Hesiod, a Greek poet, advised us not to “put work off till tomorrow and day after”. Despite this, many of us find ourselves procrastinating, avoiding difficult tasks and putting them off for a later time. I think we all agree that procrastination can have negative consequences, but many find it hard to control the urge to procrastinate.
Many have condemned procrastination to be a sign of laziness. It has also been argued that procrastination is the failure to manage time efficiently. However, it is interesting to note that Timothy A. Pychyl, a psychology professor, claimed that procrastination is attributed to mood and emotions rather than one's failure to plan time. Pychyl claims that procrastinators are often victims of “Amygdala Hijack.” Amygdala is the part of the limbic system that is responsible for processing emotions. During an intense emotional event, the amygdala is activated and it processes the fight-flight response. Pychyl claims that procrastinators have an overactive amygdala and therefore they react emotionally to negative thoughts associated with work. The emotion-focused coping response is to escape. They wish to escape the negative thoughts such as fear and self-doubt that they might experience during the task. Furthermore, it is suggested that there is an association between procrastination and the tendency to achieve perfectionism. This is possible as thoughts such as fear of failure might induce the emotional response of avoidance.
Additionally, amygdala hijack can overstimulate the prefrontal cortex, which can influence higher-order processes such as planning and organization. A lack of executive control can also be associated with increased impulsivity and lack of control. Reduced control can lead people to get distracted by external distractions such as technology. There is evidence that internet addiction is associated with a weak prefrontal control system. Procrastinators have a high association with a lack of control and impulsivity.
It can also be seen that procrastinators are often more likely to be prone to negative thoughts and emotions. For instance, anxious and depressed individuals are seen to experience increased procrastination than those without pre-existing mental health conditions. Furthermore, it was observed that individuals who have the anxiety trait i.e. more prone to develop anxiety, have relatively poor prefrontal cortex control, which might reduce one’s inhibition to distractors.
Furthermore, procrastinating in the present moment gives some temporary relief. As we wish to feel good now, in order to receive rewards, people might continue procrastinating. This can lead to harmful effects. Overall, it is interesting to note that rather than one’s planning abilities, emotions might play a huge role in procrastination.
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