December Deadlines Coming up? The Neuroscience of Procrastination
Image Courtesy: Change.org
December stirs a whirlwind of emotions for students across the country; anxiety over the realization that a Friday night’s drinks may have cost more than anticipated, sadness at bidding farewell to friends before the holiday break, and the excitement of finally returning home after weeks away. But amidst this, December also brings the looming spectre of dreaded deadlines. Before the festivities can begin, there lies the daunting task of meeting heaps of work which can, at times, feel unyielding.
For most of us, it’s a time of panic. If an attempt has been made to get ahead, it’s most likely been aborted - procrastination somehow finds a way to reign supreme, even when you’ve half-heartedly promised yourself that this time will be different. Yet, what exactly is procrastination? What causes us to put off something we know we must do? Are we incapacitated out of fear? Do we simply enjoy the adrenaline of a late-night rush to make a deadline?
Whilst procrastination appears to be a time-management problem, it should instead be viewed as a coping strategy. Upon examining 264 individuals, biopsychologists found that those more inclined to procrastinate possessed poor action control and had large amygdalae. The amygdala is the part of the brain which is responsible for how humans navigate anxiety. An enlarged amygdala can therefore result in increased anxiety – it can lead us to perceive a situation to be worse than it is, or to judge the effort required to fulfil a task greater than the reality. This could perhaps contribute to us putting certain high-effort (as assessed by the brain) tasks off, as a link is established between effort and anxiety. The study also found that those with higher rates of impulsivity had a less noticeable difference between their amygdala and their dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, resulting in impaired action control.
There are suggestions that the propensity to procrastinate may in some cases be inherited. Whilst research remains inconclusive, a study which focused upon pairs of twins, determined that genetics may play a part.
Therefore, debate exists as to whether procrastination can be unlearned. Is it a habit? A genetic predisposition? This can make the task of combatting procrastination all the more difficult. Yet, dopamine, the “feel-good” hormone, may hold the key. Engaging in activities which stimulate the release of dopamine can carry positive effects, such as motivation, but these “dopamine-highs” can lead to “dopamine-lows”, increasing the likelihood of procrastination when it comes to high-effort tasks which require time to complete. A possible way of navigating this has been suggested by Forbes whose “Dopamine Detox” encourages a move away from activities resulting in short-term dopamine hits as these are often unsustainable. It is recommended to make the most of the morning, a time when activities such as the consumption of mass culture ought to be avoided. The use of social media results in a “dopamine-high”, but if this occurs early in the day, the rest of it will likely be spent seeking something to match it, leading to increased restlessness when undertaking tasks such as extended pieces of writing.
Yet, is procrastination an entirely bad habit? There potentially exists a link between procrastination and increased creativity; the time spent on distracting ourselves from committing to a certain task can encourage lateral thinking and are we ever more productive than the period following procrastination when we find ourselves facing the ticking of the clock? That isn’t to endorse procrastination per se; the study in question emphasises the benefits of procrastination in moderation. Yet, if procrastination is, in part, an inherited trait that you just can’t shake, why not focus on the bright side?