I need help beating my tendency to procrastinate

[Heraclitus]

From almost six months this has been a problem, and its getting worse. I'm having real anxiety attacks when I try to start tasks. It's horrible.


Does anyone on poly have any advice? Please?

[Heraclitus]

a typo? In this simple sentence. Damm, I'm falling appart here!


/I'm refering to the missing "to" in the title/

[Riesstiu IV]

What kind of tasks? School work?

[snoopy369]

Fixed the typo, though you also badly misspelled procrastinate ... I left that in since you may have intended it.

You can always edit your own thread titles for I think the first ~5 minutes of your thread existing (just edit the post title).

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by Riesstiu IV
What kind of tasks? School work?

I've always had a problem with that, and yes it has gotten much worse. But its not only about that, today I'm having a whole crisis over sending a formal emali to someone I don't kow, half a week ago I just stayed in my room for the entire day delaying any task that took more than a few miunutes, and feeling miserable all the time.

[Kidlicious]

Re: I need help beating my tendency procrastinatinate

Originally posted by Heraclitus
From almost six months this has been a problem, and its getting worse. I'm having real anxiety attacks when I try to start tasks. It's horrible.


Does anyone on poly have any advice? Please?

The best way to stop worrying is not to start. When you start to do a task don't worry about the outcome.

How bad are the attacks? Are we talking panic attacks here?

[VetLegion]

It's your conscience torturing you because Slovenia is blocking Croatia's EU entry

[SlowwHand]

Don't rush into this. Be sure and think it over.

[Heraclitus]

Re: Re: I need help beating my tendency procrastinatinate

Originally posted by Kidicious


The best way to stop worrying is not to start. When you start to do a task don't worry about the outcome.

How bad are the attacks? Are we talking panic attacks here?

Severe anxiety, I think about starting a task, look at the time and decide to postpone it for 20 or so minutes while I do something different. I feel pressure and guilt, but repeat this, chaining it for hours until external factors break the cycle (other people calling me or talking to me). Sometimes I “reboot” after these interactions and can have a productive day, otherwise I waste it. Then I postpone going to sleep thinking I’ll do something about it. This is terrible since if I oversleep this is a sure trigger for a new wasted day.


I have devastating panic attacks followed by apathy if contemplating important tasks, or realizations that I have irrevocably missed an opportunity to do something of that nature and that it will have negative consequences in a matter of a few moths/weeks/days.

[Arrian]

Flee this place.

-Arrian

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by Arrian
Flee this place.

-Arrian

Its quite disturbing how good an advice that is.

[SlowwHand]

Gather your facts and make a decision. The only automatically wrong decision is no decision.

[Heraclitus]

Interestingly, reading new posts on apolyton is one of the “filler” things I do. How can I leave poly Arrian? Tell me Arrian! Please!

[Lord Avalon]

I'll get back to you tomorrow....



Seriously, don't think about the task you have to complete as a whole - maybe you feel anxiety about having to do this "big thing."

Break it down into more manageable pieces, and do it step by step.

[Kidlicious]

Re: Re: Re: I need help beating my tendency procrastinatinate

Originally posted by Heraclitus
Severe anxiety, I think about starting a task, look at the time and decide to postpone it for 20 or so minutes while I do something different. I feel pressure and guilt, but repeat this, chaining it for hours until external factors break the cycle (other people calling me or talking to me). Sometimes I “reboot” after these interactions and can have a productive day, otherwise I waste it. Then I postpone going to sleep thinking I’ll do something about it. This is terrible since if I oversleep this is a sure trigger for a new wasted day.


I have devastating panic attacks followed by apathy if contemplating important tasks, or realizations that I have irrevocably missed an opportunity to do something of that nature and that it will have negative consequences in a matter of a few moths/weeks/days.

If you do start to have a panic attack go to the doctor, but then you probably won't need to be told that. Panic attacks are very frightening. I had one before.

My suggestion to you is to monitor the thoughts in your head when you have to do a task. Are they negative thoughts? Well of course they are. Try to eleminate these thoughts.

Now if you can't do that don't let that cause you anxiety, because sometimes people can't. But just keep trying to eliminate those negative thoughts on a consistant basis.

Also, there are probably things you do to escape from your responsibilities. It's ok to do these things but set yourself on a time limit for those things. Don't let the whole day pass escaping from your responsibilities.