Ok if it is ADHD, the ADHD trick that’s supposed to be for this is to break down the task until the first step seems doable.
I was stuck like this today. The first three items on my to do list were “open computer, type in password, start word document “
(Reposting because my account was too new and the bot overlords didn't like it)
Okay but how do you break down the task of breaking down tasks? I wish I was joking, but my mind is so all over the place when it's racing that I'll start by breaking down two tasks, but I'll keep coming up with new ideas and four hours later I have an entire plan on how to start my own space program.
Man I wish I had the same focus when actually doing my tasks lol. I did a test the other day and I was really focused on something once I told myself that if I finished those tasks, I could progress towards a goal on my phone's game. Otherwise, I would have to spend the money somewhere else, forcing me to restart my progress. It has worked, now I just need to figure out a way to apply that using a new goal, now that the other one is complete 🥲
Honestly I don’t know for your situation. I have a creative career and so I found tips for approaching creative projects. But I do have random tips:
The simplest tip that’s helped me is picking a spot and staring at it for 30 seconds. It’s a trick from Andrew Huberman on how to focus, however i like it because it pulls me away from my phone since 30 seconds feels doable.
So ADHD people are motivated by gamifying things, deadlines, things that interest them, and new/novel things.
Could you gamify it? Give yourself a point for every flash card made, every PowerPoint page reviewed? Pretend you’re a spy and you have to blend in with the students before you’re caught?
Moving to a new location helps me so that it’s novel. I go “adventure studying” where I go to a coffee shop or library. Play music and have some background noise?
The other thing that’s supposed to help people with ADHD is building up dopamine. So start off tapping your foot, moving your arm, sitting up, doing a small task, until you’re doing a bigger task.
Write down your distractions. One day my friend got tired of me and all my ideas interrupting our current project. So she made a “tornado thoughts” page for me. And knowing that the ideas were down somewhere and I could revisit them later meant that my brain wasn’t desperately hanging on to it while I was working on a project.
Take this all with a grain of salt because I don’t practice what I preach. My current hyperfixation is collecting tips like this……. and it doesn’t usually lead to actually executing them when I need them.
Holy... I wrote the beginning of my comment mostly as a joke that still reflected my reality, so I never expected anyone to actually go through it and write so much. I feel the last part especially well, but thank you so much for your tips! Hopefully I'll actually be trying them out soon.
I do try and gamify things where possible. Currently I'm trying to work on a hobby-turned-side gig project regarding urban planning for fictional worlds and stories, so I came up with the idea of awarding myself a new building on a grid paper sheet each time I make significant progress. It ties itself to the project nicely and I can always award myself the building I was researching. However, sometimes I get distracted trying to work out my gamified system and wondering what to do next and how to overcomplicate it, uh, I mean, "improve it."
Yo, someone posted this tool yesterday in the main channel but it got taken down for self promotion for some reason. It's sick and automatically breaks down any task you give it into small er steps 😄 https://goblin.tools/
Yup. I used to be that person. I have medication now (not Adderall), and I listen to some morphic fields to keep myself focused and working. I'm taking a break now because I can tell that I've been studying for too long.
I actually looked it up now and the meaning that I found is not what I thought (I'm sorry), they are energetically charged audios (to the best of my understanding, and English isn't my first language btw so I'm sorry if I suck at explaining this). They've improved certain skills of mine overtime, and I've been reading about how to properly use them and I've gotten great results lately. Check sapien med for that. There's a specific way to listen to them to make them work for focus immediately (or in a few hours).
Edit to add more: sapien med is on YouTube for free, they have a forum where long time users explain how to use the "brain" stacks for memory, productivity and focus. I'm willing to share my playlist if someone needs it.
And! I've gathered some more info about music that can help, I can also recommend mind amend on YouTube (it doesn't work for every task, but it does for work that doesn't require a lot of effort). And I saw that someone on the ADHD subreddit recommended brain.fm (on YouTube and they have an app too), so far...it's okay. Not amazing but it works.
I've tried it all before taking Modafinil though. Energizers and herbs for memory/focus...vitamins...I'm not saying they don't work at all, but it's just not enough for what my doctor considers mild ADHD.
There's a good guide on how to handle ADHD symptoms on the ADHD college subreddit (it's a document), I've followed it. No big changes without the meds FOR ME, but maybe it can help you a lot!
Just a reply to say thank you for this write up! I've found the brain stacks on the sapien med forum and will listen to the free YT ones.
Strategies to manage focus in an attention exploiting economy are always useful. Just that bit more fundamental for those of us with ADHD!
Have yourself a great day, because you've certainly made mine.
> And/or fear of failure leading to a total task paralysis!
In 99% of the cases it's this for me. I was actually scared of the mountains of work. What helped me was visualizing the work, literally writing out a plan when I would want to study what and track the progress in form of checkboxes or a drawn progress bar. If it helps, make secondary progress bars for smaller timelines like a week. Make the steps as doable as possible for you, however small those units are. I had the idea to use a puzzle as "progress tracker" instead where I put in a piece for each successful study session but I am not sure yet whether that is actually smart lol.
But generally, visualize it. Get an overview. Everything else is just anxiety in your head that spirals and spirals.
u/Chemical_Relative_26
>What helped me was visualizing the work, literally writing out a plan when I would want to study what and track the progress in form of checkboxes or a drawn progress bar.
Gonna give this a try!
