Tomorrow never comes?

[tomorrowchild]

Why put off til tomorrow what can be done today? In my head I'd love to live by this rule but reality is rather different! Tomorrow I will sort that cupboard out, or spend an extra 15 minutes putting on some makeup to look and feel nice, or go for that walk along the river. But not today. Today I will waste the day. Doing the bare minimum to get by. I know I'm not lazy,not when I get going. But getting the motivation is so hard right now and I don't know why?? I had plans for today just tidying up/sorting out some bits. But I already feel like I know how the days going to pan out. I will waste it.its only 10.15 but I've been up doom scrolling for 3 hours when I could be showered and dressed but I'm not.As soon as I wake it's as if I've failed the day already, but the day before I'm so motivated about what I will achieve the next day? This has been going on for months (years??) I can't break out of this vicious cycle. Today is a write off but tomorrow will be "the day" when things (or I) change.
Does anyone else feel like this? Or indeed felt like this and managed to switch it around?? Sorry for the long post and I hope it makes sense I'm just feeling so down about the situation right now!

I'm too tired to do anything today that can be put off until it's at emergency urgency levels

I'm the Queen of Procrastination. I have to fool myself into doing things. I'll tell myself I'll just do 15 mins of xyz, then I've still got 23h45m to do nothing. Surely I can spare 15 mins... I can usually complete a task if I can get myself started on it.

The other thing I do is do anything. I might have a list of A, B, C, D... but actually I feel like doing X. So I'll do X: I'm not going to do ABCD anyway so if X is what I feel like doing then at least I've done something that needed doing.

Saying that, the architrave in my bathroom has been waiting a year for me to paint it 😆

I'm very like this. Excellent at planning lots of great things, poor at execution when its scheduled to happen "later". Currently getting frustrated at myself for my grand plans to make lots of lovely meals from scratch to stock up freezer over the winter break so it's easy to get good food in table in next few weeks when clubs etc start back. Just hasn't happened (well, not on scale I planned) The food is there - had to throw some out yesterday as it's gone off.

I even joined an accountability group last month for the body doubling experience which does actually help me but I've not managed to log in at the right times.

I have a habit tracker printed out....nope.

I think I need to focus on short term - if I want it done, I need to be planning to do it within the next hour or so, or immediately setting myself up for it -so for meal prep I need to have kitchen cleaned /counters cleared etc now so I have no roadblocks "later" when I plan to make it. In theory at least. I hate cooking so it's hard to get into it.

I do strongly suspect I have ADHD (it's in family but I'm not officially diagnosed)

Today is a write off but tomorrow will be "the day" when things (or I) change.
This mindset means you write off the whole of the rest of the day. There’s no need to feel bad about the whole day if you’ve only ‘wasted’ the morning. You can still have a productive afternoon.

It’s the same with food: if you eat a load more than you planned to and think “oh no I’ve ruined the diet, I’ll start again tomorrow” and consequently keep eating rubbish then that’s loads more calories in vs getting back on track straight away.

I can’t remember writing this post….

Small steps.

First step (after reading this), throw the phone into a bag, in another bag, in another bag, each one tied, put that bundle in a box, in a cupboard and into the loft. Stop the doom scrolling, stop the procrastinating. It's addictive.

Step 2 - don't have a todo list, call it a "done" list. Changes the thinking from negative to positive, each on gets ticked off as DONE! a little celebratory Yay, and a small release of happy hormone.

Step 3 - on the done list, have small things, "water the plants", "wash the cup" vs huge things "decorate the hallway" - small things are achievements (see Step 2 a little celebratory Yay),

Step 4 - don't go get the phone until at least Step 5, but don't doom scroll. Put the phone down, switch on the TV, radio, book - anything, break the addiction of phone.

Step 5 - have a cut off point daily for tasks, everyone needs to say "work done" for today, time to chill (see Step 2 a little celebratory Yay)

I am not saying this necessarily applies to you OP, but I also have felt like this for months (years?) referred to gp by counsellor, diagnosed 2 weeks show with depression and prescribed…

@toomuchfaff What a fab post. I love the idea of a done list. You have inspired me. I'm going to put this iPad down now, stop with the doom scrolling and do something!

To the OP, I feel like this. It's since I've been in perimenopause. Could this be possible for you?

I'm in peri and I was always procrastinating, to the point I was doing it 80% of my time even when i was meant to be working, I knew i had to do something before it negatively impacted me severely - this is what worked for me. I also deleted the social media icons (and any other icons i used to procrastinate) on my phone so I can't go on Facebook (easily), I made it difficult to get too, many more button presses to get to things so my mind has time to say STOP - do you want to do this? no, ok put the phone down! Make it harder to procrastinate!

Just to note, I'm not doom scrolling now! I'm not procrastinating, I'm delayed at airport awaiting flight home. Sometimes there is a place for the phone 😊

I love a list! I am ND and things can get out of hand unless I use my lists.

I also find it helps to give myself set times to do SFA. Today is a pyjama day. I won’t leave the house but I’ll probably do some washing and sort my nails out . That’s enough.

With regards to exercising outdoors, you need a dog.

I'm literally still in bed so......
However I do put the washing machine on a timer so it does a load and finishes at 8am so technically every morning is a win.

I have to treat myself like a toddler and put on my version 'tidy up music' and gamify things to get them done. A spoonful of sugar and all that

Another option is to reward yourself before you do the task so then obviously you have to do the task

Intense procrastination like this is often a sign of total burnout. It may be that you need a proper break to rest and recuperate.

Maybe it is peri menopause? I've never accepted of being old enough for this (I'm 41) it seems to have been like this for about a year possibly getting worse lately. I have trouble sleeping more than a few hours at a time , I have headaches frequently, a bit of low mood (as in what's the point of putting make up on/ getting dressed/going out) I wouldn't call it depression as such as I've suffered from that in the past and been on meds. Just feel abit "meh" about everything. I'd never heard of peri until I joined Mumsnet.I just assumed menopause was the hot flushes, vaginal dryness and no periods. Ive googled the nhs peri symptoms and I've even been suffering with sensitive teeth! I would never have thought that was a symptom! I've pulled myself together for today,showered,walked the dog and got a couple of jobs done, so I'm feeling a little better and I really appreciate everyone's replies

My dr sent me a link for some info, I'll find it and let you read, one of them was a checklist of 72 items, I think i had 58 and I was surprised at some of them.

Yep, could've written your post op. Thought I might turn over a new leaf in the new year but so far, that hasn't happened.

I always try to overcome this issue at the start of a new year!! What helps is a very small list of tasks that I absolutely have to do per day. If I keep the list very manageable and straightforward, I'm more likely to achieve all of the tasks rather than overwhelming myself and ending up doing nothing.

Today, for instance, need to visit relatives, take a small bag of outgrown clothes to charity shop and request a repeat prescription. If I get those tasks done today, I feel much better than when I leave stuff 'for tomorrow. '

The "just one thing" concept is good. Literally work out what is the one most important thing and just do that. No pressure. Sometimes it gives you the momentum to carry on.
10 minute timers are amazing when you're paralysed about housework too.