The Scientific Reason Behind the Enemy of Procrastination

Procrastination: the act of delaying or postponing a task or set of tasks.

Sound familiar? Welcome to the club.

As a student, I am a little too acquainted with procrastination. Honestly, at this point, I wait for it to happen. With any schedule, I make sure to leave several hours open to, well, procrastinate. To be fair, I don’t call it “procrastination”; I call it a break. And that innocent break is often three times longer than the time spent working.

Please, don’t confuse a break with relaxation. My standard break has nothing to do with “relaxing” — it's the exact opposite. During the delay, my stress levels would be skyrocketing, and my muscles tensing. I find my hands clenched at times and my mind fixated on one specific thing.

My work. All of my work. But, as a rule of procrastination, you should never give in to that anxiety. Just keep doing nothing. Why would I do something that requires focus and effort when I could just watch Netflix?

Okay, I admit, it’s a problem. In general, to solve any problem, you must first find its root. That is why it’s critical to understand the science behind our experiences.

Procrastination Leaves No One Behind

Studies have shown that every one in five adults is chronically affected by procrastination. To put this in perspective, that is more than the one in thirteen who suffer from anxiety.

Regardless of the work domain, employees spend around 90–180 min per workday on personal acts (including procrastination) during their working hours. This leads to an annual loss per employee of around $8,875.

Also, the majority of college students are self-proclaimed procrastinators.

It is clear that everyone procrastinates at one point or another, but most often, there is no need to worry. It’s a common tendency that most people give in to from time to time.

What Procrastination Is and What It Is Not

Commonly, we blame lack of self-motivation, laziness, or incompetence for procrastination. But I can tell you first hand that I could be highly motivated, yet perfectly procrastinate.

In reality, procrastination is chemical. There is a science behind delaying your work to watch YouTube. Procrastination does not only leave your mind battling your heart, but it also causes a battle in the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex in the brain.

The limbic system is the emotional part of the brain, which includes the pleasure center. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain responsible for processing information and making decisions. The prefrontal cortex is less developed, and so it is weaker. That is why, usually, the limbic system wins the prefrontal cortex and thus creating procrastination.

The limbic system is one of the dominant parts of the brain and could easily take over if you lose focus on the task at hand. This results in giving in to what makes us feel good, leading to the secretion of dopamine that comes with procrastination.

Well, congrats, you can now partially blame procrastination on your brain. All jokes aside, this is the science of procrastination, not an excuse to procrastinate.

There Are Different Types of Procrastination

According to UPMC HealthBeat, there is not simply one type of procrastinator. These are the different “types” of procrastinators:

1. “Thrill-seekers enjoy the rush that comes with racing to meet deadlines, and so they procrastinate to catalyze that experience.
2. Avoiders procrastinate out of fear of being judged for both successful and unsuccessful work.
3. Indecisive procrastinators put off tasks to avoid the blame for a sub-par end product.”

Although we might all procrastinate, we are not all procrastinators according to Joseph Ferrari, a professor of psychology at DePaul University. Through his studies, he has found that around 20 percent of people may be chronic procrastinators.

“As I tell people, to tell the chronic procrastinator to just do it would be like saying to a clinically depressed person, cheer up.” — Joseph Ferrari

How to Win the Battle With Procrastination

It’s the job of your conscious mind to keep your brain in order. And by your conscious mind, I mean you. You should actively practice beating the temptation to delay everything and get to work. Here are some tips to help you along the way (and tips I actually use):

1. Preventative measures: The most effective method to overcoming procrastination is to prevent it from happening. You can do so by scheduling and completing tasks ahead of time. For example, if you have to read a book for school, you could read a couple of pages each night. When you get to the deadline, you wouldn't have anything left! It sounds simple, but it is a hard habit to gain. Make sure to keep trying and don't get discouraged.

2. Recognize that you’re procrastinating: Mindfulness. I know, I know. You’ve heard all about it. But how are you supposed to stop procrastinating if you don’t even realize that you're procrastinating in the first place? You have to take a step back and watch what you're doing. Label it “procrastination”. If you refuse to start working until you finish watching the whole season of The Queen’s Gambit, chances are you're procrastinating. Or maybe, you're waiting to be in “the right mood” to start answering emails. Label it. Recognize it. Work on it.

3. Work out the reason behind your procrastination: Aside from biology, what is the reason behind your procrastination? Are you overwhelmed by tasks? Perhaps it stems from your fear to fail. If you're a perfectionist, you might keep delaying tasks to avoid any possible imperfect result. Poor decision-making, poor organization, or even boredom, could lead to procrastination. Remember, identifying the root is the first step to solving a problem.

4. Forgive yourself for past procrastination: Studies have found that forgiving yourself might lead to the development of a more positive self-view. This leads to a reduction in procrastination events in the future. Forgive yourself for what you can no longer control. You have now to make up for it.

5. Use the power of accountability: One of the more simple tips is to have someone checking up on you every once in a while. Tell them your goal and what you aim to achieve. Always include a “due date” to report back to them. For example, when I have an article to write, I let my friends know that it’ll be done by 6:00 PM. If you prefer to keep your goals to yourself, an online tool can help you with self-monitoring.

6. Convince yourself you’re excited: Personally, I use this tip a lot. It’s not easy, but once you get the hang of tricking yourself to work, there's no going back. For example, you can decide to reward yourself only if you finish all that you had said you will. Also, you could change your inner monolog. Instead of saying “I have to clean the house” try saying “I really want to clean the house. It’s good exercise and I’ll feel so accomplished when it's all clean.”

7. Minimize distractions: I’m sure that I'm not the only one that can’t put my phone down. Unfortunately, though, I can’t get work done as I’m double-tapping on Ariana Grande's picture on Instagram. So, this goes for you as much as for me, put the phone away. Go hide it under the bed, in the kitchen drawer, behind the pile of clothes that you've been procrastinating to put back. It doesn't matter. Keep it out of reach. This goes to anything else that might distract you. Either put it away or get away from it.

Whether we like it or not, the fact is we’re humans and we’re not perfect. So, don’t only focus on a perfect, finished product; instead, focus on getting started. The perfect result will come with the work you put in (not the work you delay).

Also, it is worth mentioning that for some people, procrastination could be more than just a bad habit. It could be a sign of a serious underlying health issue. For example, ADHD, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and OCD are associated with procrastination. If you may be suffering from chronic procrastination, you could seek the guidance of a trained professional.

With that being said, procrastination is an anxiety-inducing struggle that we all experience in some shape or form. You’re not a lazy person, a bad employee, or a failure; you’re a person. Procrastination is wired in our brains.

Make it a priority to overcome the frustrating delay and make yourself proud.