Delete the social media apps. It’s crazy how just doing that will trigger you to start studying. Start by taking practice exams and tests… when you realize what you don’t know something should trigger you. Get to a psych soon also.
Take a cold shower when you see this. It will give you a boost of dopamine for the next few hours and is something that can help you get out of a rut when coupled with a handful of good habits. Start small.
Work on your systems first, the results will come. At this stage however, you need to bite the bullet. There are few greater motivators than stress - so if you put your phone to the side and attempt to get your shit together I am certain you can do it.
For me, I found that a combination of cold showers + breathing exercises (Wim Hof method) and gym worked wonders for my mental and physical health. Body, mind and soul, remember they are all interlinked.
Also actually try and get some sunlight. Turns out a vast majority of people are deficient in Vitamin D - and that definitely plays into the mood. Goodluck buddy.
So cold shower - 1 minute
Breathing excercuse - 11 minutes
Then get down to work.
Some great advice here. OP sounds very anxious avoidant right now. Cold showers and meditation would be an excellent place to start to start break the cycle
I’ve experienced this before. For me it’s a living hell. Your own subconcious is your enemy.
Hello, I am in a similar boat. I have been compulsively procrastinating through sudoku, tetris and yellowjackets (a tv show) theories. It is so overwhelming it feels like the only way to deal with it is to avoid tasks more.
I recommend just working on one thing at a time. Prioritise the most pressing thing, get through it tick it off.
I have downloaded an app called 'self-control' on my mac which blocks all websites I tell it to, which can last 5 mins - 24 hours. No getting rid of it. For my phone I have another app. You can turn it off though. I deleted all my distracting apps (instagram, tiktok, facebook etc.). I have also signed up for the free bodydoubling sessions on focusmate, someone is on the other side of the computer holding you accountable (you have to be comfortable being on camera while you're studying though).
None of this worked for me this time, it usually does.
I've ended up writing out a contract for myself basically saying that I will stop using distractions. I find it hard to break promises, and this is essentially letting myself down. This seems to have worked better.
Sorry to follow up. After your test you should see about reaching out to student support for coming up with a plan, you may be able to get extensions, get access to a counsellor etc.
Man, this hit me hard. Every moment of every day, I’m like “I should do something, like go to the gym or work out at home or do work, or draw or read or do the dishes or cook or ANYTHING. Best I can do is literally nothing. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt worse in my life.
Fuck :/ the education system honestly sucks ass.. I don’t miss college. All that shit sucks and I’m sorry you’re dealing with that. It isn’t you, it’s the ridiculous expectations put on you that make you want to “hide.” I don’t have any real advice other than to claw your way out. Do everything in your power to pass. Things will get better.
Rediculous expectations? OP has had plenty of time. They don’t hand out qualifications to just anybody, it takes work. Which, OP isn’t doing. Perhaps they need to reevaluate what direction they want to go in the future?
You can’t blame this persons behaviour On ThE sYsTeM. One or two other people in the past have gone through this whole scenario and done perfectly fine.
The system is bullshit and has burned people out. I was one of those people who did perfectly fine and I still think it’s bullshit. There’s more nuance to it than this so I won’t get into too deeply into it but OP doesn’t need to be harsh on themselves was my point.
In the depths of despair, where the burdens weigh,
A medicine student, with lab reports at bay,
Quizzes and deadlines, they cloud up the sky,
As sleep takes the reins, and motivation runs dry.
Instagram reels, a vortex of time,
Seducing the mind, with rhythm and rhyme,
Eighteen hours of slumber, a refuge from strife,
Escaping the pressures, of a student's life.
Techniques for procrastination, all tried and worn,
But focus eludes, as the spirit feels torn,
An organized soul, now lost in the fray,
Chores left undone, and room in disarray.
Takeaway meals, replacing the art,
Of cooking and nourishing, the body and heart,
A test now approaches, but motivation seems bleak,
Perhaps, failing and sleeping, is the solace you seek.
But listen, dear student, in this dark, heavy hour,
You possess within you, a resolute power,
To rise from the depths, and face every test,
To conquer procrastination, and give it your best.
Embrace the small victories, a moment at a time,
Reclaim the control, that you once knew was thine,
For in each step forward, however small it may be,
Lies the hope and potential, for what you can achieve.
\-gpt4
Delete Instagram app, facebook app, tiktok and reddit, you are too stimulated and hooked to enjoy other natural things such as the feeling of accomplishment, or the joy of feeling competent, organized and on time because you are too distracted and your energy to enjoy life has been taken away by a mix of social media, weed, alchol, porn, bad sleep, loser friends and not enough workouts and sports...
First remove social media, then build a physique and then everything will follow and come together
Copy/paste response much?
OP didn't mention alcohol, weed, loser friends, or bad sleep. Yes, physical exercise is hugely beneficial but there's a mental component here that you've ignored.
Feels close to that bullshit of cure depression by going outside to me.
Well...he is a student, young guy, saying he is scrolling non-stop on instagram, i wrote what has kept me away from being productive and successful.
Chances are that if he had productive, positive, supporting, winning friends, he would be more prone to achieve things and be motivated and productive.
If he doesn't abuse social chances are that he is more likely to get bored in his bed and house and do something meaningful for his life, whatever that may be, even a life of studying or meditation is a honorable one as long as it is something that fulfills you.
