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Does Procrastinating release dopamine?

Started by roadman65, February 06, 2025, 02:53:09 PM

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roadman65

https://insightspsychology.org/the-neuroscience-of-procrastination/#:~:text=Dopamine%20and%20Instant%20Gratification%3A%20The,of%20avoiding%20the%20challenging%20task.

I always find when I'm depressed I procrastinate or sloth.  I don't do it to get a rush or excitement.

Yet the above article links the reason why we procrastinate is to get that dopamine rush. 

In case you wondering what dopamine is, it's a chemical released in our brain to make us feel good usually during certain moments like sex. That's why humans are attracted to intercourse in general because of the dopamine in our brain is released when we are excited.  Although it's not limited to just sex as other excitement gets us a release too.

However, a man who is depressed a lot lately I do not get that rush when I'm slow despite the article.

Is there anyone who thinks this article may have merit? Could dopamine feel different and procrastinating releases another side to it?
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe


Max Rockatansky

Speaking for myself procrastinating or forcefully trying to do nothing are both stress inducing.  I just feel mentally unsatisfied unless I'm actively doing something.  Probably goes a long way to explain why I like exercise so much.

Rothman

When I was a teenager, I procrastinated.  Almost is painful to procrastinate now that I'm an adult.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

epzik8

Never really thought anything of this before, but I'll pay attention the next time I procrastinate.
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Scott5114

Talk to your doctor about inattentive-type ADHD.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

1995hoo

I'm going to stop procrastinating. Starting tomorrow.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

vdeane

Honestly, I'm the same way.  I'll even procrastinate on going to bed.  Even if I'm done with everything, I'll be like "I don't feel like brushing my teeth and going to bed, so let's find something quick online to read".  "Something quick" then turns into something longer, and then when I finish, I'm right back where I started.  I can easily end up going to bed 30-60 minutes later than I should have due to this.  No wonder I'm so tired all the time.

ADHD sucks.  The effort needed to force myself to be on task during the day ends up being counter-balanced by being a hot mess on the weekends (especially Saturday), and I suspect the fact that I need to be even better with time management when on the road is why I inevitably end up exhausted afterwards, even with an extra day of rest between the trip and going back to work.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Scott5114

Quote from: vdeane on February 06, 2025, 09:21:58 PMI can easily end up going to bed 30-60 minutes later than I should have due to this. 

If only I was so lucky to have mine only delay going to bed 60 minutes...
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

vdeane

Quote from: Scott5114 on February 06, 2025, 09:28:58 PM
Quote from: vdeane on February 06, 2025, 09:21:58 PMI can easily end up going to bed 30-60 minutes later than I should have due to this.

If only I was so lucky to have mine only delay going to bed 60 minutes...
That's usually when I force the issue.  Back when I was unemployed it got so bad that I was going to bed at 3 AM routinely.  It took my circadian rhythm about six years to normalize from that (around when COVID hit).
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Scott5114

Quote from: vdeane on February 06, 2025, 09:37:37 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 06, 2025, 09:28:58 PM
Quote from: vdeane on February 06, 2025, 09:21:58 PMI can easily end up going to bed 30-60 minutes later than I should have due to this.

If only I was so lucky to have mine only delay going to bed 60 minutes...
That's usually when I force the issue.  Back when I was unemployed it got so bad that I was going to bed at 3 AM routinely.  It took my circadian rhythm about six years to normalize from that (around when COVID hit).

My sleep schedule will get so fucked sometimes that I force the issue by staying up for 24+ hours straight to "wrap around" to something more normal.

Fortunately, since we moved to our new house, I've been able to install blackout curtains, which have helped somewhat.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Max Rockatansky

I'll often try to sneak off to bed early if I'm bored approaching my normal sleep time.  My wife is the one who procrastinates on getting to bed as she starts up random tasks.  I was the one who had the ADHD diagnosis as a kid.

Hunty2022

I'm procrastinating right now by typing/proofreading this response when I should have been making content for my site and looking at possible trip routes for tomorrow...
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Scott5114

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on February 06, 2025, 09:47:55 PMI'll often try to sneak off to bed early if I'm bored approaching my normal sleep time.  My wife is the one who procrastinates on getting to bed as she starts up random tasks.  I was the one who had the ADHD diagnosis as a kid.

Was it inattentive-type or hyperactive-type? The two subtypes present with very different symptoms.

ADHD can also lead to the opposite problem, though—some ADHD people's brains end up running so fast that they tire themselves out and then go into a hard shutdown where they sleep like a rock. (When I finally do get to sleep, nothing wakes me up, to the point that it's a little concerning what would happen if the house caught fire or something.)
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Max Rockatansky

#13
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 06, 2025, 09:52:27 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on February 06, 2025, 09:47:55 PMI'll often try to sneak off to bed early if I'm bored approaching my normal sleep time.  My wife is the one who procrastinates on getting to bed as she starts up random tasks.  I was the one who had the ADHD diagnosis as a kid.

Was it inattentive-type or hyperactive-type? The two subtypes present with very different symptoms.

