Death Of 1000 Cuts Death Of 1000 Cuts - Season 2 Episode 37 - Chatting With Tim Pychyl
Oct 8, 2018
Dr. Tim Pychyl, a psychologist and procrastination expert from Carleton University, dives deep into the emotional roots of procrastination. He clarifies the difference between necessary delays and true procrastination, highlighting how emotions, not time management, drive this behavior. Tim discusses brain science, linking procrastination to an overactive amygdala and provides practical steps to combat it. He emphasizes the power of identifying small actions to break the cycle of delay and shares how self-forgiveness can transform motivation.
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How Research Began With PhD Students
- Tim Pychyl began studying procrastination after interviewing doctoral students who reported crippling delays that harmed their well-being.
- He shifted from studying actions to studying intentions because unmet intentions predicted life dissatisfaction.
Voluntary Delay Despite Harm
- Procrastination is a voluntary delay of an intended act despite expecting to be worse off for the delay.
- Tim Pychyl emphasises that not all delays are procrastination; culpable unwarranted delay captures the essence.
It's An Emotion Management Problem
- Procrastination is not primarily a time-management issue but an emotion-management problem.
- Avoidance reduces negative emotion short-term (negative reinforcement) but backfires later.
