We know you are guilty of it! We know you're doing it as we speak! Oh, the eighth deadly sin... procrastination! Psychology journalist Allison Robinson explains how procrastination negatively affects the brain in this informational article.
Whether it be school work, exercising, cleaning up, or any other task that may be unpleasant, it is human nature to put it off until the last minute. Procrastination, or the act of delaying or postponing, plagues individuals of all ages and can have lasting, unfavorable effects on the brain. The reasons for procrastination do not usually lie in the task itself, but instead in a host of underlying factors.
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Why do people procrastinate? Fascinatingly, procrastination has been researched extensively. According to experts from Solving Procrastination, it has been found that people are more likely to procrastinate when the task is unfavorable. They avoid anything frustrating, tedious, or boring for as long as possible. Others tend to procrastinate because of a fear of failure. They would rather avoid starting or finishing a task than making a mistake in the process. Some people may procrastinate due to a fear of negative feedback, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Other reasons may include laziness, a lack of self-control, and indecisiveness. Other people may feel overwhelmed with a task, putting it off until a later time. Another interesting reason for delay is optimism for the future, where people underestimate the time it will take to complete a task.
When motivation and self-control outweigh negative factors, tasks get done in a timely manner. However, when negative factors outweigh motivation and self-control, procrastination occurs. There is often a significant disparity between how people intend to act versus how they actually act. This incongruity is effectively what leads to the lasting negative effects of procrastination. According to researchers from Oxford Learning, procrastination causes higher levels of frustration, stress, and anxiety. This may lead to a decrease in self-esteem and decreased scholastic performance among students. It frequently creates a vicious cycle that is hard to break. This increase in stress changes chemicals in the brain, including serotonin which regulates cognition and mood. This can increase an individual’s risk of depression. Stress also causes an elevation in cortisol production which can disrupt one's 24-hour biological clock known as the circadian rhythm. This disruption often has deleterious effects on the balance between rational thinking and emotions. Finally, procrastination and stress lead to burnout symptoms which include emotional exhaustion, reduced feelings of achievement, and an increase of anxiety.
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The good news is that, according to psychologists Angela Hsin Chun Chu and Jin Nam Choi, active procrastinators - those who prefer to work under pressure and make deliberate decisions to procrastinate - often benefit from the added stress of an impending deadline and are able to perform a larger number of tasks. Psychologist Susanna Newsonen from Psychology Today says that procrastination may help shine a light on important things and help lead to higher creativity. Newsonen also discusses the idea that procrastination helps people make better decisions, as they have time to consider many options.
While there may be some positive effects from procrastination, the overall negative effects are significantly greater. Experts from Solving Procrastination emphasize that procrastination is associated with decreased grades, lower salary, increased stress, and lower physical and mental health. When time management is on point, the benefits are much greater than the long-lasting, negative cognitive effects of putting things off. The bottom line? Stop procrastinating... NOW!
