My ADHD "procrastinate then do it later with the time pressure motivation" very frequently gets sabotaged my anxious depression "you'll fail anyway so don't bother." So I end up worrying about it the entire time the deadline is coming, feeling just as bad as if I'd already failed, while still being unable to actually start it. It's so frustrating when the positive, superpower parts of ADHD get hijacked by the comorbidities.
Extremely relatable Even if my survival depends upon it I will procrastinate until it's too late because it's is so big and daunting and then give up because it's too late and not manageable
When faced with an overwhelming, dreaded task, I have discovered this technique which has helped me a lot: Do the 50% that is possible. Then realize that there is another 25% that I can do. Now that I am on a roll, there might be 10% more that I can do with effort and new understanding. Forget about the last 15%. Nobody expected perfection anyway.
OH GOD YES. The lack of deadlines is the bane of my existence. I WILL procrastinate something into oblivion for things that have clear deadlines. I feel this in my soooooul. - Harley, Community Manager 🐻
I can recall several times in my working career when management instructed me of "no deadline" with the project, that rarely did I ever see that project through to its completion; as there were always something else coming along that had a deadline to them.
There's a book called Hidden Time Wealth, and it talks about how using some secret techniques, you can overcome procrastination and accomplish anything in life. It's not just a bunch of empty promises; it's the real deal.
Thank you for this. Tears in my eyes, seeing myself in every word. Procrastination is literally a part of my every day life😔 Both active and passive. The hardest part is doing the daily tasks that will obviously change your future, like writing that book, or starting that business, or taking that course… but what do you do when you have no deadline to Make you finally start? What can you use for motivation?🥺
Ugh, yes, I am not bringing my business forward because I literally have no pressure or deadlines. What helped me in the past were accountability groups, or a coach that set deadlines. I’m currently trying to take my own deadlines more seriously by making clear what I’ll miss out on if I don’t do the things. Not in a toxic way but with a lot of self-compassion.
We have a playlist filled with videos referencing motivation in different aspects and contexts. Check those out and see if they answer your question! If they don't, feel free to send us an email via our Contact Us on our website with what you feel is missing from them! 🧡 Playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLvq9Tp5JZ8oATn9By12vmYZ-qaFsSYK2q.html Contact us: howtoadhd.com/contact-us/
That was so wholesome! I tend to get confused over how long things actually take in general, and procrastination is a big issue in it as well, as it’s hard for me to hit the sweet spot of „close enough to get into the hyperfocus zone“ and not slide into „oh dang, now I’m totally stressed out because the pressure is too high“.
@SuperWhisk I relate SO hard! When i get an assignment that is exciting, i can get far if I start right away, when i am still motivated, but as always... i get tired/bored and I don't want to do it anymore - even though it is something i kinda wanna do. And then the procrastination sets in. And for every day that passes, the stress level gets higher. Until i sit a few nights before, getting burned out just hand in an average produkt...
@SuperWhisk jup, that also links to the thing that prioritizing is hard as well, and I need more time for it than others do. Time I don’t have because I procrastinate. And we’ve come full circle 😅
The Tim Urban Ted Talk "inside the mind of a master procrastinator" is also really good. Procrastination regarding Tasks with deadlines, which usually result in at least *something* being achieved, even if not best work; As opposed to a life-ruining, procrastination over your own life goals. No deadline, won't even *try*. It never happens, tragic.
You are my hero for showing how you lost your tooth. I’m 32 in university and just got treatment finally but I never knew I had ADHD I just thought I was terrible! Your channel helps me feel less alone. You are amazing!
What about when you keep procrastinating on things (even things you like and get pleasure out of) because you feel stuck and your brain keeps getting drawn to faster and easier dopamine-giving sources? I don't feel like it feels quite like passive anxiety-perfectionism driven procrastination, but doesn't feel like active deliberate procrastination either.
That actually reminds me of our dopamenu episode! Give it a watch and see if this helps answer your question, if it doesn't, let us know! ua-cam.com/video/-6WCkTwW6xg/v-deo.html
I struggle with this a lot. Tbh I’m still trying to figure out where the line is between being chemically understimulated from adhd and suffering anhedonia from depression. But yeah. The (super boring and cliche) long term solution to this is to be treating it the same way as depression, having a doctor and a treatment plan/medication, working on your physical and emotional self care through nutrition, getting enough sleep and exercise, and strengthening your support network/spending quality time with loved ones. And by that I’m drastically oversimplifying the process of helping your body produce neurotransmitters and energy the best it can, so that you’re experiencing this feeling less often. But like, f that lol, if I could do all that I wouldn’t be in this mess 😂 but I do highly recommend The Upward Spiral if you’re interested in a much better clinically researched guide to self treating depression. But short term, I find that different things can break the spell for me as a band aid, but that it’s difficult to recognize it happening and address it head on. Like I’ll scroll my phone for hours and realize AFTER the fact that I wasted a whole free evening. But if you’re able to recognize it in the moment and nothing sounds fun enough to bother doing, that’s when I give myself permission to do something completely exciting and new. Like starting a new tv series or video game, or going out for takeout, or a spontaneous ice cream or whatever else. Doing a DIY project I’ve been putting off because it would make a huge mess. Dyeing my hair or doing something fun with my appearance. Do something that you’ve been resisting the impulse to do, because it was too inconvenient or messy or made you feel like a slacker or immature. I can go to my tv tracker app, steam wishlist, bullet journal or my ‘watch later’ UA-cam videos to find all these things for myself lol. There’s always the ‘fun things’ that you were really excited about in the moment but then put off because you couldn’t do it right now. These are the things that can do the best job of breaking the spell for me. Obviously ymmv and it’ll vary a lot by the person, but if you can return to a thing that you hyper focused on before, you can often recapture that feeling of excitement and obsession. And like, the hyper focus also has its costs! But I consider it way better than the anhedonia. The hyper focus can be the kickstart for me to start doing other self care tasks again too, you know? Inertia is so strong and painful to break.
@@oncefighting Yeah a bit like that. It's like "hey I want to play this game" but I'll scroll endlessly on x social media 1st because the dopamine is faster to access and takes less effort, but then I'll regret seeing that I wasted over an hour (which I didn't see go by) instead of playing. Wouldn't be too much of a bother if it happened once in a while but it's like that most of the time for me and it feels like I have to endlessly trick my brain or bargain with it to get anything done (whether pleasurable or not). But not like in a depression kind of way because I still do get fun and pleasure out of things once I can get round to doing it. Saw an article the other day by Dr Russell Barkley on Additude the other day who talked about procrastination in ADHD as an Intention Deficit Disorder and it hit close to home.
Watching this as I lie in bed avoiding returning the phone call I missed this morning. 😂 I'm definitely a passive procrastinator. I've known for years that my procrastinating is a response to anxiety and overwhelm. If I even start to think about a task or project that causes anxiety, my brain changes the subject. It happens so automatically that it can be hard to catch myself doing it. Sometimes I can be quite productive and do tons of other tasks, but I still haven't found a great way to just make myself do the thing.
I struggle with this so much! I literally failed my very last exam because of procrastination. It's kind of like... the more important something is, the more difficult it is to start. I feel so seen.
Awesome work. I'm in the process of getting diagnosed after seeing your video on "tell me you have ADHD without telling me you have ADHD" it started off a funny similarity but quickly dropped into "Oh.... oh no. This hit way too close to home to be a coincidence." Thank you for your videos! They've been a great help! P.s. I'm also missing a tooth because I procrastinated on going to the dentist.
Indeed. I'm missing a good few after a mis-spent life. I'm currently awaiting ASD final stage assessment. Meanwhile chasing up an ADHD diagnosis in Britain is currently an absurd amount of time even if you go private. I'll get that looked into later. Other things take priority at the moment anyway! Just makes me laugh, what I said to my friend yesterday: "I like a bit of random chaos as long as it fits into my boring depressing rigid routine" 😆😆
Had to have a root canal because I procrastinated going to the dentist. I still have some of that tooth...sort of. But regardless, Let's Go Team "Maybe I Shouldn't Procrastinate In This Particular Area Of My Life Because Ow And Expensive."
can't even get a dentist in the UK - I am however procrastinating in trying to FIND a dentist for my new adopted son for when he comes to live with me in a few weeks 😬
@@AB-xu8ef I had a root canal and then procrastinated going back to get the permanent crown for 15 years. Eventually the temporary crown came off and I just had the tooth out a few months back, along with the two wisdom teeth I've procrastinated having removed for about the same length of time. I realised about 2 months ago that I probably have ADHD 🤣
The problem with actively putting something off until the last minute is that it's usually accompanied by a wildly over-optimistic concept of how much time it will take to complete the task, and a complete disregard for anything else that could come up (or already has come up) to make that last-minute rush futile. An example: I successfully started most of my college papers the night before, but I had no idea that a 20 page paper (for an 8 a.m. class, of course :) ) would take so much longer than a 3-page paper, especially when using an old manual typewriter...LOL! :)
If you want to procrastinate less and concentrate better on studying you can study with me here. I study for 2-3 hours with breaks in between while I keep you company If you're interested, feel free to study with the study videos of mine Hopefully it will be useful for you ❤
This is great. I'm always a big fan of 'Name it to tame it,' and 'Label to disable' strategies, so breaking it down as active and passive is really helpful.