ADHD can also lead to the opposite problem, though—some ADHD people's brains end up running so fast that they tire themselves out and then go into a hard shutdown where they sleep like a rock. (When I finally do get to sleep, nothing wakes me up, to the point that it's a little concerning what would happen if the house caught fire or something.)

Hyperactive, but I haven't had any kind of treatment for it since early into my 7th grade year.   I don't know what exactly changed in the 6th grade but I felt as though I could suddenly focus on my own.  It took about a year to convince my parents though.  I hadn't been taking medicine for a while and finally fessed up about it.

Quote from: Hunty2022 on February 06, 2025, 09:50:08 PMI'm procrastinating right now by typing/proofreading this response when I should have been making content for my site and looking at possible trip routes for tomorrow...

I'm scheduled out through the end of August on mine.  So much for not being able to stay on task I guess. 

adventurernumber1

I'm a chronic procrastinator, and have been for probably a decade now. It's a habit I always so desperately want to stop doing and break free from, but I never can seem to be able to. I certainly need to put in more effort to do so, but procrastination truly feels like a trap I can't get out of, no matter what I do. With that said, and in light of the premise of this thread, it is extremely ironic that I never seem to get any dopamine rush whatsoever out of procrastination.

I agree with Max Rockatansky that also in my personal experience, procrastination always seems to only be stress-inducing, in the end. Aside from the temporary postponing of obligations, I get absolutely no enjoyment from procrastination, and by the end of it with the time-pressure to complete something with not much time left, it is an immensely stressful and unpleasant experience. This is why I don't understand why I keep doing it and why I can't stop.

I have heard a psychological theory about procrastination; I don't know if this is actually backed by verified and credible research, but I can relate to this heavily and I have seen this described in a psychology video that very insightfully connected all these dots: essentially the theory goes that there are 3 or 4 psychological processes that are very heavily interconnected with one another: 1) Procrastination, 2) Perfectionism, 3) Low Confidence, and maybe sometimes a fourth one as well, 4) Indecisiveness. All of these psychological processes may feed on and compound each other, creating a vicious cycle. The interesting thing is that I do deal with all four of these things, to a very strong degree and basically on a daily basis.

So to use my personal experiences as an example of these interconnections, let's say I have an obligation or assignment I need to work on. I'm a perfectionist, so I have a certain standard of "quality" I want to achieve in doing this (that is also likely an unrealistic standard), but because of low confidence, I don't feel like I am equipped for the task of doing so to the extent that it achieves the required quality. Because of how intimidating and overwhelming this feels, I put off doing the task, and keep putting it off more and more and so on, hence the procrastination. Once I finally start working on the task, I then find myself very indecisive and it takes way longer than it ever should to make the most basic decisions, further dragging out the time it takes to complete the task. And the cycle continues with each new task or obligation.

Once again, I don't know if any of this is actually based off of credible research, and maybe I paid way too much attention to this one YouTube video. But because of how much I relate to it and how much I can see all the supposed interconnections at work consistently in almost every substantial task I do, I have to wonder if it is indeed true. Or maybe it is only true in my own personal experiences, after all everyone is different.

In any case, hopefully I can eventually kick the habit of procrastination, however I've said that every month of every year for the past decade, and it doesn't look to be happening anytime soon, but still I could definitely put in a lot more effort. I have an online college assignment due this coming Tuesday night, and my goal is to complete and submit it over the weekend, at least a couple of days before the actual deadline. However, that was also my goal last week, as well as both weeks before that. All three weeks I ended up turning in the assignment between 11:56 and 11:59 P.M., mere minutes or even seconds before the deadline - and the last 2 assignments were also incomplete because I simply couldn't finish them in time. This is obviously a serious problem at this point. But we'll see if I can complete my "goal" this time, I can only hope.  :)  :meh:  :banghead:

adventurernumber1

Quote from: Scott5114 on February 06, 2025, 09:41:34 PM
Quote from: vdeane on February 06, 2025, 09:37:37 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on February 06, 2025, 09:28:58 PM
Quote from: vdeane on February 06, 2025, 09:21:58 PMI can easily end up going to bed 30-60 minutes later than I should have due to this.

If only I was so lucky to have mine only delay going to bed 60 minutes...
That's usually when I force the issue.  Back when I was unemployed it got so bad that I was going to bed at 3 AM routinely.  It took my circadian rhythm about six years to normalize from that (around when COVID hit).

My sleep schedule will get so fucked sometimes that I force the issue by staying up for 24+ hours straight to "wrap around" to something more normal.

Fortunately, since we moved to our new house, I've been able to install blackout curtains, which have helped somewhat.

I have also used the 24+ hour method to try to "fix" my sleep schedule, many times. It can definitely work, the problem is that I usually just screw up my sleep schedule again after no more than a few days, or even the next day. My sleep schedule is about as bad as my procrastination habits, and both are things I seriously need to work on. I think I've both gone to sleep and woken up at every single time on the 24-hour clock at least once (such as waking up for the "day" at 1 AM or going to sleep for the "night" at 3 PM).



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