Help me unpick why I can't get down to work

[blanketeer]

I work from home, almost exclusively. I'm constantly battling with my productivity.

I've always struggled with this. Through uni and all the jobs I've ever had, even when I was office based.

It's like I just can't work properly.

I've been able to get away with it somehow, but I just know I could be much more successful if I just tried properly.

Why am I like this ? It's so frustrating.

Can anyone relate or does anyone have words of wisdom ?

ADHD maybe? Is there anything else that you have difficulties with?

I hear you. I work from home and am supposed to be studying courses to further my business but just cannot settle to anything more than watching my eldest play ratchet and clank and scrolling online.

Because you’re on MN instead? 😁

ADHD is also a possibility.

I'm with you OP.
I've struggled with this since smartphones became commonplace. I got very addicted to mine when the babies were tiny and slept loads and i hate how much of my time is wasted scrolling.

I'm notoriously bad at paying bills and dealing with any paperwork. I always have been.

My husband deals with all of that kind of stuff, as I always put it off and forget.

I also could never return a package if something was wrong with say something I ordered from Amazon. I would never have the mental energy to read through what I needed to do to actually return an item. I would just throw it away.

Waste of money, but I would find it too much effort to deal with.

I'm good with appointment for the kids etc. although I do need to double check/ triple check with providers and doctors if the appointment was far in advance to make sure I had the right date.

I get bored of routines. I'm a crammer. Everything last minute when it comes to exams and work presentations. I can't seem to get my arse in gear unless I'm literally about to fail everything.

I'm everywhere, wasting time. Horus and hours and hours.

I struggle with this too and it all became clear when I was diagnosed with ADHD last year.

I use the pomodoro method and that definitely helps. Basically time box things by setting a timer for 25 mins and after that you can take a 5 min break. More info here:

https://www.psychiatryraleigh.com/post/the-pomodoro-technique-for-adhd-benefits-how-to-use-it#:~:text=Yes%2C%20it%20can%20work%20quite,on%20task%20and%20avoid%20procrastinating.

Sometimes I find it so hard that I end up yelling "Alexa, how long is left on the timer?!!" It does help me knuckle down though.

I have asked my psychiatrist about ADHD because I do this too. His conclusion was that I don't have ADHD, it's just my personality. I always leave stuff to the last minute, procrastinate when busy and sneak in under deadlines with minutes to spare. I've given up trying to change it and just trying to embrace it. I'll procrastinate doing stuff I like and then just make sure I have lots of chocolate on hand for the panicked evening of working up to the deadline.

Your executive functioning sounds a bit wonky. Certainly ADHD come to mine from what you said (can get inattentive ADHD too so don’t need to be hyperactive).

Have you got a work space separate from your general house, I found I could work much better when I had a specific space that was work only.

I never turned the TV on when working, and got to my desk at my start hours, and left at my finish with a lunch every day away from the desk.

I had regular coffee breaks.

I also ran a bullet journal every day, so I could concentrate on what needed to be done, and would book time in my diary on outlook to do it. And then I did it.

You sound like a classic ENFP Personality type tbh (exactly like me!)

The issue is, because I know what I'm like- I have to give myself 3 times longer to do stuff. This means I block hours and hours of time out for tasks that could be done much quicker. As I know I'll spend have of my time fucking around. It's so inefficient, as I could have more time for things outside of work, if I could just work a solid chuck of hours.

You sound exactly like me. I suspect ADHD. I’ve struggled my whole life with procrastination, forgetting about homework despite having a planner, last minute essay writing, paying bills late. I just put things off, I don’t mean to but I file things away mentally with a ‘I’ll deal with that later’ and never circle back to it.

Also, I’m fairly intelligent but have struggled with every job I’ve ever had. I feel really slow at picking things up compared to other people and find it hard to retain information, unless it’s useless trivia or conversations and events from years ago then I have the best memory in the world.

Wtf. I'm ENFP ! How did you know !

If this is true then I think pretty much everyone must have ADHD including me!

OP, I think what you experience is pretty common, I find it really hard as well so do most people. I usually can only really settle down to work if I am under a huge time pressure. I did this all though uni and got a first so I wonder how amazing I'd be if I could actually focus at will!

Same here. WFH is a blessing but also a curse in some ways. Boredom, distraction and general stircraziness are constant!

Things that help me are being well rested, having sorted/ready in advance, having a clean, comfortable work space (not the sofa) and ideally getting a bit of fresh air at some point.

OP have you read this? I found it helpful https://waitbutwhy.com/2013/10/why-procrastinators-procrastinate.html

This is actually a good point, there is so much to distract ourselves with these days. We changed internet providers last year and had a gap with no broadband for about 10 days due to delays in getting the virgin man out and I got way more done than when I had the endless internet and streaming to distract me!

@blanketeer i think we might be the same person!! I’m the same & it’s getting worse. If I’m busy doing a task like cleaning I’m fairy focused but sitting at a desk is a battle for me. I’m easily distracted, procrastinate and achieve very little. I can relate but can’t suggest any solutions.

When I do go to the office, I'm always chatting to someone and going for coffees etc. I just can't seem to knuckle down. I wish I could.

At home, I find breaks difficult. I find it easier to just work and finish. I feel like when I have breaks, I can't get back into it. Anyone else ?

Of course when under actual time pressure, I can just work and have breaks and get back to it fine.

Haha cos absolutely everything you listed is 100% classic ENFP (and it’s something im fascinated about so know a lot about)

im the biggest procrastinator and do my best work when its last minute. However, im always seen a a top performer at work. Im terribly disorganised, put off opening letters and getting round to paying bills, my life admin is rubbish!

I hate detail and am at my best when I’m working on things that actually excite me. Then I get bored of them and rarely actually finish the task.

to rectify all the things above, you just need to force yourself to do them. You might hate them but there’s no magic pill to change the way you approach it.

ENFP’s have many many brilliant characteristics though that others don’t have (hugely likeable, great conversationalists, enthusiastic, fun etc)

This is such a common issue you are not always. Eat That Frog! book has some useful techniques

I don't do a single bit of work in the office. Well, that's not true because today I looked at a document for 10 mins. I spent the rest of the time faffing around and am now going to go and look at it now and probably go to bed far too late when I could have just done it earlier. I also don't take breaks very often because I find myself distracted and wondering off to do something. I also hate having half an hour between meetings because my brain just goes 'nope, you can't get anything done in half an hour, don't even bother trying'.

My DH has suspected ADHD and he finds listening to brown noise on Spotify helps block out distracting thoughts and he can focus. Especially if the task is dull.

@Jennyjojo5 I am INFP an I affected by the same issues?