BEHIND THE SCENES OF PROCRASTRINATION

Rewiring the brain to hate procrastination

THE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION BEHIND PROCRASTINATION

One of the major hindrances to living a productive life is procrastination. It is like an addiction we continually do repeatedly just for the few moments of pleasure knowing fully well the adverse effect that comes after that — anxiety, low self-esteem, failure, etc.

Is it our fault?

Follow me, as I take you on a journey through the brain

INSIDE THE BRAIN

The act of procrastination is controlled majorly by two parts of the brain which are the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex. The limbic system is a lover of pleasure. It is an automatic part of the brain that opts for pleasure in any situation. It is the one responsible for you choosing to read that book tomorrow instead of now because it wants you to feel a sense of pleasure for new -this is who you should be fighting against.

We also have the pre-frontal cortex (located in the front of our forehead) which is a newer and weaker part of the brain that helps in making logical decisions, but the catch about this is that it requires an initial force for it to work, as it is not automatic in function.

HANDLING PROCRASTINATION BEFORE THE BATTLE

1. Think during planning: Procrastination starts with how well you plan your day. This is the time you think of why you are doing the task, why the task is so important, the advantages of doing the task, and the consequences of not doing the task (consequences should be short term). Be honest with yourself and very realistic when creating your to-do list: When you fill your to-do with unnecessary tasks you tend to get worn out physically and mentally enabling you to procrastinate even the most important task.

2. Start without thinking(just do it): If you have planned out your day with due diligence and honesty, you should trust it and follow it without any thought. Avoid trying to debate why you should do the task at this point, that should have been done in the planning phase. If you do not start the task, you cannot experience the pleasure it gives, so the limbic system sees it as an unpleasant situation and looks for the best way to drag you out of the unpleasant situation.

3. Reward yourself: The brain learns through a reward learning system. It appreciates short-term rewards to long term. You can also plan your distractions and rewards, so the brain knows a reward is coming after the tasks you want to do. It focuses on the reward, but it also knows something must be done before that reward can be gotten.

4. Get addicted to the feelings: Be mindful of the emotions and feelings you have after a task without procrastination, and get addicted to that feeling till your brain gets used to it.

5. Get an accountability partner — There is little you can do when it comes to procrastination. It is like an addiction -to immediate pleasure. You need a trusted person to always put you in check.

A sample scenario

Task : I want to exercise tomorrow

Problem : Exercising is not fun at all even though it is important

Advantages : High self-esteem for that day

Consequences : Breathing problem, lack of fulfillment, seen as an unserious fellow by my friends.

Time : 6 am because no one is there, if I skip this time, I will not be able to do it again which would lead to the consequence

Preparedness : Get my jersey ready, the sermon/music I would listen to charge my smartwatch

What if something genuine comes up: I would have to walk 2000 steps more, and use the stairs instead of escalators (I surely do not want to do this).

You do not need to write all this, you can just answer the questions in your mind with integrity and mindfulness.

FACE-TO-FACE PROCASTINATION

At this point, you have to be very honest with yourself and ask yourself why you do not want to perform this activity now. It can be because you do not understand the task, or the task is too bulky, or anything at all. According to the reason, find the best solution to it. If you can not do the assignment today because you do not understand, then at least read the topic today, so you will be one step closer to finishing the task.

PS. It is advisable to make your task very specific

CONCLUSION

It is one thing to read, it is another thing to do. Please do not procrastinate on taking these steps.

I hope you take the necessary actions to battle this addiction- procrastination. If you have any questions, you can ask in the comment section.