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Procrastinatory Doom Loops

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Re: Procrastinatory Doom Loops

#101

Post by mgdv »

I have the same but it feels more like a type of paralysis rather than a loop. I'm finding the more I'm mentally trying to multi task, the worse this gets

I can only do one task deeply at a time but while doing that, I will think and worry about other tasks that need to be done. This stops me from what I am working on, leaving it half way and starting something else. When I reach a point when two or more tasks compete for my attention (or someone drops something on my plate) I feel locked up.

The best thing I've found is to capture tasks as soon as I get them and try to ignore things until my current task is done. Otherwise, i drift of into mindless scrolling

Re: Procrastinatory Doom Loops

#102

Post by eitland »

MandieD wrote: post #72
eitland wrote: post #52

I have plenty to do but the last few years I've done a smart thing to avoid this for smaller tasks: If someone comes with a small request that I want to help them with I do two things: 1. make sure following up on it is their responsibility. I'll do it, not be PM for it. 2. for really small things, bring it to my house at a time we agree on and wait until it is done. Nothing gets left here for me to look at "whenever…

Just wanted you to know that you've made my life a bit better today. "I'll do it, not be the PM for it" -> a great, more positive rephrasing of what I often tell people for this sort of thing: "please bother me until I get back with you about it." And the second is a brilliant filter for how much someone truly needs/wants something "small".

Now you made my lunch better.

Thanks!

Re: Procrastinatory Doom Loops

#103

Post by dcminter »

piva00 wrote: post #96
dcminter wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I doubt there are many procrastinators around who don't realise that if they "just ... did things ahead of time" it would solve their procrastination, but you must realise that failing to do this is the very definition of procrastination. None of us like being procrastinators. All you're telling us is that you're not a procrastinator. I once read that procrastination is rooted in fear. I think this generally holds tr…

> I once read that procrastination is rooted in fear. I think this generally holds true for me. For me as well. It's rooted in fear of failure, fear of the unknown. I notice it quite clearly when I switch jobs or teams, initially when I'm out of my depth with the new domain I'm working in I get almost paralysed with starting something, eventually I started it after guilting myself on not being productive. Then comes…

Are you me? :)

One other thing that sometimes works is that I will tell myself: Ok, you should start this thing, but you only have to do ${trivial-amount} on it. Then you can do ${more-enticing-thing}.

I don't know why this works since obviously I'm fully privy to the subterfuge... but if I can manage that first trivial amount (e.g. when I was writing tech books it would be one paragraph) I would often end up finishing the task (e.g. drafting a whole chapter) as I discover that the thing I fear is illusory.

It's all very frustrating. As often as not the thing I'm procrastinating upon is something I actively enjoy once I get going!

Re: Procrastinatory Doom Loops

#104

Post by netizen-936824 »

mgdv wrote: post #101

I have the same but it feels more like a type of paralysis rather than a loop. I'm finding the more I'm mentally trying to multi task, the worse this gets I can only do one task deeply at a time but while doing that, I will think and worry about other tasks that need to be done. This stops me from what I am working on, leaving it half way and starting something else. When I reach a point when two or more tasks compet…

I have similar issues, I've found that cannabis edibles help me a lot with getting into a flow and grinding hard on some single task while minimizing noise

Re: Procrastinatory Doom Loops

#105

Post by piva00 »

_0ffh wrote: post #78
jrowen wrote: post #24

When I first heard the term "doom scrolling," I thought it was something along these lines. Scrolling some feed or another, past the point when you should have moved on, to avoid confronting these types of tasks for just a bit longer. That to me feels like a much deeper and more terrifying doom than simply reading bad news.

It seems to me that doom scrolling is the web equivalent of old TV's zapping phenomenon, where people just keep cycling through the stations in the hope that on some channel something interesting will pop up, sooner or later.

It feels the same, talking with my therapist she summarised it to me with a question: "is that a feeling like wanting to eat something that doesn't exist?" and since then I kept that in my mind. I doom-scroll/TV-zap usually without even knowing what I want, I just want something that will satisfy this "food that doesn't exist" appetite.

I hate it.

Re: Procrastinatory Doom Loops

#106

Post by netizen-936824 »

drakonka wrote: post #100
cipheredStones wrote: post #33

I spent about a third of 2021 more or less consumed by this phenomenon. In my case it was triggered by job searching: I quit my existing position, intending to do a leisurely search over a few months... and then avoided nearly everything related to the job search for over four months. (While still experiencing a ton of stress as a result of constant anxiety and guilt about it.) Once I actually started, I landed an am…

This is interesting since it reminds me of the dynamic I have with my boyfriend as well. We seem to be opposites in this regard. I work better alone. Having someone else there, even if they aren't purposefully distracting me, just adds another tiny bit of awareness: Is he hungry? Is he bored? Does he want coffee? We haven't had lunch - should I cook? I should tidy. I feel like when there's a guest in my house I need…

I have a similar issue. Its hard for me to get work done when there are other people around whether its at my place or someone else's. Just the fact that another person is there can be super distracting to me and it makes it difficult to get into a flow state. This is a problem I don't know how to deal with honestly, besides just not working on important stuff when around other people. It does impact me a little at work but luckily I'm pretty solo 90% of the time when I'm there

Re: Procrastinatory Doom Loops

#108

Post by codeisawesome »

drakonka wrote: post #100
cipheredStones wrote: post #33

I spent about a third of 2021 more or less consumed by this phenomenon. In my case it was triggered by job searching: I quit my existing position, intending to do a leisurely search over a few months... and then avoided nearly everything related to the job search for over four months. (While still experiencing a ton of stress as a result of constant anxiety and guilt about it.) Once I actually started, I landed an am…

This is interesting since it reminds me of the dynamic I have with my boyfriend as well. We seem to be opposites in this regard. I work better alone. Having someone else there, even if they aren't purposefully distracting me, just adds another tiny bit of awareness: Is he hungry? Is he bored? Does he want coffee? We haven't had lunch - should I cook? I should tidy. I feel like when there's a guest in my house I need…

> Is he hungry? Is he bored? Does he want coffee? We haven't had lunch - should I cook? I should tidy.

That inner monologue is somehow humorous; but wow, you seem to be such a considerate partner!

Re: Procrastinatory Doom Loops

#109

Post by codeisawesome »

medstrom wrote: post #89
cipheredStones wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm quite sure that they were not: anxiety-driven avoidance is far more stressful and exhausting for me than any fruitful work. And having a constant feeling that you ought to be making up for lost time is a serious bar to genuine relaxation. I did need a break after my last job, and it's very possible that contributed to the problems I had, but this was definitely a bug, not a feature.

Exactly. It's not a way to relax, it's more like spinning your wheels in place and having the engine overheat from all the wheel spinning. You just feel worse and worse the longer you stay in that state.

Would you believe me if I told you I’d explained this with that exact metaphor to someone relatively recently? I literally mean with those same words in that exact order. This feels matrix-y :)

Re: Procrastinatory Doom Loops

#110

Post by alexdig »

wayanon wrote: post #75
cipheredStones wrote: post #33

I spent about a third of 2021 more or less consumed by this phenomenon. In my case it was triggered by job searching: I quit my existing position, intending to do a leisurely search over a few months... and then avoided nearly everything related to the job search for over four months. (While still experiencing a ton of stress as a result of constant anxiety and guilt about it.) Once I actually started, I landed an am…

Reminds me of the 'study with me' YouTube videos - try some, it's weird!

Fully agreed. I used the videos from StudyMD and it's been super helpful in the past few weeks.
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