Friday Thoughts
One of my favourites... Motivation.... plus a bonus of procrastination
Motivation in neuroscience involves understanding how different parts of the brain contribute to the drive and desire to perform certain actions, especially those that are rewarding. Key brain regions involved include the prefrontal cortex, which processes reward information and plans actions, and the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area (VTA), which are part of the brain’s reward system and are activated by rewarding stimuli.
Neurotransmitters like dopamine play a crucial role in motivation, signaling reward anticipation and influencing the pursuit of rewards. The interplay between these regions and neurotransmitters helps regulate our motivation to engage in behaviours that we find rewarding or pleasurable.
During procrastination, there’s a conflict in the brain between the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex. The limbic system, which includes the pleasure center and operates unconsciously, often wins over the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for planning and decision-making. This happens especially when faced with tasks that are perceived as unpleasant, leading to avoidance and delay.
Additionally, when we face a task that might cause boredom, frustration, or fear, the limbic system activates, and sometimes an amygdala hijack can occur, where emotional responses override rational decision-making processes in the prefrontal cortex.
An amygdala hijack is a term coined by psychologist Daniel Goleman to describe an immediate and overwhelming emotional response that’s disproportionate to the situation at hand. It occurs when the amygdala, the part of the brain that processes emotions, overreacts to a stimulus and triggers a much more significant emotional threat. This response can bypass rational thinking processes in the prefrontal cortex, leading to what is commonly known as a “fight-or-flight” reaction.
During an amygdala hijack, the amygdala takes control and can disable reasoned responses, making it difficult to act rationally. This is part of our survival mechanism, designed to keep us safe from danger by focusing intensely on perceived threats.
An amygdala hijack is associated with procrastination because it represents an emotional response that can lead to avoidance behaviour. Research has found that the brains of procrastinators often have a larger amygdala. When faced with tasks that are perceived as unpleasant or stressful, procrastinators may experience an amygdala hijack, where they react emotionally and the coping response is to escape or avoid the task.
This emotional reaction can override the more rational decision-making processes, leading to procrastination. The connections between the amygdala and areas of the brain responsible for focus and decision-making, like the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (DACC), may not be as strong in individuals who procrastinate.
Understanding this connection can help in developing strategies to manage procrastination by learning how to regulate emotional responses to tasks.
Would you like some strategies on how to do this?
Here are some that can help to manage procrastination:
Break down tasks: Divide large projects into smaller, more manageable tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Start small: Begin with easy or small tasks to build momentum.
Set realistic goals: Keep your goals achievable and reassess them as needed.
Time management: Allocate specific times for tasks and use schedules or planners.
Accept imperfection: Give yourself permission to make mistakes; focus on progress rather than perfection.
Find your motivation: Identify productive reasons to continue working on tasks.
Enhance your environment: Create a workspace that minimises distractions and is conducive to focus.
Increase energy levels: Ensure you’re well-rested and healthy to avoid the lack of energy leading to procrastination.
Cope with fears: Address underlying fears and anxieties that may be causing you to procrastinate.
Implementing these strategies can help you overcome the tendency to delay tasks and improve productivity.
Reward and Motivation
The reward mechanism in the brain, also known as the reward system, is primarily composed of a group of neural structures called the mesocorticolimbic circuit.
This system is responsible for:
Incentive salience: The “wanting” or desire for a reward, which drives motivation.
Associative learning: Learning that connects certain behaviors with rewards, primarily through positive reinforcement and classical conditioning.
Positive emotions: Feelings of pleasure, such as joy, euphoria, and ecstasy, which are core components of the reward experience.
The reward system begins in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) where neurons release dopamine to make you feel pleasure. The brain then makes connections between the activity and the pleasure, ensuring that we will repeat the behaviour.
Dopamine release from the VTA into the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex is crucial for this process. This circuitry is what motivates behaviour and reinforces actions that are essential for survival, such as eating and reproduction, by providing pleasurable sensations.
When the reward system in the brain is dysfunctional, it can lead to a variety of issues, including:
Anhedonia: A reduced interest in experiencing or obtaining pleasure, which is a common symptom in depression.
Cognitive impairments: Difficulties in performing cognitive effortful tasks and decision-making, which may be seen in conditions like depression.
Behavioural disorders: Dysfunctions in the reward pathway can underlie addiction and other behavioural disorders.
Risk-taking behavior: There is evidence suggesting that dysfunctions in the reward system may influence risk-taking decisions, particularly in adolescents.
These dysfunctions interfere with the normal processing of rewards and can significantly affect an individual’s quality of life.
Understanding and remediating these dysfunctions is crucial for improving mental and physical health outcomes.
Here are some strategies that can help improve the reward system in the brain:
Keep Growing: Engage in new activities to continue experiencing dopamine rushes, as repeating the same actions can lead to a decrease in motivation.
Use Visualisation: Imagine achieving your goals to stimulate the reward system.
Avoid Excessive Stress: High stress levels can cause chronic inflammation and decrease motivation.
Reframe Challenges: View difficult situations as opportunities for growth and helping others.
Additionally, setting goals, breaking them down into smaller tasks, and rewarding yourself after completing each task can help stimulate dopamine release. Engaging in activities that align with your passions, interests, and values can also activate the reward system.
Whatever the drain on your motivation is please take small steps today to reverse the trend and energise your system instead!
Even if you’re on the right track – you’ll get run over if you just sit there