Procrastinators Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from chronic procrastination.
Procrastination Withdrawal
Suffering from wicked 'procrastination withdrawal'. I've been telling myself for months that I was going to come into work and start into my tasks right away, but instead feel like I'm watching someone else as I come in to work and surf for 2 hours. Every single day. Well, with the help of the PA CI I was able to shorten that wasted time to about 45 minutes this morning. Since then I've felt extremely anxious, stomachache. unfocused, weepy. All, I'm assuming, from just avoiding my avoidance behavior. Crazy. In actuality my productivity hasn't really been improved, but I do realize that I made an important first step and am trying to be satisfied with that small success.
I guess just have to acknowledge my feelings that I will experience when I try to stop doing a habitual avoidance behavior, allow myself to feel them and move on anyway. I've never experienced drug or alcohol withdrawal, but have new found empathy for those that have overcome those addictions.
I'm determined to change the course of my life. I will continue the formation of a new morning work habit and see how long these bad feelings last. Any ideas - 1 month, 2 months, indefinitely?
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PA Withdrawl
It was uncanny when I realized that I had withdrawl sysmptoms- same as before in other groups.
For me, I had to go babysteps, it was better for me to consistently show up as a beginning abstinence and build on that, then to do my all or nothing usual yo yo type of recovery. Always "starting over"
Plus you would be amazed how a little thing of "showing up" everyday can do. For me is is also a 1st step of being willing to be willing to work with my hp.
I guess in AA don't pick up a drink was for me, don't "shut down" no matter what.
The longest I've gone
The longest I've gone without procrastination was 17 days - I had 'withdrawal symptoms' just like you describe, but they started to get better almost immediately and were gone in about a week, I think (I fell off the wagon because I started thinking it was *easy*, rather than because it was too hard... if that makes any sense!)
know what you mean!
Crazybug, I'm completely with you on this. I hadn't realized it was withdrawal, but I know exactly what you mean. I've heard elsewhere that the development of a new habit takes 3-4 weeks, so I guess the withdrawal symptoms will last for at least a few days :-( .