The psychologist spoke about the causes of chronic procrastination from the point of view of neuroscience

Chronic procrastination is not a sign of laziness or even weak will, but the result of a conflict between the reward system and the control system. As Daria Yausheva, a clinical psychologist and author of the Telegram channel "Psychologist Writes," told Izvestia on July 17, the reasons for delaying cases are in the peculiarities of the brain.

"Procrastination, from the point of view of neurobiology, is not a sign of laziness or even weak will. <...> We can say that procrastination is a side effect of the energy—saving mode of the brain. The fact is that the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for planning and volitional effort, requires resources. And the dopamine system is set up for immediate reward. As a result, the brain tends to prefer a simpler action, light activity — flipping through a tape, drinking tea," Yausheva said.

She explained that it is often not the task itself that a person avoids, but the feelings that are associated with it — anxiety, fear of failure, shame. The amygdala, the threat processing center, is activated in the brain, and instead of an impulse to act, the opposite signal appears: "don't do it — it's safer this way." This is especially evident in people with negative experiences, increased self-criticism, and high self-expectations.

Yausheva emphasized that chronic procrastination is not synonymous with laziness. Laziness is more often a reaction to overwork and a temporary decrease in motivation. In this case, rest can help a person.

"Chronic procrastination is a pattern of avoidance. It can be associated with perfectionism, anxiety, and ADHD (in which executive functions are impaired — the ability to self-control, plan, self-regulate, and so on). The tendency to self—criticism often causes procrastination," said the psychologist.

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Social motivation, according to the psychologist, can be a powerful tool for overcoming procrastination. When a task is significant not only for us, but also for others, mirror neurons are activated. This reduces the feeling of loneliness, evokes empathy and creates a sense of belonging. That's why working in pairs, meeting deadlines together, and even simply telling your plans to another person significantly increases your chances of success.

In addition, according to Yausheva, oxytocin, a hormone that reduces anxiety, can be released during such interactions. Accordingly, procrastination is easier to overcome.

"When we delay something for a long time, the level of cortisol (stress hormone) increases. Especially if you have a tendency to self-criticism. The ability to plan and concentrate is decreasing. This makes it even more difficult to get started on the task. Learned helplessness may develop (there is a conviction "I can't do it anyway"). If this lasts a long time, then emotional burnout may occur: apathy, loss of motivation, a sense of futility of effort, irritability," said the psychologist.

According to the expert, it is impossible to defeat procrastination only by external control. Yes, external motivation (rewards, deadlines, control) helps to start the process, but a stable result appears only when working with internal settings. It is important to understand what exactly causes avoidance — fear of mistakes, ambiguity of the task, lack of meaning.

Then it is necessary to create safe conditions for the start: break the task into stages, reduce the level of criticism, accept the possibility of imperfection. This is the only way to develop a sustainable strategy for overcoming procrastination. But at the same time, external motivation is also important and it helps to learn how to manage attention, concentration on a task, and spurs the dopamine system.

On April 26, Sergey Martynov, a psychotherapist and founder of the International Institute of Psychosomatic Health, listed the causes of procrastination and gave some tips on how to solve this problem. The specialist noted that it can occur due to perfectionism. He advised me to focus on small tasks and avoid overwork.