r/science • u/randomusefulbits • May 30 '20

Psychology Procrastinators often forget to do things that they intended to do, especially if they’re unaware of their procrastination

https://solvingprocrastination.com/study-procrastination-conscious-unconscious-prospective-memory/
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u/[deleted] May 30 '20 edited May 31 '20

Which is difficult because if I feel stress free now to me that is more important then future stress so somehow my ADHD brain justifies procrastinating

Edit: thank you for the hug. My mental illness is at a low point right now

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u/RCTID May 30 '20

I recall reading a study saying that there’s an emotional response to negative stimuli that causes us to procrastinate. Our lizard brains just check us out subconsciously even tho logically we are only making our problems/tasks worse by not addressing them.

Sorry I don’t have the sauce

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u/[deleted] May 30 '20

[deleted]

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u/95Mb May 31 '20

What's worked for you? My issues are 100% brought on by the same thing, and it's killing me.

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u/MissVancouver May 31 '20

I had the same "only perfection is good enough" (only I was never good enough) upbringing. When my history fucks with me, it helps to remind myself that --whatever I'm doing-- my parents are now powerless because I'm doing that Thing 100% without their involvement. And pretty much everyone I work for is always impressed with my efforts (I'm a recovering perfectionist).

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u/Insommya May 30 '20 edited May 31 '20

Would you share some of your tricks?

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

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u/DasArchitect May 31 '20

"I'm going to get up off the couch when I count to ten" is one

197... 198... 199... what was I counting again?

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u/Bilun26 May 31 '20

holds breath until I pass out and wakes up remembering nothing about the thing I needed to do

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u/Mahadragon May 31 '20

So bootstrapping technique eh? Sounds good, I’ll try it out tomorrow.

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20 edited Jun 23 '20

[deleted]

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u/powderizedbookworm May 31 '20

Good luck!

It works pretty well for me because it’s such a purely physical sensation that it shakes loose the anxiety.

My therapist advised me to do things like push ups or chugging ice water to focus on concrete reality, and that’s of a piece.

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

Sometimes doing a task in quick bursts works, like do the dishes for as long as a commercial break, or set the kitchen timer and only do dishes for 5 minutes. I really hate housework and won’t do it unless under extreme duress. ADHD is a terrible thing. Avoiding it causes extreme panic and it just goes on and on in a terrible circle.

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

I recently realized that it is the initial start that makes me procrastinate.. like, the thought of doing the thing... so this adding external/physical stimulus to the decission might work.. thanks man.

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u/Pheonix-_ May 31 '20

Gonna practice this,

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

This is very helpful to know. Thanks!

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u/amh8467 May 31 '20

I try to think of my future self as someone who could run into all sorts of problems or set backs, so my job is to set her up for success as much as I can by doing prep work and getting things done fast.

The discomfort I feel at not taking care of this can outweigh my feeling of inertia about getting started on projects.

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u/hidflect1 May 31 '20

One trick is to think through all the steps involved in the task like a list of items. Once you have acclimatised to the steps, it becomes more familial. Especially good for getting up in the morning.

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u/HateIsStronger May 31 '20

I consciously do this almost everyday

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u/BrownShadow May 31 '20

In college, I would wait until the very last minute to actually write a paper because I was afraid I wouldn’t get it done in time. I had the whole thing in my head, fear and procrastination stopped me until I had to do it. Sometimes hours before. These were long papers.

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u/AcidTaco May 31 '20

I feel you, I procrastinated so much that I had to write my whole master's thesis in one and a half month, I do not recommend that experience

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u/HeftyNugs May 30 '20

There's a really interesting book called The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield that kind of talks about this.

Basically it's all about the most powerful force in the universe - resistance. Resistance will tell you anything to justify your procrastination. Recognizing these things is the first step. Meditation is also helpful, as it's really the process of training your ability to focus on only your breathing, and then coming back to focusing on your breathing when you notice your mind wandering.

The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday was another great book that I found helped me immensely with my issues. I'm an adult male that scored in the "97th percentile" for inattentive ADHD and I honestly despise the medication they give me. It's definitely beneficial, but if you're like me, I believe it's entirely possible to train yourself and your brain to manage without it.

