Background Thinking

The brain continues to work on tasks even when the conscious mind has moved on. This is because complex problem-solving portions of the brain remain active despite the shift of attention, according to a study conducted by the University of British Columbia.

“Our brains are pretty cool because they can solve problems subconsciously while you’re not actively thinking about them. A common example is when you’re thinking about the name of a song, and then two hours later, it just pops in your head. Your brain was still thinking about it, and that can be really valuable for problem-solving,” Ramroth said. 

Active procrastination is also useful, as short breaks while working lend themselves to long term goals, according to a study by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The temporary unproductive break refocuses the mind, which improves motivation and helps prevent decision fatigue, the breaking down of motivation and reasoning ability after having to make frequent decisions.

Many people have employed this tactic, including Carlmont teachers and other accomplished individuals. 

“I possibly do a version of active procrastination. If I have two hours of work to do, I know I’m not going to want to do it, and I’ll just end up sitting on the couch miserably looking at my phone,” Ramroth said. “So, what I try to do is do like 25 minutes of good work, and then 10 minutes of my hobby, 25 minutes of work, and then I get rewarded by 10 minutes of my hobby, and I go back and forth that way. So, I kind of procrastinate with the stuff I actually enjoy doing.”

Whether it’s procrastinating on a Spanish worksheet or a history outline, Ramroth emphasized how keeping organized will help prevent unnecessary stress.

In controlled amounts, procrastination allows students to reap the benefits of a little pressure, which maximizes the quantity and quality of work they get out of the allotted time. However, if kept unchecked, students will be left overwhelmed, having fallen victim to an overdose of omitted tasks.

It is important to understand that there is a sweet-spot in procrastination, and failing to cut breaks short leaves many in a less than ideal situation. A slip up will happen from time-to-time, but many let it get to the point of 2 a.m. cramming, disguising chronic procrastination under the mask of a helpful strategy.

That being said, it seems that all the lecturing and pestering by others about avoiding procrastination aren’t all that accurate; they fail to paint the whole picture and demonize a practice that could be used for student benefit.

“I think procrastination is a super normal human thing to do,” Ramroth said. “We’re just spending our time fighting it off and trying to learn how to be efficient throughout the entire day, but know that it’s a normal, natural thing.”