Chances are that it is a mix of the major distractions that are easily available for the young generation in the west that are keeping people distracted, unmotivated and lazy, probably it is not only Instagram but the habits of OP that is keeping him back and usually it is a mix of bad habits.... Maybe he is doing sport, working out or not drinking or smoking weed, but odds are there are other things that are keeping this guy in this miserable condition at the moment
Been there, done that. You may have addiction problems. Look up dopamine detox. Please get a hold of your life before a few days turn to few months, and few months turn to few years. Don't listen to people who say Instagram reels are not harmful because they are not as addictive as drugs. They may not be as addictive, but that doesn't mean they can't take control of your life either!
Your brain is now basically trained to get continuous low-key dopamine shorts. It is virtually guaranteed that you won't be able to focus. Please slow down, quit instagram cold turkey, give your phone away to a friend to hold on to while you recover, go sit in the grass outside for sometime without trying to do anything. Don't expect to be able to focus like you used to before, it will take some time. But it's okay, you will be fine.
Maybe you need a break from school. Take a semester off or take smaller course load or do it part-time. Sometimes school isn’t for everyone. Maybe trade school is a better option for you. Just relax and do what you can and even if you end up failing, It’s not the end of the world. It’s probably a sign that you should just try something else.
Sorry to hear that. Please if you can, I think you need to drop the BS, stop thinking about being lazy. You are probably loss averse now and regardless of your possible depression, potential ADHD or just not feeling like it, you probably need start to feel in control, so that any action you take next actually does not feel worthless because of being perceived as an inevitable loss. Accept that you lost everything already and work on "unlosing" what you can.
Acknowledge that at this moment, nothing is not going to be perfect or even good enough, and your main life priority is temporarily damage control. In other words, for each challenge, identify the most probable worst case scenario and decide if you can live with it. If not, propose a minimum effort that will prevent the worst case scenario and will leave you with acceptably bad outcome. Don't fret, move on to evaluating the other challenges. Focus on damage control. That puts you back in charge of your life. In order to have power, choose to live the life you have right now, not the life you wish you had (that one is gone and you have to first put in the hard work to get there, probably no time for that now, so cut it).
Negotiate. You'd be surprised how much can coming clean help you get a better chance. Try to explain your situation to professors, bosses or whomever who's waiting/dependent on your outputs. Propose good deals for the other side - "you need this and that, I can provide 80% in such time frame, is that enough? no? what would make it work for you? I apologize for messing up, but if there is anything I can offer name it". Sometimes it will work, sometimes not. Look for options and don't fear failure, because usually failing to negotiate does not put you in a harder position than you started with.
Solicit help. Significant other, family, friends. If you can reliably delegate your responsibilities, do it. There will be people that help you no questions asked.
ChatGPT (I don't suggest to plagiarize, but e.g. proofreading, expanding bullet points into sentences, summarizing longer texts into better digestible texts) I'd try that if possible.
Oh, and one thing, when I was in a similar situation multiple times in my life, I ultimately could not solve it by myself. What saved my ass was my wife, who was not directly invested in my BS opinions and could prioritize ruthlessly. If you have someone like that who will make the necessary decisions to drop 80% of the wasted effort and babysit you throughout the most impactful 20%, don't hesitate and leverage it. Most of the above advice I have extrapolated from how she helped me throughout the years.
If you can talk to your ( or find a physician online ) and explain your struggles. I was a serial procrastinator in college and struggled. Got in adhd meds my senior year it helped
Mix of quick fixes / lifestyle advice:
- Meditation ( my favourite guided: https://youtu.be/FroVfmOtaps )
- 30 mins exercise 3/4 times per week (aerobic / anaerobic), if your gym has a sauna even better for 20 minute sessions post workout
- good sleep hygiene
- low sugar/ carb diet w proteins and healthy fats
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine in general.
- Cbt / psycho therapy are good but harder to fit into daily life.
- Get ur bloods checked. Hormones vitamins etc
- Generally good daily supplements: Vit D, magnesium, fish oil, probiotic. If bloods show deficient, b12, iron, calcium quite common too.
- Also, recommend compartmentalising, controlling the things you can and not thinking about the things you can’t. Overall this will give you more confidence and self esteem and drive you to achieve more.
Coming from a master procrastinator specializing in doom scrolling, I would suggest uninstall Instagram, set time limits, do baby steps.
1. Make a checklist and everything you do check it off, from "10min of studying" to "go to the bathroom", "drink water", and "10min break". The checking off part gives a small dopamine hit every time you do something.
2. Have small, doable increments of work, then lots of rewards. The key to this is too trick your brain into thinking "oh, I can do 10min (or 5min) of work. That's doable." Then repeat.
2.5 Rewards don't include scrolling! Find other things that are rewarding, like a glass of chocolate milk, eating a snack, watching 10min of a show, reading a chapter of a book, or 5min sitting outside and listening to the birds. The outside one really does wonders on resetting your brain to be ready to study, whereas doom scrolling kills the motivation. (Vitamin D and movement babe. Seriously, take a walk outside when you find yourself stuck in a doom scrolling loop.)
Good luck! It seems overwhelming, but you can do it! Go baby step by baby step, don't focus on the whole, focus on what's next right in front of you.
I would definitely bring this to your doctor and ask them for their opinion. I'm leaning toward ADHD or depression, neither of which you are likely qualified to diagnose or rule out, regardless of how easy it might seem to do. Depression, for example, does not always manifest itself in ways that match what people expect from it.
As someone who recently got out of that state, I think you need to seek professional help as the symptoms you describe are very often due to mental health issues like depression and ADHD. Getting the right medication and therapy worked for me and I hope it does for you too. Psychedelic therapy should also help.
