Why it’s So Hard to Just “Start Studying”, and How to Fix it

We all know the feeling. You sit down, your desk tidy, hair tied back, study material laid out in front of you. You feel so ready, the view in front of you looks so perfect, yet… so overwhelming. 

While this may be excused as occasional anxiety or burn out, the engulfing fear of beginning turns to unproductivity, turns to lost opportunity, turns to lost potential. A seemingly small issue magnifies in scale and effect when that issue is consistently present. What’s there to such a simple task?

What is this “Hesitance” to Start?

The resistance that we face on a daily basis is caused by procrastination, defined as “the act of delaying or postponing something”. That is to say, that if I am faced with a daunting task I associate negative emotions with, I would have no incentive to do it, or in other words, no motivation. Motivation refers to the process in which we have the desire to complete a task, not only for the sake of the dopamine and the feel-good hormones, but for individual safety and relief. 

So why doesn’t that logic apply to certain things? Your brain subconsciously prioritizes immediate wellbeing to achieve consistent bodily function, thus when tasks appear as a threat to an individual’s mood, the amygdala releases adrenaline, immediately putting you in a fight-or-flight situation. The immense pressure influences impulses in the prefrontal cortex, impacting one’s patience and emotional stability. Consequently, your brain decides to ignore your instinct and put off stressful tasks. Studies show that 90-95% of college students consistently struggle with procrastination.

What intensifies such procrastination is a simulation that requires shorter focus levels and little to no effort, while boosting overall mood. That simulation is social media.

How Social Media Destroys Study Progress Before it Starts

So is the rumour true that our phones are causing humans to self-deteriorate and “dumbify” the entire population? Yes. 

Social media is designed as an entertainment feeder: a simple to use platform that stuffs you with short form content. You will note the emphasis on “short”. Apps such as Instagram and Tiktok provide an endless stream of video content tailored to an individual’s interests, triggering the mind’s reward system and creating the “infinite dopamine loop”. Add a sprinkle of catchy visuals and hunger for instant gratification, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for addiction.

Is it Possible to Beat Procrastination?

It’s as hard as it seems. Yes, it’s possible to beat procrastination, but no, it’s not an easy task. Which is exactly why your brain decides to put it off and continue to be lured into the welcoming arms of online entertainment. However, the ways in which one approaches stressful tasks can be the key to productivity.

1. Break your daunting tasks into smaller ones

The straightforward solution to beating procrastination would be to adopt the elements that make social media so captivating. When tasks seem too overwhelming, create smaller milestones such as “watching x video related to said study topic” or merely “studying for five minutes”. The purpose of this method is to get the ball rolling, to trick your mind into this system where you are rewarded with dopamine for doing something. Because something is always better than nothing. Your vision should always be clear, because how else will you know what needs to get done?

2. Emphasize the fear of failure

It’s not as bad as it sounds. You procrastinate because you fear the consequences you will face if you don’t complete a certain task – whether that’s receiving a bad grade or being disciplined by your parents. But that fear can be transformed into a powerful mechanism, when you do it right. Instead of avoiding this fear, face it, look at it dead in the eye, and utilize those emotions as your source of motivation. If you have no incentive to want to study, find an incentive to not want to not study (I know, it’s confusing). That is to say, that if you fear what will happen if you don’t complete a task, you would have already gathered the motivation to want to finish in order to avoid said consequences.

All in all, there is no “set method” or the “key” to overcoming procrastination, however these techniques do come in a close second. It’s just a normal, humanly thing, a part of life that you just have to get used to.

Works Cited

Goldman, Bruce. “Addictive Potential of Social Media, Explained.” News Center, 29 Oct. 2021, med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2021/10/addictive-potential-of-social-media-explained.html. Accessed 28 July 2025.

Jody Michael Associates. “How to Beat Procrastination: 14 Ways to Break the Cycle.” Jody Michael Associates, 20 Nov. 2017, www.jodymichael.com/blog/beat-procrastination/. Accessed 28 July 2025.

Oxford Languages. “Oxford Languages.” Oxford Languages, Oxford University Press, 2025, languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/. Accessed 27 July 2025.

Rose, Steve. “How Does Motivation Work?” Steve Rose, PhD, 15 Sept. 2020, steverosephd.com/how-does-motivation-work/. Accessed 27 July 2025.

Shatz, Itamar. “How Fear (Especially of Failure) and Procrastination Are Connected and What to Do about It – Solving Procrastination.” Solving Procrastination, 2024, solvingprocrastination.com/fear/. Accessed 28 July 2025.

---. “Why People Procrastinate: The Psychology and Causes of Procrastination – Solving Procrastination.” Solving Procrastination, 2019, solvingprocrastination.com/why-people-procrastinate/. Accessed 27 July 2025.

TED-Ed. “Why You Procrastinate Even When It Feels Bad.” Www.youtube.com, TED-ED, 27 Oct. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWTNMzK9vG4. Accessed 27 July 2025.

Terada, Youki. “3 Reasons Students Procrastinate—and How to Help Them Stop.” Edutopia, 11 Feb. 2020, www.edutopia.org/article/3-reasons-students-procrastinate-and-how-help-them-stop/. Accessed 27 July 2025.