Does anyone else have an issue with procrastinating even with activities that you love? I don't just procrastinate to put off deadlines and work, I do it with hobbies that I want to practise, friends I want to see, replying to messages from people I love, going for a walk etc. Of course, having GAD does not help with motivation because it makes you scared of everything 😅😑
OMG! Yes! I do this too! My procrastination spills over to things i love to do too. I struggle with IBS so thinking that may be part of why I procrastinate. Hard to want to do anything when you’re not feel good. Thanks for sharing your experience as it helps to know I’m not the only one that does/feels that! 💜
If you want to procrastinate less and concentrate better on studying you can study with me here. I study for 2-3 hours with breaks in between while I keep you company If you're interested, feel free to study with study videos of mine Hopefully it will be useful for you ❤
I'm definitely a passive procastinator and I feel exactly how you mentioned... I experience myself doing it both to reduce anxiety and because I don't feel confident that I can do the task. I end up doing the task eventually feeling really bad about my performance, not doing it at all (if it is really bad) or feeling VERY tired. Even finishing the task seems harder than if I had just faced it head on, from the beginning. Though sometimes I procrastinate accidentally because I forget what I am supposed to do
Procrastination is the bane of my existence! There are times that I procrastinate so much that I forget the task completely and end up with real consequences. 🤦♀ This channel has truly taught me so much. I've made so many changes from the advice given here that I have so many people tell me that I've come so far in my journey with learning to live with ADHD, but I don't feel like I've gotten anywhere. 😔 I know that the journey is never ending, and I only started my path in January 2022, but It feels like a hopeless battle. I'm hopeful that continuing to watch these videos will help me become a functioning member of society in an easier, more comfortable way, or at least make it easier to understand (and explain to others) why I am the way I am. I can't begin to put into words the impact this channel has had on my life. Thank you so much Jess for all that you do for your channel! 🥰💚🖤
If you want to procrastinate less and concentrate better on studying you can study with me here. I study for 2-3 hours with breaks in between while I keep you company If you're interested, feel free to study with study videos of mine Hopefully it will be useful for you ❤
I've found that fighting my procrastination urges is counterproductive, resulting in a lot of self-criticism and self-hatred but not much productivity. So instead, I worked out a way to leverage my procrastination tendencies. Whenever I encounter something I want to do instead of what I should be doing, I can procrastinate doing the thing I want to do and put off procrastinating the thing I should do. This will transform something I'm very adept at (procrastination) from a liability into an asset by procrastinating my procrastination. It's the perfect solution because it plays to my strengths! At least, that's the theory. I'll get around to testing it out one of these days.
You're welcome! We're so glad it's been able to help your family!! And thank you so much for taking the time to share and let us know. Stories like this truly keep us going and to keep doing what we're doing
I’m on the path to being diagnosed, after being labeled a problem child back in the 70s. Many traumatic years later, I’m now 48 yo and watching these videos I’m like woah. Thanks so much for your hard work getting this out there, also you have the brightest most sincere eyes I’ve ever seen, like an angel. The wonderfulness of your inner self really shines through. 🤩
They really are. Or view procrastination as this moral sin when in reality... procrastination CAN be good and healthy, just like it can be stressful and unhealthy. There's a lot of gray area with procrastination and isn't as black-or-white as I think a lot of us believed.
Definitely am an active procrastinator. I spend an excessive amount of time thinking about and sorting out a project in my head. Usually the project is so fine tuned before I ever begin the actual work that the whole task can be completed without backtracking or redoing parts as those who just jump in and start "doing something" will experience.
Hi there. I just wanted to come and say that this channel really pushed me to get diagnosed finally. I was 32 and decided to do medication because of your videos. You changed the stigma around medication for me and ultimately changed my life. I didn't know how bad my adhd was until those symptoms were lifted. The brain fog, sluggishness, fatigue, insomnia, difficulty waking up, losing train of thought in conversation, overstimulation, sensory issues, emotional dysregulation, executive dysfunction and on and on and on. Getting diagnosed, getting on meds has truly changed my life. I'm less anxious and show up as a better mom and partner and now I even text people back gasp! I've been busy building a business and did more in the first month on meds than I've done in 10 years. My sincere gratitude for your informative videos. I didn't watch because I suspected I was but because my nephew presents typical adhd symptoms and your videos on the inattentive type and that girls present different really struck a cord and I recognized things within me. I am so thankful and grateful for your help. It's changed my life. ♥️ And I'm sure so many more lives xx
@@sallycoiner8725 hi Sally. It's been really a journey. I am in south africa so we don't have Adderall etc. My doctor started me on the lowest dose of concerta for 2 weeks which got me to 2pm and nothing more. He then increased it to a higher dose which was good. But for days when I go to class I have a retilan booster which takes me until about 11pm. But then I take forever to sleep. I find if I wake up in the mornings and go back to sleep I'm foggy so when I'm up, I get up. My nephew and niece however are on absolutely different meds to me and to each other. So it hasn't been a difficult journey for me but my niece has been on several different ones and on Risperdal to bring her down at night. I'm lucky to have a doctor that knows me from about 12 and I'm 33 so he knew what I needed for who I was and who I am now if that makes sense?
I end up chronic procrastinating but when deadline almost touched, shoot hits the fan ! And i look back at quality of work and sigh "that could have been done much better"
I feel like sometimes I procrastinate because the thing I have to do bores me to tears. I don't really want to do it, so I don't. Other times, I procrastinate because it is complex and I need to get some kind of actionable plan together that I can act on. Typically, for me, the act of putting together the plan is exciting and I do not procrastinate that once I have a good starting point. But, I will get bored with actually implementing the plan. I would rather delegate that to someone else so I can go back to planning the next big thing. One of my old co-workers called me the 'Idea Man'. I came up with the ideas, the rest of the team implemented them. It was a good fit for my brain.
Btw, I've lost two teeth and, uhh, might be losing a third one soon because I can't really afford to fix it and also having panic attacks at the dentist scares me. I'm sorry you lost your tooth, but thank you for sharing because now I feel a little bit less bad about losing mine.
So I suspect I suffer from OCD , was never actually diagnosed ( soon soon ), but I wanted to say that - thank you ! A lot of the information you offer helps me too !
It's unfortunately not well know, but about a third of people with ADHD also have OCD. I'm not sure what the rate is the other way around, but the point is that a lot of people have both and will only get diagnosed with whichever set of diagnoses are more obvious to the clinician writing the diagnosis. In general, people with OCD shouldn't take stimulant medication, as stimulant medication tends to increase anxiety. But, in the case of situations where the anxiety is being caused by ADHD symptoms, it's entirely possible that taking a stimulant will result n less anxiety and less OCD tendencies. But, that only gets explored if the clinician identifies the coexisting conditions.
I used to do a lot of active procrastination when I was in university and I didn't understand *why* I had to clean my entire house before I did any schoolwork. The benefit was my house was clean but I would leave my work to the last possible minute. I just went with it and accepted that I had to do this, but I deeply wish I knew I had ADHD earlier (I was diagnosed at age 31, many years past university). Sigh! Thanks for the video ☺️
Wow, I really love the video game style graphic of the Wall of Awful growing! It really captures how fast tasks grow out of proportion in our minds and also get "stale" as we lose any initial motivation we had. So certain tasks I *try* to do asap, like calling people back, because for some reason I hate doing that -- so I have to do it BEFORE I THINK ABOUT IT. Like don't give myself a chance to get anxious about it, because that wall grows QUICK!
Well at 42 and after months of procrastinating, I've finally phone my doctor today to make an appointment to see if I can get a referral to be assessed for ADHD, I'm somewhat nervous but so glad I've finally taken this first step.
i saved this to watch later 7 days ago, then had to rewatch it 3 times in one sitting to hear everything you said because I was playing a video game and browsing reddit while watching the video..
Damn I used to be an active procrastinator and I never knew what it was, or how to put words on it, or why my current procrastination felt like it was very different both in feeling and outcomes even though it looked the same. Turns out I changed from an active to a passive procrastination style. This is soo eye opening
"There are advantages to procrastination" YES! Thank you for saying this! Procrastination isn't a moral failure, it's a functional thing that we do because there are tangible benefits. Sometimes those benefits are very short-term and not helpful for larger goals, but they're benefits nonetheless.
To be fair, theft and lying are also things we do because there are tangible benefits, and those are clearly immoral. Whether or not there are benefits for a course of action has no relation to its morality or immorality. Let's hope everybody can supplement the self-awareness gained by watching this channel with real study of virtues.