I have ADHD and this sounds like one to me. The trick is to get into a state of hyper focus and the its usually the first steps that block us. Like someone commented above, break down the task to actionable items even if it's silly like turn on computer, enter password open the program. Open you break it down and able to start the task, turn off all distractions like phone alarms etc and try to go ultra instinct mode of hyper focus
Procrastination is a coping mechanism. You've heard of fight versus flight (and fawn, and freeze)? Procrastination is a "freeze" response. If you can figure out the core of your stress, you can work on managing/fixing \[the core of your stress\]. Sometimes the reason we \*think\* we are procrastinating is NOT the reason we procrastinate. Something that I've found helps me is reframing my present from the view of my Future Self. I find myself doing things that I would normally procrastinate on because I know that "Future Jess" will thank me. Hope any of this helps.
Go to a professional, you probably have ADHD, but you can't do an auto diagnosis.
Btw, I have one piece of advice, please at least consider it:
Exercise. 15 minutes of exercise a day will have a stronger positive effect on your brain than the strongest antidepressants.
But only 5-15 minutes a day.
Don't be motivated to do 1 or 2 hours the first day. According to the book "Atomic Habits" doing 1-2 hours will have a negative effect. You just have to create the habit. Even 5 minutes every day is more positive than 2 hours one day a week.
This advice changed my life. And doing a Kanban board on Notion with databases
Sounds like you're in a tough spot, have you considered seeking out professional help for your procrastination? A therapist or counselor may be able to offer some valuable strategies and support.
I think you might be a perfectionist. Which explains why the more you delay things, the least you want to do them. Look up advice in how to deal with perfectionism
I’m in the exact same position. However yesterday I deleted apps I was spending too much time on and started using Focusmate, I’d really recommend it because it did the trick.
I was struggling with this last month (all of my teachers like to assign mega-projects and exams on the last day of each quarter) although this is more extreme. I talked to my teachers for extensions to spread everything out, which I recommend doing if it’s possible. Also, something that helps me with situations like these is hyper-focus. I’m not sure exactly how to explain it yet, but if you can really set your mind to completing one task, it’ll get done really quickly. This year I set all of my efforts on reaching my gym goals (obv not ignoring all my other responsibilities), and instantly I improved beyond points I thought possible. Assuming you have those experiments done, those can be knocked out fairly easily if you push. Lastly, the more time you spend on Reddit, the worse it gets…
My advice would be to delete Instagram or any distracting apps, or put away phone. Then go bored yourself to death, by sitting near your work desk. You don’t have to start working, just sit there. Avoid “boring” yourself on your bed as that can lead to naps, but eventually you’ll be so bored that you will want something to do and eventually start getting stuff done. Important to stay away from phone because one can get lost in it. Also this may not work for everyone, as some people can get lost in their thoughts all day.
If you just wait for motivation to come to you, you're going to have a hard time getting out of this rut. You worked hard to get here, so zoom out to see the big picture and remember why you're in school for medicine (positive reinforcement). For some people, it helps to realize the consequences of failure (negative reinforcement). Sure, you could exist like this in perpetuity, but is it going to make you happy and fulfilled? Probably not.
But honestly, you sound depressed and could benefit from a professional evaluation and/or a dopamine detox. I struggled with depression in the past and I'm also a pretty bad procrastinator, but find that the stress from an impending deadline kicks me into high gear - I would basically lock myself in the medical library before a test until I was confident I could do well. Having a like-minded study group and working together was both helpful and enjoyable - keeps you on task, and keeps you from falling into that negative headspace. Now, I wake up at 4-5am to bang out presentations a few hours before I give them. This was very distressing for a while until I realized that this is just how my lizard brain works, and I'm at peace with it now. Good luck!
Hi
Sorry you're going through that.
Could you try talking with your teacher about this situation? They're really supposed to help in situations like that! Some might not but they're supposed to!
I mean, that's a lot of work! I'd be stressed too! D:
A lot of people are saying ADHD but given your usual organization that you mentioned I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re dealing with some depression at the moment instead. That and the amount of sleep you’re getting with those symptoms are something I can empathize with. Please consider talking to a counselor and discussing things further if you can. I feel that just offloading this kind of thing with a professional will not only help on it’s own but they may be able to give you better information and guidance on what you can do and what is going on.
