{"id":11771,"date":"2021-12-08T16:53:44","date_gmt":"2021-12-08T20:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nycphantom.com\/journal\/?p=11771"},"modified":"2021-12-08T16:53:46","modified_gmt":"2021-12-08T20:53:46","slug":"on-procrastination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/nycphantom.com\/journal\/?p=11771","title":{"rendered":"On Procrastination"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>An interesting <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.solomonpage.com\/this-is-what-happens-to-your-brain-when-you-procrastinate?utm_content=180714013&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=linkedin&amp;hss_channel=lcp-14352\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">resource<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">This Is What Happens to Your Brain When You Procrastinate<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>September 22, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"hubspot-topic_data\">Filed Under:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.solomonpage.com\/tag\/procrastination\">procrastination<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.solomonpage.com\/tag\/productivity-2\">productivity<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.solomonpage.com\/tag\/wellness\">Wellness<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.solomonpage.com\/hubfs\/Blog-01-Sep-22-2021-03-04-12-20-PM.png\" alt=\"Person sitting at desk with stack of papers\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"mailto:?body=https:\/\/blog.solomonpage.com\/this-is-what-happens-to-your-brain-when-you-procrastinate\"><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=https:\/\/blog.solomonpage.com\/this-is-what-happens-to-your-brain-when-you-procrastinate\"><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/blog.solomonpage.com\/this-is-what-happens-to-your-brain-when-you-procrastinate\"><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https:\/\/blog.solomonpage.com\/this-is-what-happens-to-your-brain-when-you-procrastinate&amp;text=This%20Is%20What%20Happens%20to%20Your%20Brain%20When%20You%20Procrastinate\"><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>By&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/user\/stephanie-vozza\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Stephanie Vozza<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Photo Credit: iStock<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can all probably agree that procrastination isn\u2019t wise. Some of us like to believe we work better under pressure. But pressure adds unnecessary&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.solomonpage.com\/how-journaling-reduces-stress-and-increases-productivity\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">stress<\/a>. While most of us procrastinate from time to time, we often chalk it up to poor&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.solomonpage.com\/how-to-set-boundaries-when-youre-doing-hybrid-work\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">planning<\/a>. When you understand what\u2019s going on in your&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.solomonpage.com\/10-things-a-working-brain-needs-to-build-a-healthy-successful-career\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">brain<\/a>, though, a failure to plan isn\u2019t the root cause.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cProcrastination is an emotion-focused coping strategy,\u201d says Tim Pychyl, associate professor of psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa, and author of&nbsp;<em>Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: a concise guide to strategies for change<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s not a time management problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>THE BRAIN OF A PROCRASTINATOR<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pychyl says researchers in Germany compared the brains of procrastinators to non-procrastinators using functional MRI. It found that the brains of procrastinators have a larger amygdala, which is part of the limbic system known for fight or flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s happening is what we call the \u2018amygdala hijack,'\u201d says Pychyl. \u201cThe procrastinators are reacting emotionally, and the emotion-focused coping response is to escape. It\u2019s saying, \u2018I don\u2019t want these negative emotions I\u2019ll experience during the task,\u2019 and so it avoids the task.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another important brain reaction is how it perceives the future. Research done by UCLA social psychologist Hal Hershfield found that the brain views our future self in the same way it views another person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c[Hershfield] used a functional MRI to look at the brains of people when they were thinking of their present self, their future self, or the other,\u201d says Pychyl. \u201cWhen we think of future self, the same parts of the brain light up as when we think about the other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also human nature to seek pleasure. \u201cWe want to feel good now,\u201d says Pychyl. \u201cIt\u2019s hedonistic over eudaimonic, which is the happiness we feel when we achieve meaningful goals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Putting it all together, when we face a task that presents boredom, frustration, or fear, the limbic system lights up, and the amygdala hijack overrides the prefrontal cortex, which is the home of executive function that includes things like impulse control, planning, and organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAll of a sudden, we\u2019ve got all this input from the amygdala and we\u2019re not able to recruit those higher order processes,\u201d says Pychyl. \u201cEven when we do, we think about our future self as a stranger. We\u2019ll mistreat that stranger, and think, \u2018I don\u2019t want to do it; that person will.\u2019 All those things come together to drive procrastination.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of us are more prone to procrastination than others. Pychyl says this group often has high traits of neuroticism, such as worry, and depression, and self-consciousness. They have over-active, dominating amygdala.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People who are better at planning use another area of their brain. \u201cYou\u2019re really talking about someone who\u2019s high in executive functioning,\u201d says Pychyl. \u201cInstead of so much limbic system activity, they\u2019re getting more prefrontal cortex activity, which reflects with planning and impulse control. Any down regulation of the prefrontal cortex, or executive function, leads to problems with following through on things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>HOW TO GET CONTROL<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If this sounds like you, you may think there\u2019s no hope. Fortunately, there are things you can do. The key to getting control over procrastination is emotion regulation, and one method is practicing mindfulness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Research out of the University of Pittsburgh found that people can learn to control their emotions through mindfulness. Participants practiced using nonjudgmental awareness over the course of eight weeks. The study found that their amygdala shrunk and the connections to the prefrontal cortex changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen you\u2019re freaking out over a task you need to do, your body and your mind are responding to your physiological arousal,\u201d says Pychyl. \u201cSo, first and foremost, you have to stop that pattern of down regulation that it feeds off of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pychyl suggests using breathing and muscle relaxation exercises. Then practice nonjudgmental awareness of the emotion. \u201cBecome aware,\u201d he says. \u201cAcknowledge your feelings. For example, you could say, \u2018I\u2019m really anxious about this report.\u2019 And then look for the reasons for those emotions. Maybe you don\u2019t want to disappoint. That makes sense. Your emotions are trying to teach you something. But you don\u2019t need to freak out. My favorite saying is, \u2018I can have anxiety. I don\u2019t need to be my anxiety.'\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you are find a way to get control over your emotions, it\u2019s time to move forward. Procrastination, whether it stems from fear or boredom, is resolved with action. It\u2019s getting yourself to do something you don\u2019t feel like doing. Pychyl suggests propelling yourself forward by breaking down a large goal or task into individual steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s the next action you would take if you were going to start?\u201d he asks. \u201cKeep it as small as possible. Then you realize, \u2018Well, I could do that action.\u2019 Research has shown us that when you make progress, even a little bit on a goal, it fuels your wellbeing. Even if you just take the tiniest of steps, you\u2019ll help yourself get started and then you\u2019re on your way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mindfulness + action: the one-two punch that can cure procrastination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the original article, visit:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/90677984\/this-is-what-happens-to-your-brain-when-you-procrastinate\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fast Company<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An interesting resource. This Is What Happens to Your Brain When You Procrastinate September 22, 2021 Filed Under:&nbsp;procrastination,&nbsp;productivity,&nbsp;Wellness By&nbsp;Stephanie Vozza Photo Credit: iStock We can all probably agree that procrastination isn\u2019t wise. Some of us like to believe we work &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/nycphantom.com\/journal\/?p=11771\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-biology","category-reflection"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/nycphantom.com\/journal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/nycphantom.com\/journal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/nycphantom.com\/journal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nycphantom.com\/journal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nycphantom.com\/journal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11771"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/nycphantom.com\/journal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11772,"href":"http:\/\/nycphantom.com\/journal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11771\/revisions\/11772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/nycphantom.com\/journal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nycphantom.com\/journal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nycphantom.com\/journal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}