Beating Procrastination and Boosting Productivity
Learning Objective
I can develop strategies to overcome procrastination and improve productivity.
Key Concepts
Procrastination is not merely delaying tasks, but actively avoiding them despite expecting negative consequences, driven by an irrational desire to escape perceived threats.
The amygdala's release of stress hormones during challenging tasks can overpower the prefrontal cortex, leading to a fight, flight, or freeze response that favors immediate stress reduction over long-term goals.
While often misconstrued as laziness, procrastination frequently stems from a fear of failure and high personal standards, resulting in anxiety, depression, and shame due to the inability to meet self-imposed expectations.
Practice Questions
This lesson includes 12 practice questions to reinforce learning.
View questions preview
1. According to the video, what is the key difference between responsible time management and procrastination?
2. According to the video, which part of the brain is responsible for the fear response that leads to procrastination?
3. Explain how procrastination can be seen as a 'fight, flight, or freeze' response.
...and 9 more questions
Educational Video
Why you procrastinate even when it feels bad
TED-Ed