“This Method Quickly Cured My Procrastination” — The Scientific Trick

We’ve all been there — staring at a blank laptop or mobile screen or having an urgent task and feeling completely unmotivated to tackle it. Procrastination can be a challenging habit to break, but I think the key to overcoming it lies in understanding the role of dopamine in our brain’s reward system.

What is dopamine 🤔? (If you are first time hearing it and why you should know)

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a critical role in motivation, drive, and pursuit. When we experience a peak in dopamine, it is followed by a trough, which is experienced as a craving or a wanting. That pain is actually a desire for a specific state that is different than the one we’re currently in. The deeper the trough after a dopamine peak, the more we experience this pain or wanting.

Controlling Dopamine — the Scientific Trick

The good news is that we can leverage our dopamine system to overcome procrastination and increase our motivation. The key is to do something that is harder or more effortful than being in the unmotivated state. By putting ourselves into a state of discomfort quickly, we can rebound out of the dopamine trough much more quickly.

One way to do this is to engage in a tangential activity that puts our body and mind into a very different state. For example, if we’re procrastinating on a work project, we could go for a run or take a cold shower. These activities may be unpleasant in the moment, but they can quickly shift our dopamine baseline and get us back on track.

Another way to leverage our dopamine system is to do something that is directly related to the task at hand but more challenging. For example, if we’re procrastinating on a writing assignment, we could start by writing a challenging paragraph or outlining the entire article. These actions may be more effortful than doing nothing, but they can help us overcome the initial resistance and get into a flow state.

It’s important to note that the activity we choose should be safe and not overly stressful. The goal is to steepen the slope of the dopamine trough, not to create an overwhelming situation that leads to burnout.

In conclusion, by understanding the role of dopamine in our brain’s reward system, we can leverage it to overcome procrastination and increase our motivation. Whether it’s engaging in a tangential activity or doing something more challenging than being in an unmotivated state, the key is to put ourselves into a state of discomfort quickly. By doing so, we can get back on track and achieve our goals more effectively.

DO THIS OR I WILL BE SAD 🥺

A nice activity

Try choosing a task that you’ve been procrastinating on and identify an activity that is harder or more effortful than being in an unmotivated state. Engage in that activity for a few minutes and see if it helps shift your dopamine baseline and increase your motivation. Remember to choose a safe activity that is not overly stressful.

For me it was cleaning my own room whenever I got the chance. Tell me what’s yours in the comment section and help others as well to figure it out.

Best of Luck!

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