Why you Procrastinate & How to DO THE THING 🚀

Hey there,

You know that feeling when you HAVE to do something but you just CAN’T get yourself to start? Procrastination is a huge problem with ADHD!

So in this edition of Organized Chaos, we’ll talk about:

  • Why you CAN’T START that one thing
  • What might be holding you back
  • The ADHD hacks you can use to overcome it and DO THE THING!
 

Let’s go!

P.S. My morning routine course and ADHD merch are finally launching this month!

 

Why you CAN’T START that one thing:

 

Have you ever put off replying to a friend’s text for so long, you felt like they DEFINITELY hate you at that point?

They probably didn’t, but the emotional burden of that fear can be paralysing. That makes it so much harder to try and reach out again.

⚠️ That’s an emotional blockage.

Have you ever tried to work on a project, but the interruptions, technical difficulties, and distractions around you made it impossible and frustrating?

When things don’t go smooth, your brain gets a chance to drift off and escape. It labels the project frustrating and procrastinates to avoid working on it again.

⚠️ That’s a practical blockage.

A combination of emotional and practical blockages, along with unclear goals and to-do’s can make tasks seem huge and insurmountable in our minds. Even if they’re actually tiny!

⚠️ That’s known as mental inflation.

Other problems include:

⚠️  Lack of clarity – “Where do I even begin? No idea, I might just watch YouTube.”

⚠️  Difficulty switching tasks – “Time to stop, go to the next task, plan it, start it, and focus… Too much executive function!”

As well as:

Task inertia, hyperfocus, fear of failure, fear of boredom, lack of sufficient motivation, being afraid to stop because you might not be able to pick up where you left off, and a million other things. 🥲

Basically we’re doomed. ☄️

Try to marry rich, or inherit, and move on. (JK!)

 

What might be holding you back:

 

To use the hacks in the next chapter, it’s helpful to know what you’re dealing it. These questions can help you pinpoint the issue:

  • What emotions does the task make you feel?
  • Is a thought or belief holding you back?
  • Are there any practical obstacles or distractions in your way?
  • Are you struggling with focus and executive function at the moment?
  • Are you stuck on another task and you cannot move on?
  • Do you have a clear goal and actionable steps to follow?
  • Do you have clear and realistic expectations for the outcome?
  • What motivates you and how can you use it to start on this task?
 

Some of these questions should resonate and point you towards the source of the problem. Go over them in your mind or journal about them to see what comes up.

Feel free to save them as a note for future use!

 

The ADHD hacks you can use to overcome it and DO THE THING:

 

Now let’s discuss some solutions. These may or may not work in different situations, so keep an open mind and experiment! Also, keep in mind that medication is NUMBER ONE. Without it, every hack and solution is 100x harder.

 

Emotional Barriers & Overwhelm:

✅ Accountability buddies and “body doubles” are a good option. Tell them what you need to do and have them there for the start. A buddy can ask questions to keep you accountable, whereas a body double just has to be there so you don’t back out or get sidetracked.

✅ Sharing with your buddies can give you a new perspective to overcome emotional hurdles, face your fears, and estimate the real scope of your issues. Don’t get stuck in your head!

If there’s no one around for these hacks, try ChatGPT. I recently used it to overcome my messaging anxiety (don’t laugh):

✅ If you’re mentally inflating and overwhelmed, take a step back and drop your expectations. Grab something to write on, get comfy, and let it all out. Write down what your task actually entails and what might be overwhelming you to get it out of your head. 

Later, you can go over your list and decide what you have to AND don’t have to do, what needs to be done first, and what your real goal is.

✅ And you know what’s the best way to eat a GIANT CAKE? One bite at a time.

If you’ve brainstormed a bunch of things and it looks like too much, take a a deep breath. You just have to focus on one step at a time.

✅ To calm your emotions, use your environment. Put on cozy clothes, make a hot drink, tidy your space, make it comfortable and pleasant, and you’ll feel SO MUCH more ready.

Comfort yourself with gentle lighting, fresh air, and MUSIC. Did you know that people communicated by singing way before they started talking?

Music speaks to you on another level, so put on the type of music you need to do the task at hand and let it guide you!

✅ I recommend this app called portal for apple devices. It has a lot of calming visuals and nature sounds. I’m sure similar ones exist for android etc.

 

Practical Barriers & Distractions:

✅ Optimise your tools to minimise friction! If a device is frustrating you and causing you to avoid your tasks, see if you can upgrade it to better suit your needs. For me, getting a MacBook made work SO MUCH more efficient and enjoyable.

✅ Make your space ADHD-friendly – remove distractions, get all the fidget toys and sensory aids that you need, and sit how you’re comfortable!

I made a whole video on life-changing home hacks you can watch here.

✅ Set time constraints to stave-off distractions and overcome barriers. Choosing to work on the task for 25 minutes may not feel like much, but it’s DOABLE and it’s much better than the alternative (procrastinating).

✅ If all else fails, put on a video, or get some food you love and ease yourself into the task by doing “a little bit” while you’re enjoying your favourite indulgence.

You can also use the indulgence as a motivator or reward AFTER the task.

I made a video on ADHD productivity hacks just like this here.

 

Perfectionism & Expectations:

✅ Before you get stuck on perfectionism, ask yourself “Is it worth it?”, “Who will appreciate this and how much?”, and “How much will what extra effort actually benefit me?”.

Think of all the fun things you could use your time for instead, and go do what needs to be done – no more, no less.

✅ Try to stack habits and do things that scare you in bulk, so you don’t have to overcome procrastination twice.

I use an app called beeper to consolidate my messages. That way I don’t have to open up multiple apps and suffer the shame of answering late all over again.

I hope this helps! There’s more advice like this on my channel and in my personal sessions.

Antonia

 

🚀 Links & Recommendations 🚀

 

Buy Me a Coffee: If you find value in my content, consider supporting me on Ko-Fi. Your support helps me create more content for the ADHD community and do my best to help: https://ko-fi.com/antoniasuniverse

Book a 1-to-1 Coaching Session: Dive deeper into your ADHD journey with personalized coaching. Let’s create a strategy tailored just for you: https://antoniatheuniverse.com/coaching

📰 Mastering Mornings with ADHD 📰

My first course is launching in DECEMBER! It’s the most in-depth guide on conquering morning routines with ADHD out there and I’m SO, SO proud of it. More details COMING SOON.

📰 My “DISTRACTABLE” Merch 📰

My ADHD merch is finally launching soon and I’m in love!

I’ve been working on it for the past few months, with a great focus on quality, durability, and beautiful design. I’ll let you know as soon as it’s ready!

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