Jan 13, 2024 10:00:00

Why do we postpone things we need to do? What can you do to stop procrastinating?

Many people have had the experience of putting off completing tedious tasks, such as ``finishing a job'' or ``replying to an email.''

Fuschia Sirois , a professor of psychology at Durham University , explains ``Why do people postpone things they need to do?'' and ``Is there anything you can do to avoid procrastinating?''

Why do we procrastinate? | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/human-behavior/why-do-we-procrastinate

Sirois says, ``Basically, procrastination is done to avoid a certain task.In many cases, it is not the task itself, but the emotions attached to the task that lead to procrastination.'' Sirois also says, ``If you are given an essay writing assignment in college and you have feelings of fear or self-doubt about what will happen if you make a mistake, you will not be able to tackle the first line, and you will procrastinate. 'This will increase the likelihood of doing so,' he said, giving a specific example.

However, Sirois says, 'Procrastination is a specific form of unnecessary and voluntary delay that is not caused by the need to prioritize other tasks or unforeseen emergencies.' pointing out. ``People who tend to procrastinate even though they know that the task is important and valuable to them or others, or that procrastinating may cause harm to themselves or others.'' , we often end up procrastinating.'

Previous research on university students has shown that students with higher amounts of

gray matter in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with self-control, are less likely to procrastinate than other students. Confirmed . Also, the more neural connections there are between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the frontal lobe , the better the person will be able to control negative emotions, focus on long-term gains over short-term gains from procrastination, and be able to quickly They are reported to be more likely to engage in tasks.

Additionally, people who tend to procrastinate tend to have a larger

amygdala , which is the part of their brain that detects threats. Such a person may feel strongly uncomfortable due to things like the way the email is phrased, and the urge to avoid that discomfort may outweigh the anticipated consequences of not completing the task. It is clear that there is.

Furthermore, regarding the possibility that the tendency to procrastinate may be a hereditary trait, Sirois says, ``While it is possible that there is a genetic basis for the tendency to procrastinate, this does not mean that it is your personality. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Sirois points out that not only genetic factors but also environmental factors are important in forming a tendency to procrastinate. According to Sirois, even people who don't usually procrastinate may do so when they find themselves in a situation that uses brain resources for a long period of time, such as the death of a family member.

While it is true that procrastinating can be a quick way to deal with something, the procrastinator also accumulates stress from the task, which not only damages their mental health, but also reduces their academic performance. It is said that there is a possibility of falling into a vicious cycle where their performance deteriorates and ultimately leads to financial hardship.

Sirois suggests ways to avoid procrastinating by saying, ``When you feel overwhelmed by the task at hand, take a step back and evaluate for yourself what emotions the task evoked and why you want to avoid it.'' ” is recommended. As a concrete method, in the case of university essays or work assignments, it is important to clarify unclear points in the assignment or divide it into smaller assignments.

Sirois also suggests that finding meaning in a task and rewarding yourself for completing a task may help avoid procrastination.