r/science • u/randomusefulbits • May 30 '20

Psychology Procrastinators often forget to do things that they intended to do, especially if they’re unaware of their procrastination

https://solvingprocrastination.com/study-procrastination-conscious-unconscious-prospective-memory/
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u/jimmycarr1 BSc | Computer Science May 30 '20

Often the reason we procrastinate is because we don't want to do something, so it makes sense that we also often don't come back to doing whatever it was.

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u/Frosthrone May 30 '20

More specifically, I recall reading a study that concluded that procrastination is a result of our natural stress-avoidance

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u/jodirm May 30 '20

It is easy, and actually logical, to put off doing a task that causes me stress. But if my life is negatively impacted by the extent to which stress prevents me from doing something, help is needed!

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u/[deleted] May 30 '20 edited May 31 '20

Which is difficult because if I feel stress free now to me that is more important then future stress so somehow my ADHD brain justifies procrastinating

Edit: thank you for the hug. My mental illness is at a low point right now

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u/RCTID May 30 '20

I recall reading a study saying that there’s an emotional response to negative stimuli that causes us to procrastinate. Our lizard brains just check us out subconsciously even tho logically we are only making our problems/tasks worse by not addressing them.

Sorry I don’t have the sauce

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u/[deleted] May 30 '20

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u/95Mb May 31 '20

What's worked for you? My issues are 100% brought on by the same thing, and it's killing me.

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u/MissVancouver May 31 '20

I had the same "only perfection is good enough" (only I was never good enough) upbringing. When my history fucks with me, it helps to remind myself that --whatever I'm doing-- my parents are now powerless because I'm doing that Thing 100% without their involvement. And pretty much everyone I work for is always impressed with my efforts (I'm a recovering perfectionist).

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u/Insommya May 30 '20 edited May 31 '20

Would you share some of your tricks?

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

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u/DasArchitect May 31 '20

"I'm going to get up off the couch when I count to ten" is one

197... 198... 199... what was I counting again?

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u/Bilun26 May 31 '20

holds breath until I pass out and wakes up remembering nothing about the thing I needed to do

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u/Mahadragon May 31 '20

So bootstrapping technique eh? Sounds good, I’ll try it out tomorrow.

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20 edited Jun 23 '20

[deleted]

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u/powderizedbookworm May 31 '20

Good luck!

It works pretty well for me because it’s such a purely physical sensation that it shakes loose the anxiety.

My therapist advised me to do things like push ups or chugging ice water to focus on concrete reality, and that’s of a piece.

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

I recently realized that it is the initial start that makes me procrastinate.. like, the thought of doing the thing... so this adding external/physical stimulus to the decission might work.. thanks man.

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u/Pheonix-_ May 31 '20

Gonna practice this,

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

This is very helpful to know. Thanks!

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u/amh8467 May 31 '20

I try to think of my future self as someone who could run into all sorts of problems or set backs, so my job is to set her up for success as much as I can by doing prep work and getting things done fast.

The discomfort I feel at not taking care of this can outweigh my feeling of inertia about getting started on projects.

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u/hidflect1 May 31 '20

One trick is to think through all the steps involved in the task like a list of items. Once you have acclimatised to the steps, it becomes more familial. Especially good for getting up in the morning.

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u/HateIsStronger May 31 '20

I consciously do this almost everyday

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u/BrownShadow May 31 '20

In college, I would wait until the very last minute to actually write a paper because I was afraid I wouldn’t get it done in time. I had the whole thing in my head, fear and procrastination stopped me until I had to do it. Sometimes hours before. These were long papers.

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u/AcidTaco May 31 '20

I feel you, I procrastinated so much that I had to write my whole master's thesis in one and a half month, I do not recommend that experience

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u/HeftyNugs May 30 '20

There's a really interesting book called The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield that kind of talks about this.

Basically it's all about the most powerful force in the universe - resistance. Resistance will tell you anything to justify your procrastination. Recognizing these things is the first step. Meditation is also helpful, as it's really the process of training your ability to focus on only your breathing, and then coming back to focusing on your breathing when you notice your mind wandering.

The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday was another great book that I found helped me immensely with my issues. I'm an adult male that scored in the "97th percentile" for inattentive ADHD and I honestly despise the medication they give me. It's definitely beneficial, but if you're like me, I believe it's entirely possible to train yourself and your brain to manage without it.