The active procrastinating I've been doing a lot more lately. I actually have been switching it out with some of the passive procrastinating. It's helped me a lot actually. I can actually get things done and also when I want them to be done. Learning how to deal with ADHD has been quite the journey but I'm finally starting to find my way
I always prograstinate when packing my stuff for school or for holidays. I always do this last minute or day. The fact that I'm the complite opposite of my dad when it comes to this. He is always pissed when we start a trip. Furthermore he often says to me (and my brother too, he has the same problems as me) that I always forget something at home, only because he would forget things at home if he would pack his stuff last minute.
i can relate to your dad. i moved to a different country after school, so trips to see my family are long and infrequent. it's a source of anxiety to know that if i forget something, e.g. a present for my mom, i can't just turn back around and go get it since that would make me late for the flight. or even worse, if i do forget something important, like my passport, i risk missing out on seeing my family, losing money spent on flights and genrally making myself and my relatives feel sad and disappointed packing in advance helps ease that anxiety because I'm able to double check i've got everything i need and i know that even if i forget something when i pack, i still have time to notice it before i have to leave
I do exactly the same, I use the previous hours to plan my pack in my head, but I only get to it when it's one or two hours before the trip. I just can't do it so early, it feels forced and useless.
There have been times when procrastinating actually worked in my favor; such as something comes along where my peers urge me to 'get on-board' with something trendy; or with investing time or money into something. The procrastinating side of me would keep delaying 'getting on-board.' Days, weeks, or months later those same peers would lament and regret the actions they took, as it turned out to be wasteful or detrimental for them. But I avoided the waste and personal detriment as a result of procrastinating with 'getting on-board.'
This is incredibly relatable, but figuring out if it’s active or passive procrastination doesn’t really help me with the initial problem of - how to stay on top of my life and actually get things done on time. Because to your point, once you need to involve other people and tasks start getting more complex, you can’t just actively procrastinate and expect to succeed anymore. 😫
Thank you for talking about this. This video is extremely validating and helps me articulate what’s going on to people and jsut understand what’s going on with me.
Feel so heard and seen when i watch your channel! That wall that keeps adding up was something I visualized as a kid and it made me anxious but I couldn't share with anybody. Still officially undiagnosed at 35 but I know ADHD is what I and my daughter have and we are constantly labeled clumsy, chaotic, lazy indecisive etc. The struggle is real!
"Which makes us lose a tooth" man I have lost 3 teeth since covid started-_- its nice to see I'm not the only one who has dental issues. My favourite thing about this channel is how you make me feel like I am not alone anymore ♡♡ Oh also icklenellierose did a parady song called procrastination about 10 years ago and it is still one of my favourite songs haha
During the last months I cried multiple times because of my teeth... Thank you for sharing that you struggle with that as well! I haven't lost one so far but used to be bulimic and still can't stop smoking, also it was sooo harddd to start taking good care of my teeth and also learn what type of food or drinks are good / bad for your teeth and when to brush etc. Sadly, my parents didn't teach me much about dental hygiene and I am still learning about this as an adult woman
OMG. I am a procrastinator in both ways. I am a middle aged woman who is just understanding my ADHD (it wasn't diagnosed until recently) and your channel has been a life changer for me. You are fantastic. I.e. I started a bullet journal which didn't make sense until I saw your video about bullet journals. Great work and thank you!
Is it just me who gets super anxious from those capcha “I’m not a robot” things? They always make me do at least three of them since I’m bad at processing that kind of information.
I'm actively procrastinating now by watching this video, and then leaving this comment. Its something that ive always done, and its how ive managed to get to this point in my life and career. I have recently been diagnosed wit ADHD (im 38 years old), and this was discussed during my psychology sessions, made me feel better about it. To me, the most damaging component with undiagnosed ADHD is the development of Maladaptive Schemas and the subsequent unhealthy coping mechanisms that come along with it (from constantly letting people down by not living up to your "potential" and then feeling like you are lazy and useless, Also feeling like something going to go wrong because you make too many mistakes). I'm wondering if this is something you have discussed in your videos anywhere? If not it might be something worth looking into. Happy to give advice and my personal experience, just email me anytime.
im an active procrastinator , i get really good grades most of the time and i barely get any work done because i always do everything last minute , so everytime my friends ask me how i get good grades, I usually dont know how to answer and I just tell them that i use my phone most of the time , they never believe me !
What about procrastinating planning doing things that are fun, because you know you're such a procrastinator and you feel the back log of all the things you need to have been doing, that you know you don't have time to stop and have fun, so you just work more? Been in a loop like that for years. Feel so aware of my long undone todo list that I can't expend more spoons to make myself coordinate having fun. Also the shame of not getting stuff done is a huge block for allowing fun time... PS I love love love your channel, been following it for years
The points about passive procrastination are well made, its such a crazy huge part of my life and very anxiety driven. I was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at age 26, but its something i started noticing happening i think ten years prior. But family and teachers always kept blaming the video games, calling me unmotivated. I have spent so many hours watching and reading articles and videos about motivation, how to keep it, how to increase it, small tricks to get things done never realizing it might be adhd, autism i started suspecting earlier when i did a group project with an autistic classmate and i recognized every symptom he described. But your videos on ADHD are really helpful in putting into words what i struggle with. So thank you for putting effort into them even when you have a bad brain day and struggle
My problem is I have chronic illnesses and procrastinating doesn’t work as well as it use to. There are some days I feel good and some days I feel like crap. Then I over do it and I have to wait a few days to feel better. It sucks.
Yeah for sure, having additional challenges that zap resources like energy definitely having an impact as well. Thank you so much for sharing because it's definitely something important to keep in mind 🧡
Procrastination is my default setting in life. I delay every single task, no matter how small. It's like my brain refuses to ever consider the present moment a good time to do anything... 😬😅
I wish i had found you earlier, i am so stuck right now, surrounded by people but nobody willing to talk with me, im a talker thinker and cant get it out so dont know what to do about stuff unless i talk about it, i struggle with adhd and my partner doesnt care to much about what would help me, so alone sometimes, wish i could just chat about stuff and move on
This video is brilliant! Yes: I have _my own_ video to edit, but I'm sitting here watching a video that you _already_ edited and uploaded (at the last minute?) instead 😅 I am also having dinner, so maybe it's NOT procrastination? Or... _neutral_ procrastination?? 🤪
Awwwww, we did once upon a time! I'll pass it onto the team! Though if we do an AMA again it will likely be after the book. Writing a book and keeping up a regular video schedule and running a team is... time intensive. 😂
this was sooo helpful. now i know i am the worst kind. i got over it in college but now that i'm 75 and have adhd it is horrible. i think i've figured out that if i perceive a possible negative outcome in handling an issue then i keep putting if off. if i had someone to 'hold my hand' and talk me through it with encouragement then i think i could do it. i used to call a friend to be with me on the phone while i opened an envelope that i just looked at for over a week because i was nervous about what was inside.
What you're calling Passive Procrastination is what I have called, for years, "Guilty Weekend." Unrealistic expectations + late start + unclear priorities = guilty weekend!
Thank you for this. This is something I wasn’t focusing on needing to forgive myself for. So validating/informing, to boot! Keep doing everything you’re doing. It’s helping so many. 💛
Midway through the video I was thinking "huh I'm a passive procrastinator now but back in high school I was an active procrastinator" and then you just said how teenagers are more likely to be active procrastinators and I'm just sitting here like wth lol you're a mind reader! Throughout middle school and high school, I was known to my friends and classmates as someone who procrastinates but still gets good grades all while being in honors/AP classes. Now I'm a 7th year undergrad student with barely passing grades and a ton of failed classes. This video really enlightened me because I didn't even know there were different "types" of procrastination! All this time, in my college career, I've just been thinking about how I can't study and do assignments the way I used to before and I get so hellbent upset with myself over it especially since everyone I've reached out to basically says "just don't procrastinate." I started to lightly think I had ADHD like 4 years ago but never really acted on it. Just last week, I finally saw a therapist and she scheduled me to have an ADHD assessment tomorrow! Overall, thank you for creating an educational channel on ADHD. It really pushed me to finally get help :)
Amazing video-this content was totally different from what I was expecting!! Thank you! This actually let me cut myself a break. I've always been a chronic procrastinator, but I believe it was more of the active kind. I've gotten a little better over the years but sometimes i still choose procrastination on purpose, much like you describe here. Thanks again, awesome video :)
I love this video! My mom used to get so frustrated with me because I would put off writing and reading assignments until the night before they were due. She found it even more frustrating when I’d get them back and they’d be high grades. It’s totally different with other subjects though, like the ASL class I’m taking as a Foreign Language for college. I study for about an hour (sometimes a little less) every single day and then do a final cram the day of class because I know I can’t put it off. In HS I would do my math homework during writing time in my English class because I knew I would never do it at home and my teacher knew I was one of her top students so she would just check in and make sure I was on the right track with my assignments that I could work on at home with the TV or radio playing. It took me years to develop this habit though, since I pretty much avoided turning in math homework in middle school and my first year of HS. Due to that history, I actually had to show my mom my completed homework at 16 before she would let me take a nap and recharge after school 😂
Thanks for this video ❤️ I feel like this is an aspect of my adhd that really messes with my life, but I’m so ashamed of it because I know people will think it’s just laziness
I love your videos! Every time I hear you explain ADHD I get more and more comfortable living with it. It feels good to know that we are not alone. Thank you so much for doing these videos.