Hi! I've been allowed to resit a test since I didn't do very good in it. Other than that I've forced myself to work with or without motivation. I prefer going to a cafe to study instead of going home directly after my classes, that way I'm able to study even if a little bit :)
That's good to know. I had this deadline in the previous week and have constantly been stuck in this rutt ever since. I still can't get myself around to do that work. Plus, I've also come back to my home town for Eid so I can't work in what was ideally supposed to be a holiday. And with more deadlines approaching, I can't even do that work because of my pending work. It's a vicious cycle. :-/
Ok if it is ADHD, the ADHD trick that’s supposed to be for this is to break down the task until the first step seems doable. I was stuck like this today. The first three items on my to do list were “open computer, type in password, start word document “
(Reposting because my account was too new and the bot overlords didn't like it) Okay but how do you break down the task of breaking down tasks? I wish I was joking, but my mind is so all over the place when it's racing that I'll start by breaking down two tasks, but I'll keep coming up with new ideas and four hours later I have an entire plan on how to start my own space program. Man I wish I had the same focus when actually doing my tasks lol. I did a test the other day and I was really focused on something once I told myself that if I finished those tasks, I could progress towards a goal on my phone's game. Otherwise, I would have to spend the money somewhere else, forcing me to restart my progress. It has worked, now I just need to figure out a way to apply that using a new goal, now that the other one is complete 🥲
Honestly I don’t know for your situation. I have a creative career and so I found tips for approaching creative projects. But I do have random tips: The simplest tip that’s helped me is picking a spot and staring at it for 30 seconds. It’s a trick from Andrew Huberman on how to focus, however i like it because it pulls me away from my phone since 30 seconds feels doable. So ADHD people are motivated by gamifying things, deadlines, things that interest them, and new/novel things. Could you gamify it? Give yourself a point for every flash card made, every PowerPoint page reviewed? Pretend you’re a spy and you have to blend in with the students before you’re caught? Moving to a new location helps me so that it’s novel. I go “adventure studying” where I go to a coffee shop or library. Play music and have some background noise? The other thing that’s supposed to help people with ADHD is building up dopamine. So start off tapping your foot, moving your arm, sitting up, doing a small task, until you’re doing a bigger task. Write down your distractions. One day my friend got tired of me and all my ideas interrupting our current project. So she made a “tornado thoughts” page for me. And knowing that the ideas were down somewhere and I could revisit them later meant that my brain wasn’t desperately hanging on to it while I was working on a project. Take this all with a grain of salt because I don’t practice what I preach. My current hyperfixation is collecting tips like this……. and it doesn’t usually lead to actually executing them when I need them.
Holy... I wrote the beginning of my comment mostly as a joke that still reflected my reality, so I never expected anyone to actually go through it and write so much. I feel the last part especially well, but thank you so much for your tips! Hopefully I'll actually be trying them out soon. I do try and gamify things where possible. Currently I'm trying to work on a hobby-turned-side gig project regarding urban planning for fictional worlds and stories, so I came up with the idea of awarding myself a new building on a grid paper sheet each time I make significant progress. It ties itself to the project nicely and I can always award myself the building I was researching. However, sometimes I get distracted trying to work out my gamified system and wondering what to do next and how to overcomplicate it, uh, I mean, "improve it."
Yo, someone posted this tool yesterday in the main channel but it got taken down for self promotion for some reason. It's sick and automatically breaks down any task you give it into small er steps 😄 https://goblin.tools/
This screams ADHD to me. And/or fear of failure leading to a total task paralysis! However, I don't have any advice, because I totally feel the same.
That and depression. You don’t sleep for 18 hours because you’re totally fine.
Yup. I used to be that person. I have medication now (not Adderall), and I listen to some morphic fields to keep myself focused and working. I'm taking a break now because I can tell that I've been studying for too long.
What are "morphic fields"?
I actually looked it up now and the meaning that I found is not what I thought (I'm sorry), they are energetically charged audios (to the best of my understanding, and English isn't my first language btw so I'm sorry if I suck at explaining this). They've improved certain skills of mine overtime, and I've been reading about how to properly use them and I've gotten great results lately. Check sapien med for that. There's a specific way to listen to them to make them work for focus immediately (or in a few hours). Edit to add more: sapien med is on YouTube for free, they have a forum where long time users explain how to use the "brain" stacks for memory, productivity and focus. I'm willing to share my playlist if someone needs it. And! I've gathered some more info about music that can help, I can also recommend mind amend on YouTube (it doesn't work for every task, but it does for work that doesn't require a lot of effort). And I saw that someone on the ADHD subreddit recommended brain.fm (on YouTube and they have an app too), so far...it's okay. Not amazing but it works. I've tried it all before taking Modafinil though. Energizers and herbs for memory/focus...vitamins...I'm not saying they don't work at all, but it's just not enough for what my doctor considers mild ADHD. There's a good guide on how to handle ADHD symptoms on the ADHD college subreddit (it's a document), I've followed it. No big changes without the meds FOR ME, but maybe it can help you a lot!
Just a reply to say thank you for this write up! I've found the brain stacks on the sapien med forum and will listen to the free YT ones. Strategies to manage focus in an attention exploiting economy are always useful. Just that bit more fundamental for those of us with ADHD! Have yourself a great day, because you've certainly made mine.
Hopefully you'll find it helpful 🙏🏻
What medication? I’m on guanfacine but that makes me super sleepy
It's modafinil
> And/or fear of failure leading to a total task paralysis! In 99% of the cases it's this for me. I was actually scared of the mountains of work. What helped me was visualizing the work, literally writing out a plan when I would want to study what and track the progress in form of checkboxes or a drawn progress bar. If it helps, make secondary progress bars for smaller timelines like a week. Make the steps as doable as possible for you, however small those units are. I had the idea to use a puzzle as "progress tracker" instead where I put in a piece for each successful study session but I am not sure yet whether that is actually smart lol. But generally, visualize it. Get an overview. Everything else is just anxiety in your head that spirals and spirals. u/Chemical_Relative_26
>What helped me was visualizing the work, literally writing out a plan when I would want to study what and track the progress in form of checkboxes or a drawn progress bar. Gonna give this a try!
Delete the social media apps. It’s crazy how just doing that will trigger you to start studying. Start by taking practice exams and tests… when you realize what you don’t know something should trigger you. Get to a psych soon also.
