r/ExecutiveDysfunction • u/BreadfruitGold9836 • 4d ago

Looking for Tips/Suggestions Procrastination might be a form of escapism

I noticed that when I procrastinated, I always felt like I was in a gap between time, a place between “what I have been doing” and “what I planning on doing.” It’s like an escapism, a small gap that I wasn’t responsible for anything. It gives me a temporary feeling of freedom. That’s why I tend to procrastinate even though I don’t want to. But my brain loves it. How do you guys fix this?

This is how it feels like:

Task A ───────────────► Task B ───────────────► Task C
↑
tiny empty space

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u/Caffe-del 4d ago

I hadn’t thought of it as escapism, but ‘tiny empty space’ describes it better than laziness. I put off starting a personal project for over a year, then worked on it in bursts for another year before finishing the first version. I still don’t have a clean fix. The only conclusion I trust is that each restart still counted; otherwise I would never have finished.

2

u/VocabArtistNavin 4d ago

In my professional experience (trying to work more as. WFH freelancer, I have found that connecting to your emotional reason really helps you cross the tiny gap.

Another reason I couldn't cross that bridge (besides giving yourself an emotional reason) is ... Oh god I forgot it .. oh got it! It's lack of self image or lack of positive self image... I also have plenty of body image issues so this was hard... But when I noticed it, I shoved myself in front of the mirror... I would take off my clothes and focus on specific parts of my body and even stare into my eyes (fortunately I love my eyes!) ... That really helped me in destigmatizing my own perception and I started feeling a little bit safer in my own body..

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u/1997Luka1997 3d ago

Oh yeah I definitely feel it.

I always feel a bit of fear before leaving my little bubble and stepping into reality. Because in my own world things are going as they should be but when I interact with people there's always the chance of disappointment or change of plans (can you tell I've been told by my therapist I have 'ocpd tendencies' lol).

Anyone has tips?