HOW TO ADHD!!! I love that channel name. Im both ADHD and I procrastinate ALOT. My whole life literally revolves around procrastination. Almost everything is procrastinated that can possible be. Im the king of procrastination. Im a pro procrastinator! I would have written this sooner but Im just now getting to it. lol
I would say I'm passive procrastinator. I didn't even know there was a name for it but the image of those walls building up the longer you avoid something is so true! Even if it's something I've done before I have this thought provoking anxiety about doing the thing and I either binge watch TV or go to the gym or do laundry. I never really thought of it as another way of avoidance until my therapist mentioned that when I told her instead of doing my CE credits for my pharmacy tech license I decided to clean my bathroom which was another thing I put off. It was easier to do something physical with a lot of movement rather than do something that required more mental thought. I also noticed that I work myself up and have a lot of physical anxiety symptoms (also stimulants exacerbate my physical symptoms) and once that thing is done I feel a huge release and get a lot of energy then crash a couple days later. If I don't get myself that worked up and eat right and do something physical and don't isolate myself I can do the thing much easier.
Great video! I was actually recently thinking that it was a mix of anxiety and perfectionism that was causing my terrible procrastination on my dissertation. Knowing that there a 2 main types of procrastination and which one I suffer from is great to know. Hopefully after I get help for my anxiety, passive procrastination will happen less often. Maybe I could learn to try active procrastination for smaller tasks/projects, but ideally if I were to do that I should plan out a generous guesstimate as to how long the task would take (maybe put the estimate time on trello or my calender or other productivity/planning app?).
tysm for making procrastination awareness fun and understandable. As one who has it daily, it helped me see it in a positive light and work to live with it not shun its existence.🤗
I paid a huge ADHD tax recently after I hugely misjudged when my "panic motivation" would kick in to enable me to finish packing up my apartment. Out kicked in much later than I needed it to, so I wasn't finished packing when my movers arrived, and I had to schedule additional last-minute movers the next day for $$$. Totally sucked. Very expensive lesson to learn.
This has happened to me many times and each time I thought I had learned! Now my greatest fear is my PhD procrastination because I definitely can't leave it til the night before but I can feel my brain definitely wants to....
I was a passiv procrastinator for a long time, now a days if I feel that I m not getting myself to do what I planned to do, I switch to my "do something mode" , it does not matter what I do as long as I do something, and that's works for me. It helps to overcome self doubts and works against the feeling that I lost a day
That tooth moment was comedy gold haha. I learned much more than I expected to from this video, such as that my entire experience of education to MSc level I was actively procrastinating. Can I actively procrastinate a PhD thesis? Probably not but we'll see XD My favourite way to procrastinate is by doing housework. If I'm struggling to sit still and focus on something it's a good way to get moving and do something more practical, but it also feels very productive. Doing housework usually feels like a chore and can be quite draining but if I feel like I'm doing it instead of other work it can actually feel enjoyable. Plus, when my space is cleaner I tend to focus a lot better on other things and feel more motivation to start difficult tasks. So it's kind of a win-win.
I've never seen it like that. It blew my mind thanks you! This year I'll do active procrastination, I'll be less perfectionist and won't feel burned out for once!
Thank you, housework has been an issue for me this year. I'll have days when I do some, but even after those days, the wall of awful seems higher. For the last few years, I had a viable routine. This year the routine stopped working then a few urgent issues got in the way, and I got way behind. The further behind I get the more daunting my wall of awful is. This is both active and procrastination at this point.
I feel like you know exactly what it is like to be a procrastinator, as if you've procratinasted to make this video and everything in life. xD Jokes aside, if you've completed something, in the end doesn't matter much if you procrastinated or not, i mean, you've accomplished the task right? Just make sure your life don't go downhill, do your best, and you can live till the 100th year possibly. I'm about to be 30 and have suffered with teeth issues too xD We learn to live. Glad to know that there are plenty of procratinators like me face-blue-smiling Nice content! Subscribed!!
I’ve been passively procrastinating making a video for my “business account.” Now that family obligations have passed, I can actively procrastinate until this weekend. Saturday is filming my video and chopping up my old video for TT, Sunday is finish editing and schedule the posts. Thank you for making me feel less guilty about waiting!
I’m so glad I found your Ted talk and your UA-cam channel. I also have ADHD btw. You help me feel less weird, you made me feel like a person. I always get treated as “special needs kid” from my parents. I struggle in keeping friends and lotsa things I hated myself for. Finding this channel help me understand myself more and realize that I am not alone. Thank you from the bottom of my heart :)
i had a huge project…okay a 15 page assignment…due last sunday. i started off with active procrastination, confident in my abilities and knowing i work best under pressure. but once i tried actually starting the assignment 4 days before the deadline i realized i wasnt as “skilled” as i thought. the task was so overwhelming and complex but also important, i couldnt figure out the hows and whens etc and it drained me so much. i ended up thinking about it constantly while doing nothing actually productive (actually writing the thing). i literally spent the next days sitting in front of my computer thinking about how i really have to start writing…but never actually did, i was almost like frozen? it was only the day before the deadline that sense of urgency kicked in in a way that got me panicking and ahaking constantly. got really anxious about failing, worked 23 hours straight (i literally started at 1am because i couldnt sleep because of the assignment) and handed in a half way done assignment…mental note to self: never do that again. ever. (thats what i said the last times thats happened too)
when you said the thing about the tooth and the dentist.... im bawling right now it hurts and feels good to know that somebody else went through this, is going through this....
Procrastinating on difficult work projects as an adult is what made me get depressed. I kept passively procrastinating on everything. Sometimes the deadline was within hours! And every time I did less and less and later and later until I just didn’t even cared anymore. The urgency kick never arrived. That’s when I knew something was wrong! I’m now doing better, back to actively procrastinating! 😅
Thank you for this one, I never felt like the active procrastination was what I was doing. It seemed off for me when people descriped that ADHD habit. Also that about the results in grades is really reflective of how I go through life.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
My ADHD "procrastinate then do it later with the time pressure motivation" very frequently gets sabotaged my anxious depression "you'll fail anyway so don't bother." So I end up worrying about it the entire time the deadline is coming, feeling just as bad as if I'd already failed, while still being unable to actually start it. It's so frustrating when the positive, superpower parts of ADHD get hijacked by the comorbidities.
I feel this in my soul!! Too many years of my life have gone by unproductively because of this.
Extremely relatable
Even if my survival depends upon it
I will procrastinate until it's too late because it's is so big and daunting and then give up because it's too late and not manageable
Does a task list help? I'm trying simple solutions, otherwise I get overwhelmed again😔
This. That's it. I need to save this comment for my therapist.
When faced with an overwhelming, dreaded task, I have discovered this technique which has helped me a lot:
Do the 50% that is possible.
Then realize that there is another 25% that I can do.
Now that I am on a roll, there might be 10% more that I can do with effort and new understanding.
Forget about the last 15%. Nobody expected perfection anyway.
*saved to Watch Later
Funfact - the Watch Later playlist can't hold more than 2963 videos
... and then forget about it
@@strongpowerty9377 I reached the limit before and it's up until 5000 :') Same with liked videos, and playlists
@@strongpowerty9377 The procrastination is strong in this one!
... I'm only at a bit more than thousand videos😂
Does that make me a failure?😭😅
Omg wait really?!
The worst is when there is a large daunting project with NO deadline - but it still needs to get done...
OH GOD YES. The lack of deadlines is the bane of my existence. I WILL procrastinate something into oblivion for things that have clear deadlines. I feel this in my soooooul.
- Harley, Community Manager 🐻
Yep. If their is nothing forcing me to do it then I literally won’t do it for months or even years…
I can recall several times in my working career when management instructed me of "no deadline" with the project, that rarely did I ever see that project through to its completion; as there were always something else coming along that had a deadline to them.
Relatable, it's maybe our long-term or even life goals
If you're self employed, this is pretty much the case most of the time
There's a book called Hidden Time Wealth, and it talks about how using some secret techniques, you can overcome procrastination and accomplish anything in life. It's not just a bunch of empty promises; it's the real deal.
