Overcoming Procrastination

Key Concept

Dopamine Peaks and Troughs
- The depth of the trough after a dopamine peak is proportional to how high and steep that peak was.
- The rate of recovery from the trough is proportional to the steepness of the trough.

Amotivation: Feeling unmotivated or procrastinating.
Common responses to amotivation:
- Cleaning the house
- Taking care of bills
- Waiting to feel motivated
These approaches often lead to last-minute rushes or failure to accomplish goals.

Engaging in Harder Tasks
- Doing something more effortful can help rebound out of the dopamine trough more quickly.
- Example: If cleaning the house feels easier, it may not be effective in breaking procrastination.
Creating Discomfort
- Engage in activities that put the body and mind into a state of discomfort.
- Examples of Effective Discomfort Activities:
  - Cold shower or cold immersion (increases dopamine long-term)
  - Other tangential activities that are more challenging than procrastination.

Limbic Friction: The internal struggle between motivation and reluctance.
- Can manifest as:
  - Tiredness leading to lack of motivation
  - Nervousness leading to avoidance of tasks

Common issue: Lack of motivation to exercise.
Suggested Techniques:
- Exercise for a minimal time (e.g., 1 minute or 5 minutes) to build momentum.
- If minimal exercise still results in a trough, consider a tangentially challenging activity.

Identify activities that are worse than being in an unmotivated state (without causing harm).
Examples:
- Cold exposure (ice baths, cold showers)
- Any activity that feels significantly more uncomfortable than procrastination.

Don't wait for procrastination to naturally resolve.
Use discomfort as a tool to quickly exit the amotivated state.
Actively choose challenging tasks that push against limbic friction to regain motivation.