The Fight Behind Procrastination


Procrastination is a universal act that everyone likely experiences when it comes to tasks that

we don’t particularly enjoy doing. While many see procrastination as a sign of laziness, there is

actually much more science that goes into why we do it.

Procrastination is essentially a fight between two parts of the brain, the limbic system and the

prefrontal cortex. The limbic system is an unconscious zone that Includes the pleasure system.

This system is one of the oldest and most dominant portions of the brain that is working

automatically. It is set up to perform survival instincts and for “immediate mood repair.” It will tell

you to pull your hand away from a fire as well as flee from tasks you find unpleasant to perform.

The prefrontal cortex, on the other hand, is essentially an internal “planner.” This portion of the

brain is a more recently developed and weaker portion that allows us to integrate information

and make decisions. Unlike the limbic system, however, the prefrontal cortex is not automatic.

We have to purposely activate it to get tasks done. So when we are not actively engaged in a

task, the limbic system takes over and persuades you to do what you find enjoyable rather than,

for example, finishing an assignment you have due at midnight.

So how do we overcome procrastination? The best suggestion is to try to outsmart your own

brain. Considering that we procrastinate on tasks that we don’t particularly enjoy, we could

retrain our brains to react differently to unpleasant assignments. Being mindful in how we react

to things and the emotions that we associate with tasks is a big step into trying to get rid of the

habit of procrastinating.

Amy Perez (9)

https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/time-management/procrastination

Comments

  1. Lydia LitvakNovember 16, 2022 at 8:19 AM

    Hi Amy!
    I think that a majority of us here at UMass have basically mastered procrastination; it seems like we can convince ourselves that an assignment will take much less time realistically than assumed, etc. However, I am curious if you know if there is any other psychological factor that comes into play with procrastination? Or would you say it's similar to an addiction-based association, where we keep doing it and getting away with it, so why not keep doing it?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Chloe FriaryNovember 16, 2022 at 12:50 PM

    Hi Amy! As a procrastinator myself, I find it very interesting to learn about the neurobiological processes happening in the brain that occur. Is there any specific ways we can retrain our brain and try to get over this issue? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousNovember 17, 2022 at 7:50 AM

    Hi Amy! I really enjoyed reading your post as I’ve always wondered what exactly is going on in our brain when we procrastinate. It was interesting to learn that procrastination causes two different parts of our brain to fight. Do you think, depending on how each person’s brain works, that procrastination affects each of us in different ways? Are some of us more prone to procrastinate than others?
    - Sarah Belcher

    ReplyDelete

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