Thank you for this. Tears in my eyes, seeing myself in every word. Procrastination is literally a part of my every day life😔 Both active and passive. The hardest part is doing the daily tasks that will obviously change your future, like writing that book, or starting that business, or taking that course… but what do you do when you have no deadline to Make you finally start? What can you use for motivation?🥺
Ugh, yes, I am not bringing my business forward because I literally have no pressure or deadlines. What helped me in the past were accountability groups, or a coach that set deadlines. I’m currently trying to take my own deadlines more seriously by making clear what I’ll miss out on if I don’t do the things. Not in a toxic way but with a lot of self-compassion.
A concept some like to use is to 'gamify' things. Jessica has a vid about it: How to Turn Your Life Into a Video Game. Hope it helps!
@@michaelchildish That sounds awesome! Thank you 😊
We have a playlist filled with videos referencing motivation in different aspects and contexts. Check those out and see if they answer your question! If they don't, feel free to send us an email via our Contact Us on our website with what you feel is missing from them! 🧡
Playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLvq9Tp5JZ8oATn9By12vmYZ-qaFsSYK2q.html
Contact us: howtoadhd.com/contact-us/
Thank you! 🙏🏽 I will certainly look at those. SOONER than later! 😉 Like asap! Lol
That was so wholesome! I tend to get confused over how long things actually take in general, and procrastination is a big issue in it as well, as it’s hard for me to hit the sweet spot of „close enough to get into the hyperfocus zone“ and not slide into „oh dang, now I’m totally stressed out because the pressure is too high“.
@SuperWhisk I relate SO hard!
When i get an assignment that is exciting, i can get far if I start right away, when i am still motivated, but as always... i get tired/bored and I don't want to do it anymore - even though it is something i kinda wanna do.
And then the procrastination sets in. And for every day that passes, the stress level gets higher.
Until i sit a few nights before, getting burned out just hand in an average produkt...
I will seriously convince myself I can complete a 2hr task in 5 minutes lmao
@SuperWhisk jup, that also links to the thing that prioritizing is hard as well, and I need more time for it than others do. Time I don’t have because I procrastinate. And we’ve come full circle 😅
The Tim Urban Ted Talk "inside the mind of a master procrastinator" is also really good. Procrastination regarding Tasks with deadlines, which usually result in at least *something* being achieved, even if not best work;
As opposed to a life-ruining, procrastination over your own life goals. No deadline, won't even *try*. It never happens, tragic.
Ohhh!!! Thanks for sharing!
That is a great Ted talk! Love it
Fr, he somehow managed to encapsulate 99% of ADHD in a ted talk without mentioning the disorder, which makes me think he has ADHD lol
You are my hero for showing how you lost your tooth. I’m 32 in university and just got treatment finally but I never knew I had ADHD I just thought I was terrible! Your channel helps me feel less alone. You are amazing!
What about when you keep procrastinating on things (even things you like and get pleasure out of) because you feel stuck and your brain keeps getting drawn to faster and easier dopamine-giving sources?
I don't feel like it feels quite like passive anxiety-perfectionism driven procrastination, but doesn't feel like active deliberate procrastination either.
That actually reminds me of our dopamenu episode! Give it a watch and see if this helps answer your question, if it doesn't, let us know! ua-cam.com/video/-6WCkTwW6xg/v-deo.html
I struggle with this a lot. Tbh I’m still trying to figure out where the line is between being chemically understimulated from adhd and suffering anhedonia from depression.
But yeah. The (super boring and cliche) long term solution to this is to be treating it the same way as depression, having a doctor and a treatment plan/medication, working on your physical and emotional self care through nutrition, getting enough sleep and exercise, and strengthening your support network/spending quality time with loved ones. And by that I’m drastically oversimplifying the process of helping your body produce neurotransmitters and energy the best it can, so that you’re experiencing this feeling less often. But like, f that lol, if I could do all that I wouldn’t be in this mess 😂 but I do highly recommend The Upward Spiral if you’re interested in a much better clinically researched guide to self treating depression.
But short term, I find that different things can break the spell for me as a band aid, but that it’s difficult to recognize it happening and address it head on. Like I’ll scroll my phone for hours and realize AFTER the fact that I wasted a whole free evening.
But if you’re able to recognize it in the moment and nothing sounds fun enough to bother doing, that’s when I give myself permission to do something completely exciting and new.
Like starting a new tv series or video game, or going out for takeout, or a spontaneous ice cream or whatever else. Doing a DIY project I’ve been putting off because it would make a huge mess. Dyeing my hair or doing something fun with my appearance. Do something that you’ve been resisting the impulse to do, because it was too inconvenient or messy or made you feel like a slacker or immature.
I can go to my tv tracker app, steam wishlist, bullet journal or my ‘watch later’ UA-cam videos to find all these things for myself lol. There’s always the ‘fun things’ that you were really excited about in the moment but then put off because you couldn’t do it right now. These are the things that can do the best job of breaking the spell for me. Obviously ymmv and it’ll vary a lot by the person, but if you can return to a thing that you hyper focused on before, you can often recapture that feeling of excitement and obsession.
And like, the hyper focus also has its costs! But I consider it way better than the anhedonia. The hyper focus can be the kickstart for me to start doing other self care tasks again too, you know? Inertia is so strong and painful to break.
is it like "i wanna watch this movie... but not rn!! it doesn't feel right" then you lie down and do nothing for 10 more minutes? cause same
@@oncefighting Yeah a bit like that. It's like "hey I want to play this game" but I'll scroll endlessly on x social media 1st because the dopamine is faster to access and takes less effort, but then I'll regret seeing that I wasted over an hour (which I didn't see go by) instead of playing.
Wouldn't be too much of a bother if it happened once in a while but it's like that most of the time for me and it feels like I have to endlessly trick my brain or bargain with it to get anything done (whether pleasurable or not).
But not like in a depression kind of way because I still do get fun and pleasure out of things once I can get round to doing it.
Saw an article the other day by Dr Russell Barkley on Additude the other day who talked about procrastination in ADHD as an Intention Deficit Disorder and it hit close to home.
@@HowtoADHD Thanks for your reply, I'll check out the video asap
Watching this as I lie in bed avoiding returning the phone call I missed this morning. 😂
I'm definitely a passive procrastinator. I've known for years that my procrastinating is a response to anxiety and overwhelm. If I even start to think about a task or project that causes anxiety, my brain changes the subject. It happens so automatically that it can be hard to catch myself doing it. Sometimes I can be quite productive and do tons of other tasks, but I still haven't found a great way to just make myself do the thing.
Yes same!
I just got on adhd medication and just made a dentist appointment the 1st in years! Wish me luck
I struggle with this so much! I literally failed my very last exam because of procrastination. It's kind of like... the more important something is, the more difficult it is to start. I feel so seen.
Awesome work. I'm in the process of getting diagnosed after seeing your video on "tell me you have ADHD without telling me you have ADHD" it started off a funny similarity but quickly dropped into "Oh.... oh no. This hit way too close to home to be a coincidence." Thank you for your videos! They've been a great help! P.s. I'm also missing a tooth because I procrastinated on going to the dentist.
Indeed. I'm missing a good few after a mis-spent life. I'm currently awaiting ASD final stage assessment. Meanwhile chasing up an ADHD diagnosis in Britain is currently an absurd amount of time even if you go private. I'll get that looked into later. Other things take priority at the moment anyway! Just makes me laugh, what I said to my friend yesterday:
"I like a bit of random chaos as long as it fits into my boring depressing rigid routine" 😆😆
Had to have a root canal because I procrastinated going to the dentist. I still have some of that tooth...sort of. But regardless, Let's Go Team "Maybe I Shouldn't Procrastinate In This Particular Area Of My Life Because Ow And Expensive."
Damn I need to do my appointment
can't even get a dentist in the UK - I am however procrastinating in trying to FIND a dentist for my new adopted son for when he comes to live with me in a few weeks 😬
@@AB-xu8ef I had a root canal and then procrastinated going back to get the permanent crown for 15 years. Eventually the temporary crown came off and I just had the tooth out a few months back, along with the two wisdom teeth I've procrastinated having removed for about the same length of time.
I realised about 2 months ago that I probably have ADHD 🤣
The problem with actively putting something off until the last minute is that it's usually accompanied by a wildly over-optimistic concept of how much time it will take to complete the task, and a complete disregard for anything else that could come up (or already has come up) to make that last-minute rush futile. An example: I successfully started most of my college papers the night before, but I had no idea that a 20 page paper (for an 8 a.m. class, of course :) ) would take so much longer than a 3-page paper, especially when using an old manual typewriter...LOL! :)
If you want to procrastinate less and concentrate better on studying you can study with me here.
I study for 2-3 hours with breaks in between while I keep you company
If you're interested, feel free to study with the study videos of mine
Hopefully it will be useful for you ❤
This is great. I'm always a big fan of 'Name it to tame it,' and 'Label to disable' strategies, so breaking it down as active and passive is really helpful.