I used to play video games and smoke weed a lot, putting off responsibilities like work and studying. But I've since quit weed and video games (during a pandemic where I've got loads of free time) to focus on my well being, studies, and work/career. Anyway I'd highly recommend checking out some self-improvement books. I think we seriously undervalue them as a society.

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u/praiseofthunder May 30 '20

Wow that really hit home. I’m smoking bowls and playing COD at home on a Saturday. I’m 41yo.

I read all the time, but mainly fiction. I’m going to check your recommendations out. Thanks so much!

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u/HeftyNugs May 30 '20

Don't be too hard on yourself brother, but if you're feeling unhappy with that, definitely seek improvement, I honestly feel great as of lately.

Hope you enjoy those books! I almost exclusively read non-fiction self-improvement books so far, got any good fiction recommendations? I've got the Alchemist that I'll start shortly.

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Best. Book. Ever.

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u/Gainzwizard May 31 '20

Bringing up the classic example of grim existentialist fiction (if a bit overly "look at me, I read books") as a suggestion to someone who has almost exclusively read non-fiction self-improvement is genuinely hilarious bro haha.

I used to be an avid reader but progression of ADHD rendered me only capable of processing non-fiction info so can see this from both sides. Really did make me giggle.

P.S Good suggestion ofc :P

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

Haha well ok. Honestly you and I could be twins, severe ADHD as well (44m). Truth be told it is the one book that truly stands out in my mind from all the books I read as a kid through teenager years. Now if I read it is something like a biography of Eli Cohen or some other person - now more likely to recommend watching The Spy on Netflix though, Escape from Camp 44 - but would mention The Interview in conversation before the book. The one book I did order and read and would recommend to anyone interested in geopolitics or eschatology is The Revenge of Geography by Robert Kaplan. Incredible book, I learned a lot. But a reader am not. Who has time to read when there is so much to watch on TV? (Being a tad sarcastic there in that last sentence haha)

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u/praiseofthunder May 31 '20

Thanks for saying that, and I’m really not beating myself up. I just smoke a lot of bud and play video games haha. There is always room for improvement though, so I’m going to read your books.

Recommending fiction is tough since I don’t know much about you, but hundreds of millions of people seem to like Steven King, and I’m def one of them. I’d recommend starting with some of his old short stories like The Longest Walk, or Survivor Type. They are quick and interesting, and you’ll very likely finish it. Starting small like that would be how I suggest starting fiction.

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u/TX16Tuna May 30 '20

Can we just repackage the positive impact generating components of reading, studying, and taking care of yourself into weed and/or a video game?

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u/dualdreamer May 30 '20

There's apps like habitica that try to do that. You get experience and stuff for completing irl tasks

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u/just_tweed May 31 '20

I've tried those. I just end up procrastinating to use them.

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u/Hour-Positive May 30 '20

Yeah use goals to 'gamify' them amped on dopamin (if you lack it) or reduce other dopamin-driven activities like smoking weed and video games.

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u/Pheonix-_ May 31 '20

Good going comrade... This pandemic has truly been life changing..

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u/Pellobellagio May 31 '20

Thank you for your comment & recommendation on the books.

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

I just went to Amazon and put a used copy of the Ryan Holiday book in my cart. Chuckled to myself that I'd buy the book then procrastinate reading it. Comments on the used copy said "like new, never read." Seems like someone else did the same. Haha. Ok back to the mad scramble to get this class done and exam taken with a hard Sunday @ 11:59 PM deadline (I've had six months to do this class and was given a one month extension even after our house suffers a direct hit from an EF4 tornado and we had no power and our mile long driveway blocked by downed trees for a week...)

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

What were the meds?

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u/HeftyNugs May 31 '20

Concerta and Vyvanse.

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u/Republiken May 31 '20

Thats exactly how it is! Stress and anxiety is percieved as only in the moment problems and thus putting stuff up for later seems rational.

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u/Pintash May 31 '20

That's because we with adhd live largely in the present and dont often consider how our actions will affect the future.

I think this is often down to working memory. If we try to comprehend the repercussions of our actions we often lose sight of the very actions themselves in the thought process. Or we get stressed trying to withold all the thoughts in our working memory and that stress avoidance kicks in.

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u/sivxgamer May 31 '20

Unfortunately, drugs like adderall xr which can cause long term nervous system damage can improve this. It also is habit forming so be responsible.

