This Is What’s Going On In Our Brain When We Procrastinate

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.

“[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,” says Pychyl. “When we think of future self, the same parts of the brain light up as when we think about the other.”

It’s also human nature to seek pleasure. “We want to feel good now,” says Pychyl. “It’s hedonistic over eudaimonic, which is the happiness we feel when we achieve meaningful goals.”

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.

“All of a sudden, we’ve got all this input from the amygdala and we’re not able to recruit those higher order processes,” says Pychyl. “Even when we do, we think about our future self as a stranger. All those things come together to drive procrastination.”

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.

People who are better at planning use another area of their brain. “This group is high in executive functioning,” says Pychyl. “Instead of so much limbic system activity, they’re getting more prefrontal cortex activity, which reflects with planning and impulse control. Any down regulation of the prefrontal cortex, leads to problems with following through on things.”

Fortunately, there are things we can do. The key to getting control over procrastination is emotion regulation, and one method is practicing mindfulness.

Research out of the University of Pittsburghfound 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.

“When you’re freaking out over a task you need to do, your body and your mind are responding to your physiological arousal,” says Pychyl. “So, first and foremost, you have to stop that pattern of down regulation that it feeds off of.”

Pychyl suggests using breathing and muscle relaxation exercises.

“Then practice nonjudgmental awareness of the emotion,” Pychyl says. “Become aware. Acknowledge your feelings. For example, you could say, ‘I’m really anxious about this report.’ And then look for the reasons for those emotions. Maybe you don’t want to disappoint. That makes sense. Your emotions are trying to teach you something. But you don’t need to freak out. My favorite saying is, ‘I can have anxiety. I don’t need to be my anxiety.'”

Once we find a way to get control over our emotions, it’s time to move forward. Procrastination, whether it stems from fear, frustration or boredom, is resolved with action. It’s getting ourselves to do something we don’t feel like doing. Pychyl suggests propelling ourselves forward by breaking down a large goal or task into individual steps.

“What’s the next action you would take if you were going to start?” Pychyl asks. “Keep it as small as possible. Then you realize, ‘Well, I could do that action.’ 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’ll help yourself get started and then you’re on your way.”

Mindfulness + action: the one-two punch that can cure procrastination.