Does anyone else have an issue with procrastinating even with activities that you love? I don't just procrastinate to put off deadlines and work, I do it with hobbies that I want to practise, friends I want to see, replying to messages from people I love, going for a walk etc. Of course, having GAD does not help with motivation because it makes you scared of everything 😅😑
OMG! Yes! I do this too! My procrastination spills over to things i love to do too. I struggle with IBS so thinking that may be part of why I procrastinate. Hard to want to do anything when you’re not feel good. Thanks for sharing your experience as it helps to know I’m not the only one that does/feels that! 💜
Yup. I even procrastinated replying to this comment :D
If you want to procrastinate less and concentrate better on studying you can study with me here.
I study for 2-3 hours with breaks in between while I keep you company
If you're interested, feel free to study with study videos of mine
Hopefully it will be useful for you ❤
Turns out ADHD and major depression are not a good combo for this
I'm definitely a passive procastinator and I feel exactly how you mentioned... I experience myself doing it both to reduce anxiety and because I don't feel confident that I can do the task. I end up doing the task eventually feeling really bad about my performance, not doing it at all (if it is really bad) or feeling VERY tired. Even finishing the task seems harder than if I had just faced it head on, from the beginning.
Though sometimes I procrastinate accidentally because I forget what I am supposed to do
Procrastination is the bane of my existence! There are times that I procrastinate so much that I forget the task completely and end up with real consequences. 🤦♀ This channel has truly taught me so much. I've made so many changes from the advice given here that I have so many people tell me that I've come so far in my journey with learning to live with ADHD, but I don't feel like I've gotten anywhere. 😔 I know that the journey is never ending, and I only started my path in January 2022, but It feels like a hopeless battle. I'm hopeful that continuing to watch these videos will help me become a functioning member of society in an easier, more comfortable way, or at least make it easier to understand (and explain to others) why I am the way I am. I can't begin to put into words the impact this channel has had on my life. Thank you so much Jess for all that you do for your channel! 🥰💚🖤
If you want to procrastinate less and concentrate better on studying you can study with me here.
I study for 2-3 hours with breaks in between while I keep you company
If you're interested, feel free to study with study videos of mine
Hopefully it will be useful for you ❤
I’m procrastinating right now by watching this video😭
You are literally doing gods work.
Thank you so much for the support! 🧡
I've found that fighting my procrastination urges is counterproductive, resulting in a lot of self-criticism and self-hatred but not much productivity. So instead, I worked out a way to leverage my procrastination tendencies. Whenever I encounter something I want to do instead of what I should be doing, I can procrastinate doing the thing I want to do and put off procrastinating the thing I should do. This will transform something I'm very adept at (procrastination) from a liability into an asset by procrastinating my procrastination. It's the perfect solution because it plays to my strengths!
At least, that's the theory. I'll get around to testing it out one of these days.
"I'll play that video game later"
I love your videos. They have helped my husband understand me and my son so much more. Thank you so much for having this channel
You're welcome! We're so glad it's been able to help your family!! And thank you so much for taking the time to share and let us know. Stories like this truly keep us going and to keep doing what we're doing
I’m on the path to being diagnosed, after being labeled a problem child back in the 70s. Many traumatic years later, I’m now 48 yo and watching these videos I’m like woah. Thanks so much for your hard work getting this out there, also you have the brightest most sincere eyes I’ve ever seen, like an angel. The wonderfulness of your inner self really shines through. 🤩
Im excited for this video...procrastinators blame themselves when usually they arent able to acknowledge the obstacles standing in their ways.
They really are. Or view procrastination as this moral sin when in reality... procrastination CAN be good and healthy, just like it can be stressful and unhealthy. There's a lot of gray area with procrastination and isn't as black-or-white as I think a lot of us believed.
Definitely am an active procrastinator. I spend an excessive amount of time thinking about and sorting out a project in my head. Usually the project is so fine tuned before I ever begin the actual work that the whole task can be completed without backtracking or redoing parts as those who just jump in and start "doing something" will experience.
2:10 For me it’s not so much about “Active procrastination” as much as it is a desire for Instant Gratification and utter sustain for work.. Anyone??
Hi there. I just wanted to come and say that this channel really pushed me to get diagnosed finally. I was 32 and decided to do medication because of your videos. You changed the stigma around medication for me and ultimately changed my life. I didn't know how bad my adhd was until those symptoms were lifted. The brain fog, sluggishness, fatigue, insomnia, difficulty waking up, losing train of thought in conversation, overstimulation, sensory issues, emotional dysregulation, executive dysfunction and on and on and on. Getting diagnosed, getting on meds has truly changed my life. I'm less anxious and show up as a better mom and partner and now I even text people back gasp! I've been busy building a business and did more in the first month on meds than I've done in 10 years. My sincere gratitude for your informative videos. I didn't watch because I suspected I was but because my nephew presents typical adhd symptoms and your videos on the inattentive type and that girls present different really struck a cord and I recognized things within me. I am so thankful and grateful for your help. It's changed my life. ♥️ And I'm sure so many more lives xx
I am also recently diagnosed..struggling w finding right meds. How has that been for you?
@@sallycoiner8725 hi Sally. It's been really a journey. I am in south africa so we don't have Adderall etc. My doctor started me on the lowest dose of concerta for 2 weeks which got me to 2pm and nothing more. He then increased it to a higher dose which was good. But for days when I go to class I have a retilan booster which takes me until about 11pm. But then I take forever to sleep. I find if I wake up in the mornings and go back to sleep I'm foggy so when I'm up, I get up. My nephew and niece however are on absolutely different meds to me and to each other. So it hasn't been a difficult journey for me but my niece has been on several different ones and on Risperdal to bring her down at night. I'm lucky to have a doctor that knows me from about 12 and I'm 33 so he knew what I needed for who I was and who I am now if that makes sense?
I end up chronic procrastinating but when deadline almost touched, shoot hits the fan !
And i look back at quality of work and sigh "that could have been done much better"
I feel like sometimes I procrastinate because the thing I have to do bores me to tears. I don't really want to do it, so I don't. Other times, I procrastinate because it is complex and I need to get some kind of actionable plan together that I can act on. Typically, for me, the act of putting together the plan is exciting and I do not procrastinate that once I have a good starting point. But, I will get bored with actually implementing the plan. I would rather delegate that to someone else so I can go back to planning the next big thing. One of my old co-workers called me the 'Idea Man'. I came up with the ideas, the rest of the team implemented them. It was a good fit for my brain.
same!!
I might be procrastinating about leaving the house to do the stuff I have to do today, but I clicked on the notification for this video right away!
Btw, I've lost two teeth and, uhh, might be losing a third one soon because I can't really afford to fix it and also having panic attacks at the dentist scares me. I'm sorry you lost your tooth, but thank you for sharing because now I feel a little bit less bad about losing mine.
Ahahahha that's SO relatable though!!! Best of luck with errands!
So I suspect I suffer from OCD , was never actually diagnosed ( soon soon ), but I wanted to say that - thank you ! A lot of the information you offer helps me too !
It's unfortunately not well know, but about a third of people with ADHD also have OCD. I'm not sure what the rate is the other way around, but the point is that a lot of people have both and will only get diagnosed with whichever set of diagnoses are more obvious to the clinician writing the diagnosis. In general, people with OCD shouldn't take stimulant medication, as stimulant medication tends to increase anxiety. But, in the case of situations where the anxiety is being caused by ADHD symptoms, it's entirely possible that taking a stimulant will result n less anxiety and less OCD tendencies. But, that only gets explored if the clinician identifies the coexisting conditions.
“Work before play” x “The work is never done” = “Never play!”
I used to do a lot of active procrastination when I was in university and I didn't understand *why* I had to clean my entire house before I did any schoolwork. The benefit was my house was clean but I would leave my work to the last possible minute. I just went with it and accepted that I had to do this, but I deeply wish I knew I had ADHD earlier (I was diagnosed at age 31, many years past university). Sigh! Thanks for the video ☺️
Wow, I really love the video game style graphic of the Wall of Awful growing! It really captures how fast tasks grow out of proportion in our minds and also get "stale" as we lose any initial motivation we had. So certain tasks I *try* to do asap, like calling people back, because for some reason I hate doing that -- so I have to do it BEFORE I THINK ABOUT IT. Like don't give myself a chance to get anxious about it, because that wall grows QUICK!
Well at 42 and after months of procrastinating, I've finally phone my doctor today to make an appointment to see if I can get a referral to be assessed for ADHD, I'm somewhat nervous but so glad I've finally taken this first step.
i saved this to watch later 7 days ago, then had to rewatch it 3 times in one sitting to hear everything you said because I was playing a video game and browsing reddit while watching the video..
Procrastination is one of those topics that I feel like I've read about a thousand times - but this video taught me something new about it!
