The Science of Procrastination (and how to stop)

Summary

This video delves into the psychology of procrastination, distinguishing it from laziness, and exploring the battle between the emotional brain and the rational brain. It explains how the brain struggles with long-term tasks and how procrastination is a failure in self-regulation. The video provides practical tools to overcome procrastination, including 'implementation intentions' and eliminating distractions. Additionally, it offers advice on self-forgiveness to improve productivity. Through humor and relatable examples, it guides viewers to understand and manage procrastination more effectively, encouraging them to take action and be kinder to themselves.

Takeaways

• 😀 Procrastination is not the same as laziness. While laziness is simply avoiding tasks, procrastination involves intending to complete tasks but delaying them for later.
• 😀 The brain's emotional system (the lyic system) plays a key role in procrastination by associating tasks with negative feelings, which leads to avoidance behaviors.
• 😀 The prefrontal cortex, responsible for rational thinking, often gets overpowered by the emotional brain when it comes to long-term tasks, contributing to procrastination.
• 😀 Our brains struggle to predict future emotions accurately, which leads us to believe we will feel better about doing tasks later, even though the feeling is often the same.
• 😀 Two methods to combat procrastination are: (1) 'time travel' – imagining how we’ll feel doing the task in the future, and (2) 'super stupid' – assuming our predictions are wrong.
• 😀 Procrastination is a form of self-regulation failure where the immediate gratification of avoiding tasks takes precedence over future tasks.
• 😀 Implementing 'implementation intentions' (pre-deciding on a specific plan of action when procrastination strikes) has proven to be an effective strategy to reduce procrastination.
• 😀 Willpower is often unreliable when combating procrastination. Studies show that people with access to immediate rewards (like cookies) perform better in tasks requiring willpower.
• 😀 To reduce procrastination, it is important to plan ahead and create specific action steps, such as writing down exact steps to get started when procrastination occurs.
• 😀 Eliminating distractions (e.g., putting your phone on do not disturb) is crucial to staying focused and defeating procrastination, particularly for tasks involving the internet or digital tools.

Q & A

What is the main difference between laziness and procrastination?

Laziness is not doing something because you simply don't want to, whereas procrastination involves wanting to do something but postponing it, often with the intention of doing it later.

What are the two brain systems involved in procrastination?

The two brain systems are the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for rational thinking, and the limbic system, which controls emotions and instincts.

Why does the limbic system resist tasks like studying, even when they are beneficial?

The limbic system is more focused on immediate emotional rewards and is not evolved to handle long-term tasks. It often perceives tasks like studying as threats, triggering avoidance behavior.

What role does anxiety play in procrastination?

Anxiety can amplify the fear of failure, making tasks feel overwhelming. This triggers the emotional brain to avoid the task to protect you from that perceived negative outcome.

How does the brain's poor prediction of future mood lead to procrastination?

The brain mistakenly believes that postponing the task will lead to a better emotional state later, but when the time comes to do the task, the emotional brain feels the same, leading to more procrastination.

What is the 'time travel' method for overcoming procrastination?

The 'time travel' method involves mentally imagining the future task and realizing that the feeling of discomfort will not change, which may help you overcome the urge to procrastinate.

Why is the 'super stupid' method considered more effective than the time travel method?

The 'super stupid' method is based on assuming that your brain's predictions about future discomfort are usually wrong. This approach is more reliable because it acknowledges that the task is likely to feel just as hard now or later.

What is the role of willpower in overcoming procrastination?

Willpower is unreliable in the face of procrastination. Studies show that people who have easy access to rewards, like cookies, can sustain willpower for longer than those who don't, suggesting willpower alone isn't enough.

What are implementation intentions, and how do they help with procrastination?

Implementation intentions involve pre-deciding specific actions to take when you feel the urge to procrastinate, such as getting your homework out or doing the first problem. This strategy reduces decision fatigue and makes starting the task easier.

Why is it important to eliminate distractions when trying to overcome procrastination?

Eliminating distractions, like putting your phone on do not disturb, helps you focus on the task at hand without being tempted by interruptions, making it easier to stay productive.