Study reveals what drives people to procrastinate

It’s official — procrastination o’clock hits at 12:06 p.m. on a Monday, according to new research.

From watching TV and movies (50%), to simply laying in bed (39%) or taking a nap (29%), a survey of 2,000 U.S. adults revealed that procrastination plagues the nation, as 71% of Americans are guilty of procrastinating.

Still, 76% admit that they feel guilty when doing so.

Another place Americans will turn is to their phone, scrolling through social media to avoid their to-do list (42%).

The average American spends almost two and a half hours on social media every single day, despite trying to limit their consumption to just under two hours (1.9).

Still, 10% spend between five and eight hours scrolling and 18% don’t even attempt to try and limit their social media time.

Taking that a step further, half of Americans agree that their phone is like a fifth appendage and are only inspired to put it down for family dinners (50%), special events, such as birthdays or weddings (35%) or dates (22%).

Aside from social scrolling, respondents are also putting off tasks by playing video games (22%) and calling family and friends (19%). This may be why 28% admit that their phone is usually the main reason why they aren’t getting things done.

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Dave’s Killer Bread, results also found that respondents would also rather grab a bite to eat (33%), go for a walk (30%) or drive (20%) or simply do nothing (31%) than tackle their to-do list.

Many can be swayed to start crossing items off if they’re expecting friends or family (30%) or have the perfect snack (17%) and playlist (17%).

Another 34% are likely to “gamify” their agenda, and reward themselves with a snack (30%) or quick social media scroll (25%) upon completing a task.

Others are likely to enlist the rest of the household (14%) and will stage a competition with one another (19%) or pretend they’re on a gameshow (14%).

"Tackling your to-do list isn't always the most exciting part of the day, and with so many distractions, it’s easy to find ourselves procrastinating,” said Jillian Cohn, Director of Brand Management for Dave’s Killer Bread. “The good news is that something as simple as an energy-boosting snack or your favorite playlist can improve your mood and motivation. Incorporating these small pleasures into your day can transform your approach to getting things done."

When asked the smallest or strangest things they’ve procrastinated, Americans outlined scenarios such as, “washing my hair,” “using the restroom,” “trimming my toenails,” “taking out the trash” and even “making a phone call.”

Regardless, 70% find that they’re able to cross more things off their to-do list when they’re alone than with help from others.

And another 55% even admit they’re more likely to put things off if they’re hungry.

But when it’s all said and done, almost one in five (19%) find that the tasks they’d been putting off always take a shorter amount of time than expected.

"Even the smallest tasks can sometimes feel overwhelming, and that's perfectly normal. It's important to be kind to yourself and celebrate your wins, no matter how big or small,” Cohn added. “Whether you're tackling your daily tasks or taking a much-needed break, a tasty and nutritious snack can be just what you need to recharge and keep you on track."

WHAT WOULD AMERICANS RATHER DO THAN THEIR TO-DO LIST?

• Take a nap - 39%
• Visit with family and friends - 33%
• Grab a bite to eat - 33%
• Do nothing - 31%
• Go for a walk - 30%
• Go shopping - 28%
• Go for a drive - 20%
• Work out - 16%
• Catch up on work - 10%

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans; the survey was commissioned by Dave’s Killer Bread and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between July 19 to July 22, 2024.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
• Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
• Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
• Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.