to a podcast. Or check my notifications. That’s important too, right? Just a little break. Until something catches fire that can’t be put out.
In this episode of the Misery Shared Podcast, Slava talks about procrastination. He explores why our logical, well-calibrated bodies sometimes behave so irrationally — especially when urgent tasks are at stake. Why do we get distracted by social media feeds, even when everything’s already “on fire” and we desperately need to finish work? Should we worry about this — and is there anything we can actually do about it?
Disclaimer: the author makes it clear that he is not a psychologist or a psychotherapist. He strongly opposes any form of online diagnosis. This podcast is not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. Its purpose is to explain things in simple terms and to encourage people to seek help from a therapist — even if it feels like a waste of time. It also aims to help listeners choose a good mental health professional.
Procrastination has many faces. You might have already recognized it in the “fire” metaphor at the start — though of course, in real life, missing an actual fire due to procrastination is unlikely. But if you’re buried under a pile of urgent tasks — especially ones you associate with discomfort or monotony (if monotony, for example, can feel uncomfortable) — and you choose to delay them in favor of something more enjoyable, even if it’s not important… that’s procrastination. Here’s a key detail: ask yourself — does switching to that pleasant activity bring even brief relief? Or take another example: you’re going to bed knowing you have to wake up early. You set your alarm… but instead of turning everything off, you open TikTok, Reels, or Shorts — doesn’t matter which. And then you stay there far too long, maybe even doing mental math to figure out how many hours of sleep you’ll still get… but you don’t put the phone down. Not until the remaining time becomes visibly insufficient for proper rest. That’s procrastination too.
The defining feature of procrastination is that it’s always tied to some kind of deadline or urgent task — and to choosing a more enjoyable, but non-essential activity, even at the expense of what really needs to be done.
To be fair, when there’s barely any time left, a switch can sometimes flip into a kind of super-productive mode, where everything gets done — but so last-minute that only a second remains on the clock. However, when procrastination is tied to falling asleep, you’re essentially borrowing time from your sleep. Since not everything can be done as quickly as you’d like, it’s impossible to catch up on sleep quickly.
Is this normal? Of course, this is not how nature intended things to work. So why does it happen? We’ve already had more than one episode exploring how our brain functions — and it always seemed that everything in it is precise and well-calibrated. Even when it makes incorrect conclusions, like associating bedtime with anxiety. For example, just the thought of having to try to fall asleep might trigger stress. That’s because the brain wasn’t the first to act — some external circumstance originally interfered with falling asleep. And then the brain began to protect you from that stress, remembering it as something connected specifically with going to sleep. So even there, we can trace a certain logic — how the brain tries to shield us from “danger,” even at the cost of its own well-being. But with procrastination — what’s different?
Where did this logic come from — that doing something at the very last moment is somehow better than calmly keeping up with everything? Or that instead of falling asleep, it’s better to intentionally stay awake, even if you’re exhausted and really want to rest?
The answer isn’t obvious, because the question is framed incorrectly. Cause and effect are mixed up. This behavior didn’t emerge just because the last moment seems somehow wonderful. In fact, it doesn’t seem wonderful at all. With procrastination — just like with OCD, by the way — we clearly understand the consequences, but still can’t stop. It’s like a learned behavior.
Somehow, the brain once decided this was the better way. But where could such a habit come from? With OCD, it’s clear: at some point, anxiety hinted that checking the front door or a store receipt could bring relief. And then you got stuck in that loop — checking anything that feels like your personal responsibility. But procrastination? How do you explain the habit of not going to sleep on time, even when you’re literally dozing off? It’s not that you can’t fall asleep due to a shifted circadian rhythm. Even though you’re tired and want to sleep, you’ve chosen to stay up late.
The answer is the same as with OCD. It’s still anxiety. To be fair, though, it’s not always a reaction purely to stress. But when anxiety is the cause, procrastination can be seen as your body’s response to stress — just in a different form.
Since the body can’t resolve anxiety on its own, if that’s what it is, it learns to find ways — either to cope with it or to avoid it altogether. And in different situations, different people arrive at different conclusions. Some find relief in checking things repeatedly. Others — their brain starts seeking quick dopamine hits, the very chemical responsible for motivation. Even if it’s working with an imbalance in the system. And then, it’s no longer a way to deal with anxiety — but to escape it.
Dopamine is responsible for motivation, but with procrastination, the reward isn’t for completing a task — it’s for getting distracted. Then it rewards you again — for not going back to the task. And then a bit more — for continuing to do something less stressful. Essentially, it’s like a black market inside your body, legalized by the brain just to keep things calm. This is, of course, a very loose metaphor — but in everyday life, we tend to associate motivation with different values: praise, success, or a job well done. Not with avoidance and rewards for distraction.
What scientific research exists on gaming addiction, and how is it similar to procrastination? What underlying conditions can procrastination reveal, and should we even fight it? Find out all this and more in this episode of the Misery Shared Podcast.
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