In the post-pandemic era, university students face a future replete with uncertainties, engendering significant challenges in both their academic and personal lives. The uncertain environment and continuous online learning may contribute to the prevalence of procrastination among students. Therefore, in this era, it is crucial for college students to have a sense of self-assurance and self-control. Based on self-regulation theory, this study examines the issue of procrastination among college students from a new perspective. A total of 756 university students were surveyed using the Self-Concept Clarity Scale, the Pure Procrastination Scale, the Brief Self-Control Scale, and the Brief Self-Handicapping Scale. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 26.0, and a chain mediation model was established (Isolated the influence of control variables). Results indicate that students' self-concept clarity not only directly negatively predicts procrastination but also affects it through self-control, self-handicapping, and their chain-mediated effects, with self-handicapping having the greatest impact. These findings suggest that schools and educators should focus on developing college students' self-concept clarity to alleviate their procrastination behavior, which can be achieved by enhancing self-control and preventing self-handicapping. This study provides guidance for schools and educators on promoting college students' self-awareness and self-management, laying the foundation for future prevention and intervention of procrastination among university students.