Page 132 - A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science

habit of getting their work done in binges are much less productive overall than
2
those who generally do their work in reasonable, limited stints. Staying in the
zone too long will send you toward burnout. 3
An impending deadline can ratchet up stress levels, moving you into a zone
where the stress hormones can kick in and assist in thinking. But relying on
adrenaline can be a dangerous game, because once stress goes too high, the
ability to think clearly can disappear. More important, learning math and science

for an upcoming examination is very different from finishing a written report by
a given due date. This is because math and science demand the development of
new neural scaffolds that are different from the social, pictorial, and language-
oriented scaffolds that our brains have evolved to excel at. For many people,
math-and science-related scaffolds develop slowly, alternating focused-mode
and diffuse-mode thinking as the material is absorbed. Especially when it comes

to learning math and science, the bingeing excuse, “I do my best work under
deadlines,” is simply not true. 4
Remember the arsenic eaters at the beginning of these chapters on
procrastination? Back in the 1800s, when arsenic eating took hold in one tiny
Austrian population, people ignored how harmful it was long-term, even if
tolerance could be built up. It’s a little like not recognizing the dangers of
procrastination.

Getting a grip on habits of procrastination means acknowledging that
something that feels painful at the moment can ultimately be healthy.
Overcoming your urge to procrastinate shares much in common with other minor
stressors that are ultimately beneficial.

“When I am not working, I must relax—not work on something else!”

—Psychologist B. F. Skinner, reflecting on a crucial realization that became a turning
point in his career 5