Dawdle is the brainchild of Anusha Garg, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Throughout her research on procrastination, habit formation, and self-regulation, Anusha noticed a gap in existing productivity and anti-procrastination tools. Most apps rely on therapeutic techniques that require long-term use—often spanning weeks or months—before yielding meaningful results. While these approaches are valuable, they don't always address the immediate struggle: the moment when a task is being avoided right now.

Anusha sought to tackle what she calls "state" procrastination—the act of delaying a task in the present moment despite wanting to complete it. Dawdle was designed to help users break through that resistance in real time, providing immediate strategies rooted in psychological research to help them take action. Whether it’s starting an overwhelming project, tackling a boring task, or breaking free from the cycle of avoidance, Dawdle offers science-backed nudges to turn intention into action—right when it matters most.

Utility-Aversion Gap
Procrastination happens when we weigh the benefits of completing a task against how unpleasant it feels to do it. Zhang and Feng (2019) call this the Utility-Aversion Gap—if a task feels more dreadful than rewarding, we tend to put it off. But when a deadline gets close, the benefits of finishing finally outweigh the discomfort, pushing us into action (often under stress).

The Problem
The issue is that, for most tasks, the feeling of aversion outweighs the benefits until the deadline is looming. This means we procrastinate even when we logically want to get things done. The result? Stress, anxiety, frustration, and a cycle of last-minute scrambling—none of which are great for productivity or well-being.

The Intervention
Dawdle tackles procrastination in two ways: Reducing Task Aversion – We use a technique called Affect Labeling, a proven method that helps regulate emotions by simply acknowledging them. This makes tasks feel less overwhelming; Boosting Task Utility – We make the benefits of getting started feel more immediate by applying research-backed strategies like subgoal generation, time management techniques, and small rewards to keep you motivated.

Powered by psychology, Dawdle is your personal productivity coach in an app!