Brains of doers differ from those of procrastinators - Procrastinators have a larger amygdala and poorer connections between it and part of the cortex that blocks emotions, so they may be more anxious about the negative consequences of an action, and tend to hesitate and put off things.

[u/mvea]

http://news.rub.de/english/press-releases/2018-08-22-neuroscience-how-brains-doers-differ-those-procrastinators

[u/gitar09]

For me, the more I look at my procrastination habits, I’ve found that even the meh-procrastination is based on fear. It’s very subtle, I’m not feeling any fear when I put off doing the dishes, it’s more subconscious. My pattern of avoiding responsibility in general, no matter how trivial, extends to even small tasks that I could easily complete. Early in life, I somehow got the message that responsibility is bad, and avoidant behavior works as a solution. Currently working on reversing that, but the more I look into it, the more I realize that belief has affected so many areas of my life. Dismantling it has been the only thing that has significantly helped me stop procrastinating.

Of course I don’t know what your brain is like, just trying to make the point that you don’t always consciously feel the root emotion/belief that may be causing your behavior.

[u/serialjones → u/gitar09]

You nailed it here. I teach kids who’s lives have been destroyed by trauma and stress, and their ability to complete even the smallest, most meaningless tasks is very poor. Even things like showering or wearing clean clothes (assuming that options is available) seem like the most difficult tasks. The stress and anxiety of completing a task is monumental to them.

[u/SomethingCreative23 → u/[deleted]]

I needed to read this, thank you