A study says procrastination may make you forget the task altogether: Why boring tasks may slip your mind

A message arrives while you watch a video. Someone needs an answer, but replying means checking a document. You will deal with it later. By evening, the message sits beneath newer conversations. The next morning, another notification arrives: “Did you get a chance to check?” Only then do you remember.

A 2026 study suggests boredom and procrastination are linked to these everyday failures to remember future intentions. Putting off a task may involve more than missing a deadline. The task itself can slip out of mind.

What the 2026 procrastination study found

Psychologists Maximilian Haas and Corinna Martarelli, from UniDistance Suisse in Switzerland, followed 102 adults for 30 days. Participants recorded intentions and rated boredom and procrastination. Tasks perceived as boring were more likely to be postponed. Delay was related to more prospective memory failures.


Published May 2026 in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.

The results are from diaries and questionnaires. They show associations, not that procrastination is a direct cause of forgetting. Participants described their own experiences; the team did not measure brain activity.

Prospective memory means remembering to do something later

Remembering yesterday's conversation involves looking backwards. Remembering to send a reply tonight involves a future action. Psychologists call the second ability “prospective memory”.

A school example makes the difference clear. You know what your homework is. You also need to remember to hand it in when the lesson begins.

Knowing the task and remembering to act are separate demands. The challenge is remembering to act while something else holds your attention.

Psychologists Mark McDaniel and Gilles Einstein developed a “multiprocess framework” to explain prospective remembering. Their account describes different routes by which an intention can return to mind.

Sometimes you actively watch for the right moment. Waiting for the teacher to collect homework illustrates that route. Sometimes a cue brings the intention back without a deliberate search. Seeing your homework folder might remind you to submit it.

A cue is simply something that prompts remembering. The framework helps explain why making a plan does not guarantee remembering it at the useful moment.

Why procrastination can feel good for a moment

Return to the unanswered message. Checking the document feels dull. Watching another video feels easier.

Psychologists Fuschia Sirois and Timothy Pychyl describe procrastination partly through “short-term mood regulation”. In simple terms, avoiding an unpleasant task can help you feel better now. The benefit arrives quickly. The unfinished work remains for your future self.

Imagine needing to fill in a lengthy form. Closing the page removes an immediate source of frustration. You may intend to return after dinner, when you expect to feel more willing.


Such avoidance can explain why someone delays a task they consider important. Their present feelings compete with their longer-term goal. The account helps explain the initial decision to delay. Remembering to return remains a separate challenge.

A necessary delay is also different from procrastination. Waiting for missing information can be sensible. The expectation of negative consequences and the unnecessary delay are more in line with the psychological definition.

How specific plans can help future intentions

“I'll reply later” leaves the moment of action open. Psychologist Peter Gollwitzer's work on “implementation intentions” offers a more precise approach. These plans connect a particular situation with an action.

For example: “When I sit at my desk after dinner, I will open the document and send the reply.” The desk becomes a cue. The action is decided beforehand.

Gollwitzer's research describes how linking a situation to a response can help people begin acting on their goals.

In an experiment discussed in his 1999 paper, students had to write a report after Christmas Eve. Those instructed to choose a specific time and place were more likely to complete it within the required period.A message reply is another future action. Connecting it to a familiar occasion gives you a clear point to begin.

Give “later” somewhere to land

You return to the conversation and finally send the reply. The message was important yesterday, too. Importance alone did not bring it back at the right time. For the next task, decide what will prompt you to begin. Choose an occasion you can recognise.

A future intention needs an opportunity to become an action. Giving “later” a clear place in your day makes the plan more concrete.

FAQs

Does procrastination always cause forgetting?

No. The study found an association, not an inevitable outcome.

Is every delay procrastination?

No. Delay that is necessary is not delay to be avoided.