I love how well explained and energetic your videos are, they really help me identify my own flaws related to ADHD
Damn I used to be an active procrastinator and I never knew what it was, or how to put words on it, or why my current procrastination felt like it was very different both in feeling and outcomes even though it looked the same. Turns out I changed from an active to a passive procrastination style. This is soo eye opening
Another brilliant video you just explain how we PRIORITIZE to a even greater understanding! 👏🧠
"There are advantages to procrastination" YES! Thank you for saying this! Procrastination isn't a moral failure, it's a functional thing that we do because there are tangible benefits. Sometimes those benefits are very short-term and not helpful for larger goals, but they're benefits nonetheless.
To be fair, theft and lying are also things we do because there are tangible benefits, and those are clearly immoral. Whether or not there are benefits for a course of action has no relation to its morality or immorality. Let's hope everybody can supplement the self-awareness gained by watching this channel with real study of virtues.
The active procrastinating I've been doing a lot more lately. I actually have been switching it out with some of the passive procrastinating. It's helped me a lot actually. I can actually get things done and also when I want them to be done. Learning how to deal with ADHD has been quite the journey but I'm finally starting to find my way
I always prograstinate when packing my stuff for school or for holidays. I always do this last minute or day. The fact that I'm the complite opposite of my dad when it comes to this. He is always pissed when we start a trip. Furthermore he often says to me (and my brother too, he has the same problems as me) that I always forget something at home, only because he would forget things at home if he would pack his stuff last minute.
i can relate to your dad. i moved to a different country after school, so trips to see my family are long and infrequent. it's a source of anxiety to know that if i forget something, e.g. a present for my mom, i can't just turn back around and go get it since that would make me late for the flight. or even worse, if i do forget something important, like my passport, i risk missing out on seeing my family, losing money spent on flights and genrally making myself and my relatives feel sad and disappointed
packing in advance helps ease that anxiety because I'm able to double check i've got everything i need and i know that even if i forget something when i pack, i still have time to notice it before i have to leave
I do exactly the same, I use the previous hours to plan my pack in my head, but I only get to it when it's one or two hours before the trip. I just can't do it so early, it feels forced and useless.
There have been times when procrastinating actually worked in my favor; such as something comes along where my peers urge me to 'get on-board' with something trendy; or with investing time or money into something. The procrastinating side of me would keep delaying 'getting on-board.'
Days, weeks, or months later those same peers would lament and regret the actions they took, as it turned out to be wasteful or detrimental for them. But I avoided the waste and personal detriment as a result of procrastinating with 'getting on-board.'
This is incredibly relatable, but figuring out if it’s active or passive procrastination doesn’t really help me with the initial problem of - how to stay on top of my life and actually get things done on time. Because to your point, once you need to involve other people and tasks start getting more complex, you can’t just actively procrastinate and expect to succeed anymore. 😫
Thank you for talking about this. This video is extremely validating and helps me articulate what’s going on to people and jsut understand what’s going on with me.
I love these videos.. I struggle so badly with this, and it's helpful for me to know there's not just something wrong with me, it's just how I am.
Feel so heard and seen when i watch your channel! That wall that keeps adding up was something I visualized as a kid and it made me anxious but I couldn't share with anybody. Still officially undiagnosed at 35 but I know ADHD is what I and my daughter have and we are constantly labeled clumsy, chaotic, lazy indecisive etc. The struggle is real!
"Which makes us lose a tooth" man I have lost 3 teeth since covid started-_- its nice to see I'm not the only one who has dental issues. My favourite thing about this channel is how you make me feel like I am not alone anymore ♡♡
Oh also icklenellierose did a parady song called procrastination about 10 years ago and it is still one of my favourite songs haha
During the last months I cried multiple times because of my teeth... Thank you for sharing that you struggle with that as well! I haven't lost one so far but used to be bulimic and still can't stop smoking, also it was sooo harddd to start taking good care of my teeth and also learn what type of food or drinks are good / bad for your teeth and when to brush etc. Sadly, my parents didn't teach me much about dental hygiene and I am still learning about this as an adult woman
I am very good at crastinating. A professional crastinator. A pro crastinator.
None of that semi-pro crastinating here. Elite level crastinating.
hahahahaha omg this is hilarious I love it!
😂😂😂
OMG. I am a procrastinator in both ways. I am a middle aged woman who is just understanding my ADHD (it wasn't diagnosed until recently) and your channel has been a life changer for me. You are fantastic. I.e. I started a bullet journal which didn't make sense until I saw your video about bullet journals. Great work and thank you!
Watching a new video by you is a priority! It could never be procrastination.
Self sabotage is a real problem.
Is it just me who gets super anxious from those capcha “I’m not a robot” things? They always make me do at least three of them since I’m bad at processing that kind of information.
Seeing that Wall of Awful grow, and that it was repetitive copies being pasted on top made it extra scary for me.
I'm actively procrastinating now by watching this video, and then leaving this comment. Its something that ive always done, and its how ive managed to get to this point in my life and career.
I have recently been diagnosed wit ADHD (im 38 years old), and this was discussed during my psychology sessions, made me feel better about it.
To me, the most damaging component with undiagnosed ADHD is the development of Maladaptive Schemas and the subsequent unhealthy coping mechanisms that come along with it (from constantly letting people down by not living up to your "potential" and then feeling like you are lazy and useless, Also feeling like something going to go wrong because you make too many mistakes).
I'm wondering if this is something you have discussed in your videos anywhere? If not it might be something worth looking into. Happy to give advice and my personal experience, just email me anytime.
im an active procrastinator , i get really good grades most of the time and i barely get any work done because i always do everything last minute , so everytime my friends ask me how i get good grades, I usually dont know how to answer and I just tell them that i use my phone most of the time , they never believe me !
What about procrastinating planning doing things that are fun, because you know you're such a procrastinator and you feel the back log of all the things you need to have been doing, that you know you don't have time to stop and have fun, so you just work more? Been in a loop like that for years. Feel so aware of my long undone todo list that I can't expend more spoons to make myself coordinate having fun. Also the shame of not getting stuff done is a huge block for allowing fun time... PS I love love love your channel, been following it for years
Exactly!
The points about passive procrastination are well made, its such a crazy huge part of my life and very anxiety driven. I was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at age 26, but its something i started noticing happening i think ten years prior. But family and teachers always kept blaming the video games, calling me unmotivated. I have spent so many hours watching and reading articles and videos about motivation, how to keep it, how to increase it, small tricks to get things done never realizing it might be adhd, autism i started suspecting earlier when i did a group project with an autistic classmate and i recognized every symptom he described. But your videos on ADHD are really helpful in putting into words what i struggle with. So thank you for putting effort into them even when you have a bad brain day and struggle
My problem is I have chronic illnesses and procrastinating doesn’t work as well as it use to. There are some days I feel good and some days I feel like crap. Then I over do it and I have to wait a few days to feel better. It sucks.
Yeah for sure, having additional challenges that zap resources like energy definitely having an impact as well. Thank you so much for sharing because it's definitely something important to keep in mind 🧡
The fact that I watch this video so I don't have to go shower and clean my room is .. very representative of me
Procrastination is my default setting in life.
I delay every single task, no matter how small. It's like my brain refuses to ever consider the present moment a good time to do anything... 😬😅
I wish i had found you earlier, i am so stuck right now, surrounded by people but nobody willing to talk with me, im a talker thinker and cant get it out so dont know what to do about stuff unless i talk about it, i struggle with adhd and my partner doesnt care to much about what would help me, so alone sometimes, wish i could just chat about stuff and move on
This video is brilliant! Yes: I have _my own_ video to edit, but I'm sitting here watching a video that you _already_ edited and uploaded (at the last minute?) instead 😅 I am also having dinner, so maybe it's NOT procrastination? Or... _neutral_ procrastination?? 🤪
this is so mind blowing, to think my procrastination is what stresses me out the most and now i can use it to my advantage- thank you so much
Hi Jessica, I think you should do an AMA on r/ADHD
I agree! I would participate! I'm on reddit a lot and frequent r/adhd and r/ADHDwomen, but I'm also subscribed to r/AMA.
Awwwww, we did once upon a time! I'll pass it onto the team! Though if we do an AMA again it will likely be after the book. Writing a book and keeping up a regular video schedule and running a team is... time intensive. 😂
this was sooo helpful. now i know i am the worst kind. i got over it in college but now that i'm 75 and have adhd it is horrible. i think i've figured out that if i perceive a possible negative outcome in handling an issue then i keep putting if off. if i had someone to 'hold my hand' and talk me through it with encouragement then i think i could do it. i used to call a friend to be with me on the phone while i opened an envelope that i just looked at for over a week because i was nervous about what was inside.
What you're calling Passive Procrastination is what I have called, for years, "Guilty Weekend."
Unrealistic expectations + late start + unclear priorities = guilty weekend!
Hi, I recently found your channel. This is very accurate to what procrastination actually feels like. I feel like I'm both active and passive.