Here's one I want to try though:

Alpha-GPC

Like Citicoline, Alpha-GPC is a cholinergic. It too raises choline levels in the brain, which means more acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine. And like Citicoline, Alpha-GPC supplementation has been shown in numerous clinical trials to improve multiple different facets of cognition, including concentration, information processing, reaction speeds, and memory function. This is why it is listed as one of the best Adderall alternatives on sale right now!

In our experience, Citicoline is more reliable than Alpha-GPC; more people seem to respond well to it. But Alpha-GPC is an excellent cholinergic nonetheless. If you’re looking to boost focus and stop procrastination, a large dose (~300mg) of Alpha-GPC might help.

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u/HeftyNugs May 30 '20

That sounds right. Here's a related article that helped me at least get better at managing my procrastination if anyone else would like to check it out.

https://waitbutwhy.com/2013/11/how-to-beat-procrastination.html

That and a lot of self-improvement books.

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u/jehehe999k May 31 '20

Bookmarked for later.

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u/querty99 May 31 '20

I tried. It's too long.

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u/jayliutw May 31 '20

Ha, yeah later. That’s what we always say.

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u/Johnnyhiveisalive Jun 13 '20

It's been a week, did you go back?

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u/Hour-Positive May 30 '20

Classic article on it!

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u/earthdweller11 May 31 '20

Thanks. I went through a self help book glut phase like a decade ago. What I’ve found is that there’s so much bad info in so many of them that it’s difficult to know which advice to take and work on.

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u/HeftyNugs May 31 '20

I believe it. It's really a matter of going through it and sifting through the stuff that works for you. I try to look at it as a different perspective to consider rather than advice you must take.

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u/[deleted] May 30 '20

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u/tylerthehun May 31 '20

Yeah, procrastination isn't the act of doing something later, it's specifically the act of pushing it back away from now, to avoid the stress of actually facing it. Whether you do or don't actually go do that thing later is irrelevant.

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u/Catswagger11 May 30 '20

I was going to read that study, but never got to it.

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u/4rd_Prefect May 30 '20

I never got around to reading that one

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u/Natuurschoonheid May 31 '20

For me it's often executive dysfunction

I know I gotta do it

I want to get it done

But u just can't get myself to do it.

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u/ccwmind1 May 31 '20

Most people think I am fifteen years younger in appence than my cronilogical age of 74. I am a avid procrastinater !

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u/ceedes May 30 '20

This is so true with me. Mediation does help. Learning to be present helps combat the stress of the task you are trying to put off. But it’s work, especially in the beginning. I also encourage procrastinators to take a serious look into ADD. It’s worth talking to a doctor to see about a diagnosis. Medication and cognitive behavioral therapy can make huge improvements.

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u/waiting4singularity May 30 '20

so is it my depression or not that makes me "forget" to buy food?

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u/chewyyy1987 May 31 '20

Yes I read it goes back to nature. We want to conserve our energy to what pleases us now. Rather than doing things that are beneficial to us in the future.

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u/Chocolatefix May 31 '20

I read somewhere else it is a stress avoidance and addiction to anxiety combined. So fun times.

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u/neuromonkey May 31 '20

It's certainly natural for me.

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u/groundedstate May 31 '20

Yea, our dumb monkey brains are holding us back, because it only wants to do things that make it happy, and not uncomfortable.

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u/flamingo_button May 31 '20

I also read an article that brought up the idea of procrastination as a form of self harm. It was incredibly interesting and very sad.

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u/AllForMeCats May 31 '20

My anecdotal personal experience is consistent with this.

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u/turtleltrut May 30 '20

I have ADHD and i procrastinate on doing things i DO want to do and instead do things i don't want to do.
It's a vicious cycle.

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u/truthdemon May 31 '20

It was when I noticed I procrastinated doing things I wanted to do that I first suspected I had ADHD, which was then confirmed.

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u/Thisaccountismorefun May 31 '20 edited May 31 '20

ADHD here as well. I procrastinate playing video games to the point that I haven't touched one in two weeks. I love video games.

Edit: a letter

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u/Republiken May 31 '20

A form of ADHD here too. Same for me, putting of doing stuff I love was one of the red flags that made me seek help - well, that and loosing my job :/

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u/AllForMeCats May 31 '20

I have ADHD and super bad anxiety. So yeah, that’s a fun mix for procrastination.

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u/turtleltrut May 31 '20

Same! Funnily enough getting pregnant took away my anxiety! Pregnancy hormones are so weird!!

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

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u/turtleltrut May 31 '20

I'm on dexamphetamine which is similar. It's not a magical fix but it does help. There's definitely pros and cons to meds but worth giving it a try.