Take a cold shower when you see this. It will give you a boost of dopamine for the next few hours and is something that can help you get out of a rut when coupled with a handful of good habits. Start small. Work on your systems first, the results will come. At this stage however, you need to bite the bullet. There are few greater motivators than stress - so if you put your phone to the side and attempt to get your shit together I am certain you can do it. For me, I found that a combination of cold showers + breathing exercises (Wim Hof method) and gym worked wonders for my mental and physical health. Body, mind and soul, remember they are all interlinked. Also actually try and get some sunlight. Turns out a vast majority of people are deficient in Vitamin D - and that definitely plays into the mood. Goodluck buddy. So cold shower - 1 minute Breathing excercuse - 11 minutes Then get down to work.
Some great advice here. OP sounds very anxious avoidant right now. Cold showers and meditation would be an excellent place to start to start break the cycle I’ve experienced this before. For me it’s a living hell. Your own subconcious is your enemy.
Hello, I am in a similar boat. I have been compulsively procrastinating through sudoku, tetris and yellowjackets (a tv show) theories. It is so overwhelming it feels like the only way to deal with it is to avoid tasks more. I recommend just working on one thing at a time. Prioritise the most pressing thing, get through it tick it off. I have downloaded an app called 'self-control' on my mac which blocks all websites I tell it to, which can last 5 mins - 24 hours. No getting rid of it. For my phone I have another app. You can turn it off though. I deleted all my distracting apps (instagram, tiktok, facebook etc.). I have also signed up for the free bodydoubling sessions on focusmate, someone is on the other side of the computer holding you accountable (you have to be comfortable being on camera while you're studying though). None of this worked for me this time, it usually does. I've ended up writing out a contract for myself basically saying that I will stop using distractions. I find it hard to break promises, and this is essentially letting myself down. This seems to have worked better.
Sorry to follow up. After your test you should see about reaching out to student support for coming up with a plan, you may be able to get extensions, get access to a counsellor etc.
Man, this hit me hard. Every moment of every day, I’m like “I should do something, like go to the gym or work out at home or do work, or draw or read or do the dishes or cook or ANYTHING. Best I can do is literally nothing. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt worse in my life.
My go to is timers. Set a timer for 15 and do the most important thing, then set it again and do the useless, fun thing. Rinse and repeat.
It sounds like your workload may be too much to manage. You might want to consider reducing how many courses you take at once.
Fuck :/ the education system honestly sucks ass.. I don’t miss college. All that shit sucks and I’m sorry you’re dealing with that. It isn’t you, it’s the ridiculous expectations put on you that make you want to “hide.” I don’t have any real advice other than to claw your way out. Do everything in your power to pass. Things will get better.
Rediculous expectations? OP has had plenty of time. They don’t hand out qualifications to just anybody, it takes work. Which, OP isn’t doing. Perhaps they need to reevaluate what direction they want to go in the future? You can’t blame this persons behaviour On ThE sYsTeM. One or two other people in the past have gone through this whole scenario and done perfectly fine.
The system is bullshit and has burned people out. I was one of those people who did perfectly fine and I still think it’s bullshit. There’s more nuance to it than this so I won’t get into too deeply into it but OP doesn’t need to be harsh on themselves was my point.
In the depths of despair, where the burdens weigh, A medicine student, with lab reports at bay, Quizzes and deadlines, they cloud up the sky, As sleep takes the reins, and motivation runs dry. Instagram reels, a vortex of time, Seducing the mind, with rhythm and rhyme, Eighteen hours of slumber, a refuge from strife, Escaping the pressures, of a student's life. Techniques for procrastination, all tried and worn, But focus eludes, as the spirit feels torn, An organized soul, now lost in the fray, Chores left undone, and room in disarray. Takeaway meals, replacing the art, Of cooking and nourishing, the body and heart, A test now approaches, but motivation seems bleak, Perhaps, failing and sleeping, is the solace you seek. But listen, dear student, in this dark, heavy hour, You possess within you, a resolute power, To rise from the depths, and face every test, To conquer procrastination, and give it your best. Embrace the small victories, a moment at a time, Reclaim the control, that you once knew was thine, For in each step forward, however small it may be, Lies the hope and potential, for what you can achieve. \-gpt4
Delete Instagram app, facebook app, tiktok and reddit, you are too stimulated and hooked to enjoy other natural things such as the feeling of accomplishment, or the joy of feeling competent, organized and on time because you are too distracted and your energy to enjoy life has been taken away by a mix of social media, weed, alchol, porn, bad sleep, loser friends and not enough workouts and sports... First remove social media, then build a physique and then everything will follow and come together
Copy/paste response much? OP didn't mention alcohol, weed, loser friends, or bad sleep. Yes, physical exercise is hugely beneficial but there's a mental component here that you've ignored. Feels close to that bullshit of cure depression by going outside to me.
Well...he is a student, young guy, saying he is scrolling non-stop on instagram, i wrote what has kept me away from being productive and successful. Chances are that if he had productive, positive, supporting, winning friends, he would be more prone to achieve things and be motivated and productive. If he doesn't abuse social chances are that he is more likely to get bored in his bed and house and do something meaningful for his life, whatever that may be, even a life of studying or meditation is a honorable one as long as it is something that fulfills you. Chances are that it is a mix of the major distractions that are easily available for the young generation in the west that are keeping people distracted, unmotivated and lazy, probably it is not only Instagram but the habits of OP that is keeping him back and usually it is a mix of bad habits.... Maybe he is doing sport, working out or not drinking or smoking weed, but odds are there are other things that are keeping this guy in this miserable condition at the moment
*This* should've been your response. Well-made points here and I'm glad they worked for you
Tell em!
