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Redditrice_ t1_j17x9db wrote

This is absolutely true. All my procrastination comes from anxiety : not knowing what steps to take, imposter syndrome, fearing a difficult conversation. And when I finally do it, I feel a huge relief.

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emilytaege t1_j18pld1 wrote

Yes, exactly! I find that it is helpful to focus on that "huge relief" part. What I like to do is categorize everything into two types of fun: Type 1 fun, and Type 2 fun. Type 1 fun is stuff like rollercoasters, go-karts, video games, scrolling reddit -- these things are obvious fun on their own. Type 2 fun is like running a marathon, climbing a mountain or even something mundane like doing the dishes -- it sucks while you're doing it, but feels great when you've done it. You could try journaling about the experience afterwards and try to capture your feelings about it -- almost like you're bottling it up for later when you need to open it up for future motivation.

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surprised_tree t1_j1ae3pm wrote

This is good advice! Although, in my experience, the knowledge (which is "merely" mental, an intelectual construct) that I'll be glad for having done something (based on the memory of past experience), is sometimes not enough to push through the resistance and inertia (which is emotional and can be very overwhelming).

I have found that it is helpful to cultivate awareness. First of all, to recognize and honour what I am feeling, so that, if I end up procrastinating, I can do so consciously, as a "choice", and not beat myself over it. But I can also "distance" myself from the emotional reaction this way, having a better chance at navigating through that blockage, into doing the thing it'll feel great to have done. And more important, by being present, I can bring myself to enjoy the task at hand (the actual doing of it, as I do it, and not just the having done it, looking back), so as to discover a "type 1" kind of fun in what was so difficult to give myself to, to begin with.

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emilytaege t1_j1cno4s wrote

Yes - this is the TRUE way. And the most difficult. :) i work toward this too, and you explain it so well.

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