Every student, whether in high school or college, has procrastinated for an assignment. As the big deadline is approaching, feelings of guilt, regret or disappointment come out and we all ask the same question: “Why did I procrastinate so much?” Well, first let’s define procrastination. Procrastination is the act of consciously delaying or postponing an action. This can apply to anything from doing an assignment to getting out of bed. Anyone, not just students, procrastinate. It is a human instinct that we can all relate to. So what is within us that makes us procrastinate?
Procrastination is usually seen as a sign of laziness or lack of self-motivation, however, science has proven that there is actually more to it. Procrastination involves a tug-of-war between the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system. The prefrontal cortex is involved with decision-making and planning while the limbic system is involved with feelings of pleasure. Ishan Daftdar, a neuroscientist explains on Science ABC, “When the limbic system dominates, the result is putting off until tomorrow what could (and should) be done today.” Simply, procrastination “all comes down to one simple thing- the wiring of your brain.” Emotions and mood coming from the limbic system may cause an instinct to put off certain tasks. If these instincts come into play and if something stressful is upon you, the limbic system will urge you to stay away from it. Although the prefrontal cortex does not work automatically, it still plays a role and is what forces you to complete the task eventually. The amygdala also plays a part in procrastination. The amygdala is mostly associated with the fight-or-flight instinct. According to John Rampton, “Whenever we feel stressed or overwhelmed, such as when having to tackle a challenging activity, a fight (resistance) or flight (ignore) reaction kicks into play.” Some researchers even say that procrastination is not a problem with time management, but rather a problem with emotional regulation.
In addition to the wiring of the brain, psychology is also behind procrastination. Psychologically speaking, for some people it is more acceptable to not do a task rather than doing the task and completing it poorly. It is a common misconception that people believe that they work better under pressure, but research has shown that it is actually the rush of euphoria that people experience after seemingly overcoming the odds when completing a task. This could be a possibility to what drives procrastination in some people. Fundamentally, procrastination is mostly driven by putting off tasks that we know we won’t enjoy. Why do something when you know it won’t bring you joy? Psychologists have looked at various possible drivers that could be the reason for procrastination. From low self-confidence to anxiety to lack of structure to lack of motivation, research has shown that procrastination is linked to all of these reasons. At the end of the day, if you get away with procrastination, that reinforcing behavior can lead to future procrastination.
All of us at some point in our lives, have procrastinated in one way or another. Research and scientists have shown that procrastination is a complex process with different parts of the mind and brain working together or against each other. While some procrastination is human instinct, there are ways to prevent it. Some ways include breaking apart larger tasks, building in time into your schedule which allows you to procrastinate in small increments, and reflecting into the reason why you are procrastinating. While procrastination can be frustrating, you have to know that everyone procrastinates and it is totally normal.