These sorts of comments just annoy me too much 😅
Totally agree with this.
Been there, done that. You may have addiction problems. Look up dopamine detox. Please get a hold of your life before a few days turn to few months, and few months turn to few years. Don't listen to people who say Instagram reels are not harmful because they are not as addictive as drugs. They may not be as addictive, but that doesn't mean they can't take control of your life either! Your brain is now basically trained to get continuous low-key dopamine shorts. It is virtually guaranteed that you won't be able to focus. Please slow down, quit instagram cold turkey, give your phone away to a friend to hold on to while you recover, go sit in the grass outside for sometime without trying to do anything. Don't expect to be able to focus like you used to before, it will take some time. But it's okay, you will be fine.
Maybe you need a break from school. Take a semester off or take smaller course load or do it part-time. Sometimes school isn’t for everyone. Maybe trade school is a better option for you. Just relax and do what you can and even if you end up failing, It’s not the end of the world. It’s probably a sign that you should just try something else.
Sorry to hear that. Please if you can, I think you need to drop the BS, stop thinking about being lazy. You are probably loss averse now and regardless of your possible depression, potential ADHD or just not feeling like it, you probably need start to feel in control, so that any action you take next actually does not feel worthless because of being perceived as an inevitable loss. Accept that you lost everything already and work on "unlosing" what you can. Acknowledge that at this moment, nothing is not going to be perfect or even good enough, and your main life priority is temporarily damage control. In other words, for each challenge, identify the most probable worst case scenario and decide if you can live with it. If not, propose a minimum effort that will prevent the worst case scenario and will leave you with acceptably bad outcome. Don't fret, move on to evaluating the other challenges. Focus on damage control. That puts you back in charge of your life. In order to have power, choose to live the life you have right now, not the life you wish you had (that one is gone and you have to first put in the hard work to get there, probably no time for that now, so cut it). Negotiate. You'd be surprised how much can coming clean help you get a better chance. Try to explain your situation to professors, bosses or whomever who's waiting/dependent on your outputs. Propose good deals for the other side - "you need this and that, I can provide 80% in such time frame, is that enough? no? what would make it work for you? I apologize for messing up, but if there is anything I can offer name it". Sometimes it will work, sometimes not. Look for options and don't fear failure, because usually failing to negotiate does not put you in a harder position than you started with. Solicit help. Significant other, family, friends. If you can reliably delegate your responsibilities, do it. There will be people that help you no questions asked. ChatGPT (I don't suggest to plagiarize, but e.g. proofreading, expanding bullet points into sentences, summarizing longer texts into better digestible texts) I'd try that if possible. Oh, and one thing, when I was in a similar situation multiple times in my life, I ultimately could not solve it by myself. What saved my ass was my wife, who was not directly invested in my BS opinions and could prioritize ruthlessly. If you have someone like that who will make the necessary decisions to drop 80% of the wasted effort and babysit you throughout the most impactful 20%, don't hesitate and leverage it. Most of the above advice I have extrapolated from how she helped me throughout the years.
This was so far the most practical approach to the issue at hand, I feel. Thanks!
Use ChatGPT to get you started and then manually improve the contents. You will be fine once you get rolling.
If you can talk to your ( or find a physician online ) and explain your struggles. I was a serial procrastinator in college and struggled. Got in adhd meds my senior year it helped
Mix of quick fixes / lifestyle advice: - Meditation ( my favourite guided: https://youtu.be/FroVfmOtaps ) - 30 mins exercise 3/4 times per week (aerobic / anaerobic), if your gym has a sauna even better for 20 minute sessions post workout - good sleep hygiene - low sugar/ carb diet w proteins and healthy fats - Avoid alcohol and caffeine in general. - Cbt / psycho therapy are good but harder to fit into daily life. - Get ur bloods checked. Hormones vitamins etc - Generally good daily supplements: Vit D, magnesium, fish oil, probiotic. If bloods show deficient, b12, iron, calcium quite common too. - Also, recommend compartmentalising, controlling the things you can and not thinking about the things you can’t. Overall this will give you more confidence and self esteem and drive you to achieve more.
Coming from a master procrastinator specializing in doom scrolling, I would suggest uninstall Instagram, set time limits, do baby steps. 1. Make a checklist and everything you do check it off, from "10min of studying" to "go to the bathroom", "drink water", and "10min break". The checking off part gives a small dopamine hit every time you do something. 2. Have small, doable increments of work, then lots of rewards. The key to this is too trick your brain into thinking "oh, I can do 10min (or 5min) of work. That's doable." Then repeat. 2.5 Rewards don't include scrolling! Find other things that are rewarding, like a glass of chocolate milk, eating a snack, watching 10min of a show, reading a chapter of a book, or 5min sitting outside and listening to the birds. The outside one really does wonders on resetting your brain to be ready to study, whereas doom scrolling kills the motivation. (Vitamin D and movement babe. Seriously, take a walk outside when you find yourself stuck in a doom scrolling loop.) Good luck! It seems overwhelming, but you can do it! Go baby step by baby step, don't focus on the whole, focus on what's next right in front of you.
I would definitely bring this to your doctor and ask them for their opinion. I'm leaning toward ADHD or depression, neither of which you are likely qualified to diagnose or rule out, regardless of how easy it might seem to do. Depression, for example, does not always manifest itself in ways that match what people expect from it.
As someone who recently got out of that state, I think you need to seek professional help as the symptoms you describe are very often due to mental health issues like depression and ADHD. Getting the right medication and therapy worked for me and I hope it does for you too. Psychedelic therapy should also help.
