Neuroscience shows that when we delay tasks, we are experiencing a conflict between two brain systems:
The limbic system, older and oriented toward immediate rewards.
The prefrontal cortex, responsible for planning, inhibitory control, and long-term goals.
When the limbic system prevails, we choose more pleasurable short-term activities, avoiding tasks that generate discomfort, even if they are important. Recent studies indicate that the anterior cingulate cortex acts as a mediator in this dispute, evaluating the cost-benefit of acting now or later.
This dynamic is modulated by neurotransmitters such as dopamine, which regulates motivation and reward expectation. Environments with a high load of distractions amplify the limbic system’s advantage, making procrastination more likely.
Understanding these mechanisms opens the door to interventions based on mindfulness, time chunking, and gradual task initiation, helping to strengthen the executive role of the prefrontal cortex.
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