Tired of Procrastinating? Try Anticrastinating for a Change!

I'm working from home today and originally planned to write  first thing this morning (on a completely different topic) but when it came time to start, I suddenly noticed innumerable  other things that needed to be done. I told myself it would be better to get them 'out of the way', but who am I kidding. I just didn't feel like writing. So, it's now 11.00am and I'm just starting. My house is clean, the shopping is done, and I've even answered some emails, checked social media and played with the dog. I don't know about you, but I get surprisingly productive and somewhat side-tracked when there's something I don't feel like doing especially if I have to (oh and I accepted an invitation to lunch with a friend I haven't seen for a while). 

It got me thinking, and it makes sense really. Some tasks just make us feel bad. Cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine send us into fight, flight or freeze mode. So what do we do? Well, in fight mode, we get cranky and  stubbornly refuse to do the task, denouncing it as stupid, useless, or a waste of time, etc. Sometimes our instinct is to flee - escape physically or mentally - spend time with friends, eat, check social media, surf the net, play games, or do anything other than the ‘odious’ task - even ones that seem less odious at the time like cleaning or shopping. Other times we freeze - literally do nothing, just stare blankly at the computer screen. Why? They all stop the bad feelings by giving us a sense of control.  Unfortunately, they're only temporary solutions to our pain. The task still needs to be done (and often gets harder) and so begins the vicious cycle.

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