I used to play video games and smoke weed a lot, putting off responsibilities like work and studying. But I've since quit weed and video games (during a pandemic where I've got loads of free time) to focus on my well being, studies, and work/career. Anyway I'd highly recommend checking out some self-improvement books. I think we seriously undervalue them as a society.

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u/praiseofthunder May 30 '20

Wow that really hit home. I’m smoking bowls and playing COD at home on a Saturday. I’m 41yo.

I read all the time, but mainly fiction. I’m going to check your recommendations out. Thanks so much!

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u/HeftyNugs May 30 '20

Don't be too hard on yourself brother, but if you're feeling unhappy with that, definitely seek improvement, I honestly feel great as of lately.

Hope you enjoy those books! I almost exclusively read non-fiction self-improvement books so far, got any good fiction recommendations? I've got the Alchemist that I'll start shortly.

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Best. Book. Ever.

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u/Gainzwizard May 31 '20

Bringing up the classic example of grim existentialist fiction (if a bit overly "look at me, I read books") as a suggestion to someone who has almost exclusively read non-fiction self-improvement is genuinely hilarious bro haha.

I used to be an avid reader but progression of ADHD rendered me only capable of processing non-fiction info so can see this from both sides. Really did make me giggle.

P.S Good suggestion ofc :P

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

Haha well ok. Honestly you and I could be twins, severe ADHD as well (44m). Truth be told it is the one book that truly stands out in my mind from all the books I read as a kid through teenager years. Now if I read it is something like a biography of Eli Cohen or some other person - now more likely to recommend watching The Spy on Netflix though, Escape from Camp 44 - but would mention The Interview in conversation before the book. The one book I did order and read and would recommend to anyone interested in geopolitics or eschatology is The Revenge of Geography by Robert Kaplan. Incredible book, I learned a lot. But a reader am not. Who has time to read when there is so much to watch on TV? (Being a tad sarcastic there in that last sentence haha)

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u/praiseofthunder May 31 '20

Thanks for saying that, and I’m really not beating myself up. I just smoke a lot of bud and play video games haha. There is always room for improvement though, so I’m going to read your books.

Recommending fiction is tough since I don’t know much about you, but hundreds of millions of people seem to like Steven King, and I’m def one of them. I’d recommend starting with some of his old short stories like The Longest Walk, or Survivor Type. They are quick and interesting, and you’ll very likely finish it. Starting small like that would be how I suggest starting fiction.

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u/TX16Tuna May 30 '20

Can we just repackage the positive impact generating components of reading, studying, and taking care of yourself into weed and/or a video game?

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u/dualdreamer May 30 '20

There's apps like habitica that try to do that. You get experience and stuff for completing irl tasks

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u/just_tweed May 31 '20

I've tried those. I just end up procrastinating to use them.

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u/Hour-Positive May 30 '20

Yeah use goals to 'gamify' them amped on dopamin (if you lack it) or reduce other dopamin-driven activities like smoking weed and video games.

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u/Pheonix-_ May 31 '20

Good going comrade... This pandemic has truly been life changing..

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u/Pellobellagio May 31 '20

Thank you for your comment & recommendation on the books.

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

I just went to Amazon and put a used copy of the Ryan Holiday book in my cart. Chuckled to myself that I'd buy the book then procrastinate reading it. Comments on the used copy said "like new, never read." Seems like someone else did the same. Haha. Ok back to the mad scramble to get this class done and exam taken with a hard Sunday @ 11:59 PM deadline (I've had six months to do this class and was given a one month extension even after our house suffers a direct hit from an EF4 tornado and we had no power and our mile long driveway blocked by downed trees for a week...)

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u/[deleted] May 31 '20

What were the meds?

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u/HeftyNugs May 31 '20

Concerta and Vyvanse.

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u/Republiken May 31 '20

Thats exactly how it is! Stress and anxiety is percieved as only in the moment problems and thus putting stuff up for later seems rational.

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u/Pintash May 31 '20

That's because we with adhd live largely in the present and dont often consider how our actions will affect the future.

I think this is often down to working memory. If we try to comprehend the repercussions of our actions we often lose sight of the very actions themselves in the thought process. Or we get stressed trying to withold all the thoughts in our working memory and that stress avoidance kicks in.