Profigy
100236
2628
30
Laziness vs Procrastination vs Executive Dysfunction
Apr 25, 2021 11:35 AM
Profigy
100236
2628
30
nowittyideas
I was today years old when I learned I deal with executive dysfunction...
henrikpetersson51
TIL I’ve been non-lazy for 37 years.
Fraud124
If you're trying to search the answer to this question, you should probably go do the thing you're not doing instead
usernamechecksout02
markowski
Asia kunnossa!
justhereforthemimes
Executive dysfunction doesn't require shame to be valid, that's mainly a cultural thing. Self acceptance doesn't turn ED into laziness
BadderBob
What about when you get high?
mmartin762
Good to know. I am currently having executive dysfunction.
Jonavilez
Damn. Professionals are something
JRSYJAY
Ummm... how about the trail of tears.. just sayin..
Idoitallforthecookies
I recently embraced a random activity mode of completing tasks that actually gels with my adhd/depression lifestyle.
Jessioops
Such as?
Idoitallforthecookies
Instead of doing one task to its completion I do part of one then when I think of something else I'll do part of that. Repeat until done.
Jessioops
My issue is the 5 tasks I need to complete in order to complete the one I need to complete, which I do in drips and drabs.
Jessioops
But yeah I've embraced it and I feel lighter for it.
Idoitallforthecookies
That's the whole thing! At the get-go you decide that nothing is going to get done so if something IS completed it feels good.
electronicbovine
Ah, a mix of procrastination and laziness for me. Seems I might err on the side of lazy.
AnotherReplyToIgnore
Laziness is not caring if your lack of action causes a problem. Procrastination is hoping the task may not need to be done later.
demosthenes89
I'm pretty sure you can feel guilty about your own choices without it being a diagnosable mental disorder.
demosthenes89
Maybe this is a useful tool for people who do have known executive dysfunction to distinguish between their own behaviors, but I don't /
demosthenes89
think anyone should use this as criteria for self diagnosis. It's pretty normal to feel some shame when you act like a lazy POS. 3/3
QuiteADapperAsshole
My executive dysfunction manifests in desires to procrastinate with smaller tasks.
QuiteADapperAsshole
"How can I do the big thing with all these small things? Let's get all the easy to do small things done first," my brain lies to me.
MrTheSpoon
TLDR but I feel guilty about that.
Purkitten
But what if... U transition to a task, don't complete and start another and then another transition but.. But..
justhereforthemimes
Executive dysfunction.
Purkitten
?
meskarune
What about if you start tasks then forget they exist and start other things and end up with 5 stuff half started?
Profigy
That could be ADHD.
pyr0chaos
I also randomly forget an imporatnt task i need to do literally 20 mins after I say to myself "i need to do this", then i get very mad when
pyr0chaos
I realize a day later i forgot to. Fuckin brain.
OnePostCloserToAHappierLIfe
...Fuck.
PeteThePerv
hmm, i should look into this shit
Metalbawkses
What if I don't need to do it, but I feel bad if I don't
wantednokes
it all sounds like laziness to me
lddiaz
I'll read this later.
Generalluxun
So what is it when you want to do a task, you sit down to do the task, but your brain then immedietley switches to anything but the task?
justhereforthemimes
Executive dysfunction.
icecreamsunday18
So, what is it called when you’ve learned to recognize your own executive dysfunction, but can kinda check out into a zombie-ish state and..
icecreamsunday18
Get your body to do it anyway. It’s all from muscle memory and repetition, so not your best, but it’s usually sufficient enough to call ...
icecreamsunday18
The task complete. Because that’s what I do when I have to and can’t recharge. I’m usually not aware of very much in this state....
icecreamsunday18
Especially from outside stimuli.
Profigy
I usually call that not enough coffee.
ThatOtherGirlYouKnow
Ha, yep. ADHD brain be like that! It's me.
xyxyxyxy31
maincarrot
That chick was crazy. "Omg I've never been told.my food is bad literally everyone loves my food."
Freak0zoid
Yep. Add plus autism. I feel this on a spiritual level.
RetailCat
I have ADD. It’s really not fun, wanting to clean but just having no ability to pick up a paper towel.
RetailCat
I kinda solved that by doing my task when I pick up a related object. Like cleaning more than the spill I’m forced to clean up.
Foxsayy
Honestly I still don't know how to differentiate between those, even after reading this.
LordAndSaviourBirdJesus
Ugh, ADHD procrastination is so frustrating. I've already solved the difficult parts in my head, what's left is actually doing the task. 1/
TechnicallyRight
Solving them before you do the task! A perfectly reasonable reason to not start the task! Now to make sure the plan is perfect....
LordAndSaviourBirdJesus
But then I don't feel like doing the task anymore, there's nothing interesting left about it, a trained monkey could go through the motions.
TheGoodAladeen
Yup! My advice to is learn to manage and adjust your routines and early!! I'm 32 and trying to make those changes and just FML
MrC0uch
31 and in the same boat , looks like both my 6yolds have the same issues. We're teaching them to work with to do lists etc
vinny8boberano
Stay strong. We can do this. 38, and learning it myself. I believe in you, and I believe in me.
