Why You Keep Saying ‘I’ll Do It Later’ Even Though You Know You Should Just Do It Now, According To Neuroscience
SeventyFour | Shutterstock The thing about those times when we keep procrastinating is that we know better. That's the whole essence of procrastination, after all: You keep not doing the thing even though you know you need to do the thing! So what's the deal?
Well, recent neuroscientific research has found that there may be a specific mechanism in our brains that is to blame for this annoying tendency. Knowing what it is and how it works just might be the key to getting the thing you don't want to do done.
You keep saying 'I'll do it later' even though you know you shouldn't because your brain is wired that way.
It's easy to feel like procrastination is a character flaw, especially in our culture that brands it as laziness or incompetence. But according to a study of macaque monkeys at Kyoto University in Japan, it's quite literally just your brain doing its job. So you're off the hook! You never have to do anything ever again!
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Kidding, of course. But scientists found macaques' brains, which are quite similar to our own, have a specific neural circuit that kicks in whenever there is something that needs to be done but is connected with something we dislike.
Their research could provide insight into all sorts of parts of the human condition, from garden-variety procrastination to actual illnesses that negatively impact motivation, like depression and other mental health conditions.
Scientists found that research monkeys would refuse to perform necessary tasks if they were linked to something unpleasant.
To dig into this particular brain function, researchers at Kyoto University made their research macaques very thirsty so that they would be craving a drink of water. The macaques were then presented with two decision-making tasks.
At the end of one task, they would be rewarded with some water upon completion. But at the end of the other, they would be rewarded with water only after also having to endure an annoying and unpleasant puff of air blown in their face.
Researchers found that even when the macaques were good and thirsty, they would hesitate and sometimes avoid the water at all costs if it meant they wouldn't have to deal with that annoying puff of air.
They theorized that this was a function of the interplay between two brain regions, the ventral striatum and the ventral pallidum, which play important roles in primates' motivation and reward processing, and that, by manipulating them, they could solve the monkeys' avoidance issue.
Scientists think this neural circuit acts as a 'motivation brake' to protect us from burnout.
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The scientists noted that manipulating this particular neural pathway can create both compulsion and apathy in primates. So to further investigate, they used a drug to genetically manipulate this pathway in the other direction. It worked: The macaques stopped hesitating to go for the water, even knowing they'd get that annoying air puff.
Scientists thus think this neural circuit acts as a "motivation brake," in which the ventral striatum detects an unpleasant experience and clamps down on the ventral pallidum's functions, bringing motivation to a screeching halt whenever we have to do something we don't want to do.
But why do this when doing the task would be better for us in the long run? It turns out, it's our brains' way of protecting us from burnout. Its intentions are good! Just perhaps misplaced. After all, is that basket of laundry that needs folding really going to be the thing that puts us over the edge?
Look, it might not feel like it, but we all procrastinate from time to time. Research shows that only 20-25% of adults are chronic procrastinators, and that's worldwide. That's a pretty small number of people. It might be okay to cut ourselves some slack now and again. Maybe you just need a break.
Scientists hope that the research can be used to enhance therapeutic and medication treatments that would alter this neural pathway for those with conditions like depression and schizophrenia, which are characterized by low motivation. For the rest of us, it's at least helpful to know that the only thing actually keeping us from those chores might just be a trick our brains are playing. Now go fold that laundry, or better yet, do something that's a whole lot more fun!
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.
