An endless spiral – how stress leads to distraction
Allow me to take a moment to give you a glimpse into the two ever-contentious halves of the mess that is my life.
I am a 20-year-old college student in an intensive, accelerated program that allows me to graduate with two degrees in four years. I hold a managing position at my school’s weekly student-run newspaper, a job on campus, and work as a freelance photographer. Needless to say, I am busy.
On the contrary, I am a chronic procrastinator who uses distractions as a coping mechanism for stress and anxiety.
When I get busy with work, I get stressed. When I get stressed, I can’t focus on work and procrastinate. In turn, my work piles up causing more stress. I am stuck in a never-ending loop of stress and work.
This is not an isolated issue. Evidence shows that this so-called “anxiety-procrastination cycle” is more common than we may realize.
“There are deeper forces than our phones and the web at work – and those forces led us, in turn, to develop a dysfunctional relationship with the web.”
An article from Psychology Today discusses the connection between these two things, which can show up in a variety of ways. In essence, when we become anxious about something, we put it off. This is why for people who suffer from anxiety, procrastination is all the more prevalent.
This is a concept that was explored by Johann Hari in his book, Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again. In exploring why many people struggle to maintain focus on one thing at a time, he learned that the development of ADHD symptoms is greatly increased when a child experiences trauma. Although on a different scale than my experiences, this information does help us connect mental health issues with decreased attention spans.
Great! This means that your procrastination doesn’t (necessarily) mean you are simply lazy. But what now? Admittedly, I don’t know the best way to go about regaining control of your time. However, I can tell you where I will be starting:
Plan your time more intentionally. Blocking out periods of your day for work and relaxation can eliminate last-minute stress and help set expectations in your mind of when things will get done. In addition to this, it is a good idea to pick a place where you can work without distractions (i.e., the library).
Eliminate distractions when necessary. The aforementioned step is pointless if you retain the ability to scroll through TikTok. During times designated for work, leave any common distractions behind. Just bring what you need to work efficiently.
Hi! My name is Peyton McKenzie.
I am a professional graphic designer, photographer and content creator.
I encourage you to explore my portfolio to get a better idea of the work I create. If you are interested in working with me or have inquiries of any kind, don’t hesitate to reach out over email.
