July 01, 2021

Procrastination


I am a procrastinator. I really wish that I wasn't, but I always put things off until I'm under so much pressure to get it done that I have no choice but to just DO IT.

And it's ridiculous, really. Procrastinating causes a lot of stress--and as someone who is a stress eater, well, the two just don't mix. I've noticed over the years that I tend to do much better with weight loss when I'm not generally stressed out. There is a sense of peace and calm that makes it easy to focus on myself (the diet and exercise).

When I am feeling stressed, I want to just get out of my mind for a little while... and that's where stress eating comes in. When I'm eating, I'm not thinking about all of the stuff I have to do. The eating is a way of procrastinating the real stuff.

So, I want to start working on the chronic stressors in my life. And by "chronic", I mean the things that are always nagging at me but I push them to the back of my mind. The little things! Stuff that really shouldn't be a big deal, but it festers.


To list a few examples: Fixing a squeaky door hinge, dusting the ceiling fan, hemming a pair of jeans, calling to make an appointment, RSVP'ing for a party, etc.

These are things that aren't a huge deal and shouldn't be "stressful" in and of themselves, but they are always there in the back of your mind--whenever you sit down in the living room, you happen to notice the fan needs dusting, so you make a mental note to do it later. Each time you drink something cold, your tooth really bothers you, so you make a mental note to call the dentist for an appointment... later. And "later" just keeps getting pushed back.


The reason I bring all this up is because I really want to work on these little nagging stressors. (Well, not those ones I just listed, because I made those up, but the ones in my life.) And MY biggest chronic stressor? Email.

I am always saying that I'm going to reply to all my emails and once that's done, I'll be really good about replying to new ones right away so that they don't pile up. It just never works out that way. This is usually because I'll read an email and I want to sit down and write a thoughtful reply. So I make a mental note to "do it later"--and not because I'm dreading it! I actually really enjoy reading and replying to emails (if you've ever emailed me, you know that I can get pretty wordy, haha). I just wait until "later" and then before I know it, I'm super far behind. I feel incredibly guilty every time I see my inbox. And there is no need!

I know that all I need to do is dedicate a specific amount of time each day (or even once a week) to email and I can eliminate the stress and guilt. Super simple!

So, I'm going to spend the next couple of hours (right now) replying to email. If you've emailed me and haven't gotten a response, it is NOT because I don't care--it's because I care too much and I don't want to send a quick, "Thanks for your email! Have a good day!" canned reply. I receive some really wonderful, thoughtful emails and I like to write thoughtful responses. So please forgive me--I'm working on it.

You want to know something ironic? I bought a book a last year called 'The More You Do The Better You Feel: How to Overcome Procrastination and Live a Happier Life' by David Parker (affiliate link). And when I saw how long it was, I said I'd "read it later"--hahaha! It's still sitting unread on my Kindle.

I know that I'll feel better if I just take time to do the little things that nag me here and there. Today, I finally went around the house touching up paint (from little nicks and dings with furniture or whatnot). I had to use five different colors of paint, but in total, it only took me about two hours. TWO HOURS and I've been telling myself "I need to do that soon" for TWO YEARS. I feel really good about getting that done. I want to knock some more things off that list and see how much better I feel!

3 comments:

  1. Lists!!! I write out a list and check it off. Good way to keep track and get shit done. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I. Feel. Seen. Hugs too. ~ N

    ReplyDelete
  3. Start small, like insanely small. Think about running. You didn't start with a marathon. And doing a couple hours of email everyday might not be something you can commit to long term. What about 15? Seem too hard? How about 5? You wouldn't believe how many books I read by promising myself I'd read at least 1 page every day. It really got me over the hump. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete

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