Sunday night rolls in sooner than you expected. You are still recovering from this weekend’s shenanigans. You promised yourself that you would spend the entire day being productive, but here you are, avoiding all the work you still have to do. It is only six in the evening; you tell yourself you still have plenty of time, just so you can continue on with your laziness.
Next thing you know, the time is already 11:30 and the panic slowly set in. Now you regret putting off everything, but it is way too late now. You have to sacrifice sleep to finish all your homework and study. You would think that you would learn to manage your time better, but you know this happens at least once a week. You just cannot get rid of your horrible habit of procrastinating.
Most, if not all, of us, always find ourselves waiting until the last minute to complete certain things. Some cases may be worse than others, but we have quite a problem with procrastination. You may put off writing a 10-page paper until the night before it is due. You may also wait until the very last minute to clean your apartment before people come over. Procrastination is always tied to laziness, but is the reason for it actually just lack motivation?
The truth is there is science involved, meaning procrastination is chemical. As University of Pittsburgh Medical Center explains it, it is a clash between the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex. The limbic system is responsible for emotions, memories, and stimulation. On the other hand, the prefrontal cortex deals with decision-making by processing information taken in through senses.
What happens is these two parts of the brain "fight" when you think about having to complete a task. The limbic system is more developed and has been since birth. Thus, deciding to avoid that task is the result of the limbic system dominating. It is the brain's way to shield us from potential negativity, such as increased levels of anxiety.
There is not just one type of procrastinator. In an article published by the Fast Company, procrastinators are grouped into five different categories: perfectionists, impostors, the dread-filled, the overwhelmed, and lucky ones. Perfectionists do not want to make mistakes or be criticized, hence the name, therefore they devote all their time in one part of a task just to end up rushing the whole thing last minute.
Meanwhile, impostors procrastinate because of their fear of being seen as unqualified, causing them to put off work. The dread-filled and the overwhelmed go hand in hand. No one looks forward to doing boring work or facing a pile of things to do. Finally, lucky ones are confident that they will produce their best work under pressure.
Not everyone who procrastinates is automatically lazy. We all have our reasons. Most importantly, science plays a role too. Your brain acts as a protector to prevent any negative feeling, which leads you to do something else that you would actually enjoy. It is not your fault if you choose to avoid doing things you have to do.
