eli5: what is procrastination from a psychological perspective, and why is it so hard to stop?
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There is an interesting scientific paper ([here](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/294109795_Procrastination_as_a_Fast_Life_History_Strategy)) that links procrastination with a general harsh life: more impulsivity, more risks taken and more impatient for the future. You live such a harsh life if the environment is also harsh. Your behavior will be changed by a degree from your original tendency. You may be quite focused when you were young, but when you get older you find you begin to procrastinate.
Procrastination could be a good thing: if the world changes very fast, or it is very stressful, thinking too much and taking action slowly will be a loss. Your brain will prioritize immediate benefits for you. You will consider and do whatever is at hand as long as it is not bad.
Scientists researching your brain find (for example, [here](https://www.nature.com/articles/srep33203)) that if you procrastinate more, your brain is (a) hyper-active for the network not involved in processing specific hard tasks (called *Default Mode Network*, DMN); and (b) more failure for the part that controls your decision to influence that network. (a) could make you have more dispersed attention to yourself and the general environment around you, and produce more random detailed thoughts; (b) make you have less self-control. The usually blamed “limbic system” for your emotion is more closely linked to the DMN, hence bad temper or depression will make you worse.
(So there is a paradox even yourself can feel it: you wanted to take more action but in reality, you did not.)
Your brain is flexible by and large. But it changes much slower than your everyday life. Harsh and stressful life is a common experience for modern people. That is why we find people procrastinating more and hard to stop.
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