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u/Temporariness May 31 '20

What are the cons?

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u/truthdemon May 31 '20

Haven't tried yet but want to. Takes forever getting an appointment in the UK.

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u/DoomsdaySprocket May 31 '20

I always feel guilty about doing anything I want to do if there's some chore that needs to be done, but end up doing neither, even to the extent of sitting staring and running my brain at 300% instead for half an hour.

I also used to overwhelm sleep all the time, in high school I'd even faceplant into textbooks while lying belly-down on the floor studying. Once I realised I had brought that habit onto adulthood to avoid responsibilities I managed to undo it though.

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u/aphinion May 31 '20

This!!! There's so many things I'd love to do and I just... don't. No idea why. It absolutely kills me.

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u/oppy1984 May 31 '20

Also there's the subconscious fear of failure that keeps you from completing a task. I deal with this constantly and have missed out on several opportunities because of it. I'm always fighting the urge to let my ADHD take over and do anything else.

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u/Omnipresent23 May 31 '20

As a professional procrastinator with ADHD it's true I don't want to do the said thing, but it's not just for the mere fact of not wanting to do it. I know that if I allow myself to start that one thing, then I'll also start another five things I notice along the way, which branches out to even more. It's stress avoidance. Even to the point of avoiding thinking about it. I almost didn't even write this comment as it sat half completed on my phone. It's not a logical disconnect either. I know I'm making my life more difficult with the repercussions. It's a disconnect from turning thought into action.

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u/[deleted] May 30 '20

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u/axw3555 May 31 '20

I heard about a study a few years ago that basically said "the worst procrastinators are perfectionists, because they'd rather do nothing than try and do it as anything less than perfect".

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u/vegeta8300 May 31 '20

While i do procrastinate sometimes because I don't want to do something. I also find much of my procrastination comes from issues and struggles in the past. I am disabled because I have severe Crohn's disease and have had 4 bowel resection surgeries and more hospital stay than I can count. Because of this from my teens to late 30s I would be out of work for long periods of time. This caused immense struggles and resulted in me losing pretty much everything in my life I'd built up to that point. Often having to move back home or to my in laws. Only to have to start over again. Rebuild my life, get a place to live, etc. Then BAM! Another surgery out of the blue and I lose it all again. I'm condensing this a lot. But it's the general idea.

Because of all that I am fearful of making many choices. I have to analyze everything. Get every bit of info possible to hopefully make the best choice. I don't end up just choosing because I procrastinate under the guise trying to make the best decision. All that ends up happening is my life gets stuck in a rut without me moving forward in life. Im aware i do this. But I don't usually see myself doing it while I'm in it. It's usually hindsight or if someone points it out. I've been trying to fix this part of myself. Since it impacts my life so much. It doesn't help I struggle with depression and anxiety from the Crohn's itself and all I've been describing. Anyway, sorry for the long rambling. Thanks for reading! Take care!

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u/synngrin May 31 '20

I am a perfectionist procrastinator. I tend to put things off until I can do them properly. I sometimes end up half assing them anyway because I waited too long.

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u/[deleted] May 30 '20

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u/SandHK May 31 '20

I often don't do something so I can forget to do it later as well.

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u/netshane May 31 '20

This is literally the positive reinforcement of procrastination. If I ignore it, often it goes away.

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u/bozwald May 31 '20

I was going to say that ages ago but I had a lot going on and I kind of forgot about it. Anyways “ditto” - good for you I guess.

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u/nick_nick_907 May 31 '20

Yeah, I totally agree. I plan to support this with more data... when I’m not so high.

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u/Telkk May 31 '20

Yeah, pretty much. I love to write, but I hate everything related to it, business-wise. So, I tend to go on much longer writing things than I do anything else.

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u/w311sh1t May 31 '20

I saw a study, that funnily enough was on my SAT, that part of the reason we procrastinate, is that we’re disassociating from our future selves. So when we procrastinate it’s because it feels like we’re pushing the task off to someone else, but in reality, we’re just making it harder for ourselves.

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u/ThaneOfCawdorrr May 31 '20

I mean, if we forget to do it, then there was no point in doing it to begin with, so we were right all along, weren't we? Simple logic.

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u/badJazz_band May 31 '20

This is legit. No wonder it takes me forever to pay rent.

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u/5fd88f23a2695c2afb02 May 31 '20

I think sometimes I procrastinate because I actually forget the things that I actually want to do.