Teen Procrastination

Introduction

I have noticed many times that I put off my studies or, when I am having a hard time focusing, I tell myself that I can continue tomorrow. The more I learned, I realized that there is a name for this called procrastination. I believe that many teens struggle with this same issue as me. Procrastination happens to everyone in both small and big ways, and it is different for everyone.

What goes on in our brain

A post by Insight Psychology says that there are two parts of the brain responsible for procrastination, the limbic system and prefrontal cortex. As stated by Insight Psychology, "The limbic system is the brain's emotional hub, processing pleasure, pain, and reward." In contrast, "The prefrontal cortex is responsible for executive functions like decision-making, planning, and impulse control." What is it about these two parts that end up causing procrastination? Well, the prefrontal cortex is not able to stop the impulses that come from the limbic system leading to procrastination. (Insightspsychology)

The Limbic System's Involvement:

• When a task causes overwhelming feelings, the amygdala will want to guide you to something that will provide relief. For example, in procrastination instead of doing homework that is causing you to feel overwhelmed, you may go on your phone and watch YouTube instead. (Insightspsychology)

• Dopamine plays a significant role in procrastination. If you avoid a task and switch to a more enjoyable activity, dopamine is released, making you less likely to return to the unpleasant task you were doing beforehand. (Insightspsychology)

The Prefrontal Cortex's Involvement:

• While our limbic system focuses on immediate rewards, our prefrontal cortex focuses on delayed rewards. As stated earlier, our prefrontal cortex is unable to overcome the limbic system because of an imbalance in activation in these two structures. However, there is a concept that ties this event all together known as temporal discounting.(Insightspsychology) Insight Psychology says it "explains why people tend to devalue rewards or consequences that are far in the future."

Tips/Takeaway:

Here are a few strategies from Insight Psychology to help you combat procrastination and support your prefrontal cortex.

• Break down your tasks - instead of forcing yourself to complete your project all at once, work on it for 15-20 minutes.

• Using pomodoro technique - set a timer for 25-minute intervals with short breaks

• Rewarding yourself - treat yourself after completing a task

• Avoid self-criticism - if you procrastinate, do not be harsh on yourself. Instead, show yourself some compassion, as being harsh could increase your stress.

It's important to not let procrastination stop you from accomplishing something and instead find ways to stop it. My favorite ways are rewarding myself and using pomodoro techniques. The pomodoro technique can help reduce study stress. Also, it always feels good to reward yourself so that is one way that can never go wrong. Taking small steps is better than taking none at all.

Conclusion Procrastination is something we easily do and fail to notice what is going on in our brain. Two of the parts of our brain involved in procrastination are our limbic system and the prefrontal cortex. The limbic system centers on current rewards, and the prefrontal cortex centers on future rewards. Procrastination affects us all and using methods to avoid procrastination will help your brain.

Works Cited:

Insightspsychology. “The Brain Science behind Procrastination.” Insights Psychology, 6 Dec. 2024, insightspsychology.org/the-neuroscience-of-procrastination/.