TheGoodAladeen
Yo, this hit hard. I appreciate it
vinny8boberano
dirrrtypiratehookerrr
What's it mean when you transfer from task to task to task no problem, except the one task that involves sitting at a computer.
Yellowchopsticks
That one task is intruding on imgur time?
sal0qwerty
That's productive procrastination basicly cleaning your whole house to avoid taking out the trash
Juggernaughtty
^this guy gets it.
NomDeImguerre
But YOU don't transition, you let yourself be transitioned. You're not the one in control.
ScreamedVoid
Honestly? Either Traumatic Resistance or Specific-Task Avoidance. Both are Procrastination motivations.
tinyfootprints
I have the opposite. I will happily sit at a computer all day. It's doing anything else that seems to stump me.
HedonistBeard
Having a problem transitioning to A activity is still a transitioning problem, even if you transition fine to other things.
Profigy
Computer phobia?
dirrrtypiratehookerrr
Impressive use of House. Yes
Huggitt17
Clearly it's lupus.
Infinias
It's never lupus.
dirrrtypiratehookerrr
To clarify, not computer illiterate Just had worked for a long time strapped to a desk till I was laid off. Now I get anxiety when I have to
ElbowDeepInAPoliceState
Sounds like some kinda anxiety issue. You should probably ask a doctor rather than a bunch of strangers on social media
AnonOmis1000
Of the 3 options, I think that fits best into procrastination.
MyAssholeSpeaksFrenchLikeBillyCorganOnARollercoaster
I see it as you finally realizing that you don't want a sit-down job. You want something that requires physical movement.
MyAssholeSpeaksFrenchLikeBillyCorganOnARollercoaster
You're narrowing down to your truth in employment happiness, which is going to be healthier for you.
MyAssholeSpeaksFrenchLikeBillyCorganOnARollercoaster
Or, I could be full of shit and not know what the fuck it means.
dirrrtypiratehookerrr
Nope, you are not full of shit. I do feel joy w my new life self employed, physically working. Right on.
SlappedStupid
Classic procrastination. Procrastination results from anxiety about the overwhelming nature of the task. The more you procrastinate, the ->
SlappedStupid
more overwhelmed you feel, & the more you procrastinate. The trick is to break the task down into more manageable steps, & just commit to ->
SlappedStupid
taking the next step. If you can't, you're still thinking too big.
brannana
That’s trauma/PTSD, according to my therapist wife and at least 4 of my therapists over the years.
Gestalt7
This!
dirrrtypiratehookerrr
Y. I can only do computer work with something streaming as a distraction. It makes me so uncomfortable. I had a good career Stressfull boss
OneDayIWillFindASuitableUsername
These arguments do not take into consideration self-sabotaging (conscious or unconscious).
spicepoet
Bit of a rabbit hole? Since the self-sabotage will rarely get professional help other than for attention seeking which is easy to determine.
OneDayIWillFindASuitableUsername
It really depends on how much you want to medicalise a range of perfectly acceptable human experiences. I mean: it sucks, but is not 1/2
OneDayIWillFindASuitableUsername
Always due to a "brain dysfunction". 2/2
spicepoet
Brain dysfunction is now easier to determine. Even simple fMRI have been sorting out a lot of that. They need to break the old psyche habits
spicepoet
My experience was doing fast evals to determine a 72 hour hold. While I was not a regular clinician, it did not vary much. Patterns emerge.
OneDayIWillFindASuitableUsername
Don't get me wrong. I am consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist and I have seen thousands of patients over nearly 30 years of 1/2
OneDayIWillFindASuitableUsername
Practice. Still I am not convinced about the very modern tendency to see everything in the light of a brain dysfunction 2/2
spicepoet
There ya go! Looks like we're on the same page. Though i had less than 30 years before retiring ;) Be safe friend. Off to get some tea.
EveryBodyLovesMe
So how do you overcome executive dysfunction?
justhereforthemimes
Self acceptance was where I started. Drop the shame and just figure out how to accommodate your own needs and ask for the support you need
brannana
There’s the rub. You have to learn how you function/work best, and set yourself up to succeed. “Winging” it is almost a guaranteed fail /
brannana
In my case, I have to make sure I’ve got absolutely uninterrupted time for at least two hours. Email is off, phone is silenced, Teams is /
brannana
On “Do Not Disturb”. Food and drink is at hand. As long as I can guarantee that I won’t be switching tasks, I can work through the 45 min/
brannana
Or so that it takes me to get into my flow state. The time must also be in the morning, it doesn’t really work for me in the afternoon. /
brannana
I’m also fortunate in that I have a manager who understands and supports me working this way.
EmilyBronte
1)Short cuts like eating the parts of a sandwich instead of making one. 2)Coping mechanisms or a "workaround tool bag" For that you have 1/
EmilyBronte
experiment until you find what works. I have two different sets because I'm bipolar and what works when I'm manic doesn't work when I'm not.
andrew823543
I knew bipolar was common. And ADHD was common. But why does it feel so alone to have both. It took me aback to read your comment. If you >
andrew823543
< would be open to DMs and chatting about what worked or didn't work for you, could you let me know? (No obligation whatsoever.) I've been >
andrew823543
< iterating on a system since 2010 and I feel like I never found lasting success. Only the novelty of a new system which fizzles in weeks.