A study published in PLOS One on October 7, 2026, found procrastination was the most commonly reported life issue among US college students and the one most often linked to damage to academic performance. Researcher Itamar Shatz of the University of Cambridge analysed survey responses from 65,950 students across 97 US higher education institutions. The survey covered 36 health and life issues, from finances to sleep difficulties. As The Guardian reported, Shatz expected procrastination to cause harm but was surprised by how strongly students said it affected them.

The PLOS One study measured three things: how many students reported an issue, whether it hurt academic performance and whether it caused significant distress. Procrastination affected 72.3%, harmed academic work for 45.4% and caused significant distress for 45.7%. Its reported academic impact was 2.8 times that of finances and 3.5 times that of ADHD. Stress was similarly widespread, at 73.8%, but fewer students, 36.6%, said it harmed their academic performance. Among students who procrastinated, 62.7% reported academic harm.

According to PLOS One, procrastination was more widespread among undergraduates than graduate and professional students, at 74.8% against 66.2%. The share reporting harm to academic performance was 49.3% among undergraduates and 35.1% among graduates. Yet it remained a leading problem in both groups. As The Guardian explained, the study also raised the possibility of a vicious cycle: delaying an assignment can increase stress, stress can disrupt sleep, and poor sleep can make further delay more likely. One postponed essay may therefore become harder to face.

The Guardian spoke to Fuschia Sirois, a Durham University psychology professor who was not involved in the study. She said research on the harms of procrastination has existed for nearly 30 years, while this large descriptive survey adds a useful comparison across problems. But it is a snapshot, she cautioned, so conclusions about cause and effect are limited. Sirois also challenged the idea that procrastination is laziness or a character flaw. People may delay work to escape difficult emotions in the short term, only to face guilt, shame and stress later.

In a University of Cambridge account of his book Solving Procrastination, Shatz recommends turning overwhelming work into manageable steps. For an essay, that could mean separating the reading, planning and drafting rather than treating the whole assignment as one looming task. He also recommends starting with easy wins to build momentum. If a deadline feels intimidating, his toolkit suggests planning for likely obstacles and questioning catastrophic thoughts rather than waiting for the fear to disappear. The aim is to make the next action concrete enough to begin.

Shatz also advises putting friction between yourself and temptations and arranging your surroundings to reduce distractions, according to the University of Cambridge. He urges people to reject perfectionism in favour of progress that is good enough, and to work with their natural productivity rhythms rather than against them. For people whose attention keeps shifting, he suggests specific goals and support from an accountability buddy. These are not demands to work every minute. His broader aim is to help people decide how to spend their time with less guilt and stress.

The Guardian reported that Shatz wants universities to treat procrastination as a serious student obstacle rather than a minor time management problem fixable with a flyer. He argues for positive interventions because research shows they can help. For a student facing an essay deadline tonight, the message is not to wait for perfect motivation or a perfect first sentence. The Cambridge account of his toolkit points instead to a manageable first step, fewer distractions and a willingness to produce imperfect progress. Starting is a practical response to the delay, not a verdict on character.