Thank you for this. This is something I wasn’t focusing on needing to forgive myself for. So validating/informing, to boot! Keep doing everything you’re doing. It’s helping so many. 💛
Midway through the video I was thinking "huh I'm a passive procrastinator now but back in high school I was an active procrastinator" and then you just said how teenagers are more likely to be active procrastinators and I'm just sitting here like wth lol you're a mind reader!
Throughout middle school and high school, I was known to my friends and classmates as someone who procrastinates but still gets good grades all while being in honors/AP classes. Now I'm a 7th year undergrad student with barely passing grades and a ton of failed classes. This video really enlightened me because I didn't even know there were different "types" of procrastination! All this time, in my college career, I've just been thinking about how I can't study and do assignments the way I used to before and I get so hellbent upset with myself over it especially since everyone I've reached out to basically says "just don't procrastinate."
I started to lightly think I had ADHD like 4 years ago but never really acted on it. Just last week, I finally saw a therapist and she scheduled me to have an ADHD assessment tomorrow! Overall, thank you for creating an educational channel on ADHD. It really pushed me to finally get help :)
Amazing video-this content was totally different from what I was expecting!! Thank you! This actually let me cut myself a break. I've always been a chronic procrastinator, but I believe it was more of the active kind. I've gotten a little better over the years but sometimes i still choose procrastination on purpose, much like you describe here. Thanks again, awesome video :)
You are doing best work. I feel you on that tooth, haha! Thanks for having the courage to put your struggle out there for the rest of us.
I’m not even joking, I was going to do gaming and procrastinated to watch this video
I love this video! My mom used to get so frustrated with me because I would put off writing and reading assignments until the night before they were due. She found it even more frustrating when I’d get them back and they’d be high grades. It’s totally different with other subjects though, like the ASL class I’m taking as a Foreign Language for college. I study for about an hour (sometimes a little less) every single day and then do a final cram the day of class because I know I can’t put it off. In HS I would do my math homework during writing time in my English class because I knew I would never do it at home and my teacher knew I was one of her top students so she would just check in and make sure I was on the right track with my assignments that I could work on at home with the TV or radio playing. It took me years to develop this habit though, since I pretty much avoided turning in math homework in middle school and my first year of HS. Due to that history, I actually had to show my mom my completed homework at 16 before she would let me take a nap and recharge after school 😂
Thanks for this video ❤️ I feel like this is an aspect of my adhd that really messes with my life, but I’m so ashamed of it because I know people will think it’s just laziness
I love your videos! Every time I hear you explain ADHD I get more and more comfortable living with it. It feels good to know that we are not alone. Thank you so much for doing these videos.
HOW TO ADHD!!! I love that channel name. Im both ADHD and I procrastinate ALOT. My whole life literally revolves around procrastination. Almost everything is procrastinated that can possible be. Im the king of procrastination. Im a pro procrastinator! I would have written this sooner but Im just now getting to it. lol
I would say I'm passive procrastinator. I didn't even know there was a name for it but the image of those walls building up the longer you avoid something is so true! Even if it's something I've done before I have this thought provoking anxiety about doing the thing and I either binge watch TV or go to the gym or do laundry. I never really thought of it as another way of avoidance until my therapist mentioned that when I told her instead of doing my CE credits for my pharmacy tech license I decided to clean my bathroom which was another thing I put off. It was easier to do something physical with a lot of movement rather than do something that required more mental thought. I also noticed that I work myself up and have a lot of physical anxiety symptoms (also stimulants exacerbate my physical symptoms) and once that thing is done I feel a huge release and get a lot of energy then crash a couple days later. If I don't get myself that worked up and eat right and do something physical and don't isolate myself I can do the thing much easier.
Great video! I was actually recently thinking that it was a mix of anxiety and perfectionism that was causing my terrible procrastination on my dissertation. Knowing that there a 2 main types of procrastination and which one I suffer from is great to know. Hopefully after I get help for my anxiety, passive procrastination will happen less often.
Maybe I could learn to try active procrastination for smaller tasks/projects, but ideally if I were to do that I should plan out a generous guesstimate as to how long the task would take (maybe put the estimate time on trello or my calender or other productivity/planning app?).
tysm for making procrastination awareness fun and understandable. As one who has it daily, it helped me see it in a positive light and work to live with it not shun its existence.🤗
This is so me. Starting anxiety and adhd meds soon and I really hope they help.
Procrastinate Mindfully, new favorite phrase!
Hehehehe glad you like it !
This is amazing ur videos help me so much into understanding things
Thank you!
I paid a huge ADHD tax recently after I hugely misjudged when my "panic motivation" would kick in to enable me to finish packing up my apartment. Out kicked in much later than I needed it to, so I wasn't finished packing when my movers arrived, and I had to schedule additional last-minute movers the next day for $$$. Totally sucked. Very expensive lesson to learn.
This has happened to me many times and each time I thought I had learned! Now my greatest fear is my PhD procrastination because I definitely can't leave it til the night before but I can feel my brain definitely wants to....
I was a passiv procrastinator for a long time, now a days if I feel that I m not getting myself to do what I planned to do, I switch to my "do something mode" , it does not matter what I do as long as I do something, and that's works for me. It helps to overcome self doubts and works against the feeling that I lost a day
That tooth moment was comedy gold haha. I learned much more than I expected to from this video, such as that my entire experience of education to MSc level I was actively procrastinating. Can I actively procrastinate a PhD thesis? Probably not but we'll see XD
My favourite way to procrastinate is by doing housework. If I'm struggling to sit still and focus on something it's a good way to get moving and do something more practical, but it also feels very productive. Doing housework usually feels like a chore and can be quite draining but if I feel like I'm doing it instead of other work it can actually feel enjoyable. Plus, when my space is cleaner I tend to focus a lot better on other things and feel more motivation to start difficult tasks. So it's kind of a win-win.
Thank you so much for this! I've been waiting for a video on this for so long...
I've never seen it like that. It blew my mind thanks you! This year I'll do active procrastination, I'll be less perfectionist and won't feel burned out for once!
Thank you, housework has been an issue for me this year. I'll have days when I do some, but even after those days, the wall of awful seems higher. For the last few years, I had a viable routine. This year the routine stopped working then a few urgent issues got in the way, and I got way behind. The further behind I get the more daunting my wall of awful is. This is both active and procrastination at this point.
I feel like you know exactly what it is like to be a procrastinator, as if you've procratinasted to make this video and everything in life. xD
Jokes aside, if you've completed something, in the end doesn't matter much if you procrastinated or not, i mean, you've accomplished the task right? Just make sure your life don't go downhill, do your best, and you can live till the 100th year possibly.
I'm about to be 30 and have suffered with teeth issues too xD
We learn to live.
Glad to know that there are plenty of procratinators like me face-blue-smiling
Nice content! Subscribed!!
Awwwww thank you so much!! We're glad you're enjoying the content
I’ve been passively procrastinating making a video for my “business account.” Now that family obligations have passed, I can actively procrastinate until this weekend. Saturday is filming my video and chopping up my old video for TT, Sunday is finish editing and schedule the posts. Thank you for making me feel less guilty about waiting!
I’m so glad I found your Ted talk and your UA-cam channel. I also have ADHD btw. You help me feel less weird, you made me feel like a person. I always get treated as “special needs kid” from my parents. I struggle in keeping friends and lotsa things I hated myself for. Finding this channel help me understand myself more and realize that I am not alone. Thank you from the bottom of my heart :)
i had a huge project…okay a 15 page assignment…due last sunday. i started off with active procrastination, confident in my abilities and knowing i work best under pressure. but once i tried actually starting the assignment 4 days before the deadline i realized i wasnt as “skilled” as i thought. the task was so overwhelming and complex but also important, i couldnt figure out the hows and whens etc and it drained me so much. i ended up thinking about it constantly while doing nothing actually productive (actually writing the thing). i literally spent the next days sitting in front of my computer thinking about how i really have to start writing…but never actually did, i was almost like frozen? it was only the day before the deadline that sense of urgency kicked in in a way that got me panicking and ahaking constantly. got really anxious about failing, worked 23 hours straight (i literally started at 1am because i couldnt sleep because of the assignment) and handed in a half way done assignment…mental note to self: never do that again. ever. (thats what i said the last times thats happened too)
when you said the thing about the tooth and the dentist.... im bawling right now it hurts and feels good to know that somebody else went through this, is going through this....
Procrastinating on difficult work projects as an adult is what made me get depressed. I kept passively procrastinating on everything. Sometimes the deadline was within hours! And every time I did less and less and later and later until I just didn’t even cared anymore. The urgency kick never arrived. That’s when I knew something was wrong! I’m now doing better, back to actively procrastinating! 😅
Thank you for this one, I never felt like the active procrastination was what I was doing. It seemed off for me when people descriped that ADHD habit. Also that about the results in grades is really reflective of how I go through life.
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Don't worry, I was supposed to _watch_ this video last month xD
Thank you so much for this video!! Honestly this video makes sense of my struggles so much that I want to cry-