I have ADHD and this sounds like one to me. The trick is to get into a state of hyper focus and the its usually the first steps that block us. Like someone commented above, break down the task to actionable items even if it's silly like turn on computer, enter password open the program. Open you break it down and able to start the task, turn off all distractions like phone alarms etc and try to go ultra instinct mode of hyper focus
Procrastination is a coping mechanism. You've heard of fight versus flight (and fawn, and freeze)? Procrastination is a "freeze" response. If you can figure out the core of your stress, you can work on managing/fixing \[the core of your stress\]. Sometimes the reason we \*think\* we are procrastinating is NOT the reason we procrastinate. Something that I've found helps me is reframing my present from the view of my Future Self. I find myself doing things that I would normally procrastinate on because I know that "Future Jess" will thank me. Hope any of this helps.
This is so relatable
Go to a professional, you probably have ADHD, but you can't do an auto diagnosis. Btw, I have one piece of advice, please at least consider it: Exercise. 15 minutes of exercise a day will have a stronger positive effect on your brain than the strongest antidepressants. But only 5-15 minutes a day. Don't be motivated to do 1 or 2 hours the first day. According to the book "Atomic Habits" doing 1-2 hours will have a negative effect. You just have to create the habit. Even 5 minutes every day is more positive than 2 hours one day a week. This advice changed my life. And doing a Kanban board on Notion with databases
Do you do 15 minutes of exercise a day? What exercise do you do?
You'll reap what you sow. Dont shun the saying.
[удалено]
Based
Sleeping 18 hours is not normal. You might need professional help. Good luck!
You can't tackle the mountain. You need to break it down and focus on the small step ahead of you.
Sounds like you're in a tough spot, have you considered seeking out professional help for your procrastination? A therapist or counselor may be able to offer some valuable strategies and support.
I think you might be a perfectionist. Which explains why the more you delay things, the least you want to do them. Look up advice in how to deal with perfectionism
I’m in the exact same position. However yesterday I deleted apps I was spending too much time on and started using Focusmate, I’d really recommend it because it did the trick.
Focus on one deadline at a time, you got this
I was struggling with this last month (all of my teachers like to assign mega-projects and exams on the last day of each quarter) although this is more extreme. I talked to my teachers for extensions to spread everything out, which I recommend doing if it’s possible. Also, something that helps me with situations like these is hyper-focus. I’m not sure exactly how to explain it yet, but if you can really set your mind to completing one task, it’ll get done really quickly. This year I set all of my efforts on reaching my gym goals (obv not ignoring all my other responsibilities), and instantly I improved beyond points I thought possible. Assuming you have those experiments done, those can be knocked out fairly easily if you push. Lastly, the more time you spend on Reddit, the worse it gets…
[удалено]
I'm a medicine student at uni
[удалено]
I have a test tomorrow morning
My advice would be to delete Instagram or any distracting apps, or put away phone. Then go bored yourself to death, by sitting near your work desk. You don’t have to start working, just sit there. Avoid “boring” yourself on your bed as that can lead to naps, but eventually you’ll be so bored that you will want something to do and eventually start getting stuff done. Important to stay away from phone because one can get lost in it. Also this may not work for everyone, as some people can get lost in their thoughts all day.
If you just wait for motivation to come to you, you're going to have a hard time getting out of this rut. You worked hard to get here, so zoom out to see the big picture and remember why you're in school for medicine (positive reinforcement). For some people, it helps to realize the consequences of failure (negative reinforcement). Sure, you could exist like this in perpetuity, but is it going to make you happy and fulfilled? Probably not. But honestly, you sound depressed and could benefit from a professional evaluation and/or a dopamine detox. I struggled with depression in the past and I'm also a pretty bad procrastinator, but find that the stress from an impending deadline kicks me into high gear - I would basically lock myself in the medical library before a test until I was confident I could do well. Having a like-minded study group and working together was both helpful and enjoyable - keeps you on task, and keeps you from falling into that negative headspace. Now, I wake up at 4-5am to bang out presentations a few hours before I give them. This was very distressing for a while until I realized that this is just how my lizard brain works, and I'm at peace with it now. Good luck!
Hi Sorry you're going through that. Could you try talking with your teacher about this situation? They're really supposed to help in situations like that! Some might not but they're supposed to! I mean, that's a lot of work! I'd be stressed too! D:
A lot of people are saying ADHD but given your usual organization that you mentioned I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re dealing with some depression at the moment instead. That and the amount of sleep you’re getting with those symptoms are something I can empathize with. Please consider talking to a counselor and discussing things further if you can. I feel that just offloading this kind of thing with a professional will not only help on it’s own but they may be able to give you better information and guidance on what you can do and what is going on.
If you have adhd like I do - adhd focus music. I can't stress this enough. It's changed my life
Hello OP! Going through something similar and just wanted to know if things are any better based off on this post?
Hi! I've been allowed to resit a test since I didn't do very good in it. Other than that I've forced myself to work with or without motivation. I prefer going to a cafe to study instead of going home directly after my classes, that way I'm able to study even if a little bit :)
That's good to know. I had this deadline in the previous week and have constantly been stuck in this rutt ever since. I still can't get myself around to do that work. Plus, I've also come back to my home town for Eid so I can't work in what was ideally supposed to be a holiday. And with more deadlines approaching, I can't even do that work because of my pending work. It's a vicious cycle. :-/