Procrastination and the internet is destroying my life.
I procrastinate. which is two words but a whole lot of trouble. I have an addiction to the internet that is destroying my relationships and my career. To give you context, I am a teacher who (because he procrastinates) has a 70 hour work week (because do everything at snail speed) and still fails at his job miserably. I spend too much time watching youtube or googling trump news or even playing video games. I neglect my responsibilities, my work and my relationships.
I don't keep up with my marking. I struggle to teach adequatly. I'm doing a piss-poor job of even maintaining a decent nights sleep. I start my day at 3am, I sit in front of a PC procrastinating and doing very little. I put off my marking to the last minute because I don't enjoy it and my working relationships suffer because I can't be organised or efective as a teacher.
My colleagues hate me. My students really dislike me (Which is something my TA tells me often) and now I just want to fall back in to selfarm and lock myself away.I'm a failure and it's really getting hard to silence the overwelming negativity.
Help me 7Cups, you're my only hope. Please tell me the magic way to stop procrastinating.
@MrTeacher
Your addiction is destroying your relationships and career . I can relate to this and it is a problem for many. Have you thought about limiting use or tapering? Finding listeners who have succeeded in balancing their relationship with the Internet could really help. You could also go to a professional who could help in multiple areas of your life. We are the only ones who can do the work to change our problems for ourselves. Hope the best for you.Let me know how things go. 😊🌻🌹🌸🌼🍀🌞
@MrTeacher
I have been having a similar problem, too. It is worse when I need the computer and internet for certain necessary tasks. Once I get on, I lose self-control and avoid actual work. Would you have the option to remove the computer use entirely, kind of cold turkey?
@MrTeacher
I would help but you literally just described my life, except I stay up way too late.
I've tried quitting cold turkey and turning off the PC but it's hard when you need it for work. I tried blocking software and things like that but I end up disabling them when it I say "Oh I just need to find X". X turns in to a 4 hour speedrun of some game I played once.
It's tough
@MrTeacher
Addictions like anything else are generally a way to cope and bury something. If you struggle with depression and self-harm thoughts, it may be a sign of undiagnosed/untreated mental illness.
+ Have you been diagnosed with mental illness? Are you on meds?
+ If you are on meds, they may not be working and you may need to try another combination
+ I would highly, HIGHLY recommend therapy and psychiatric evaluation.
+ Have you struggled with previous addiction? You likely need to go at this problem the way people seek drug/alcohol treatment
+ As someone who loathes procrastination and does everything ahead of time but knows many people who procrastinate, I find they most often do it because they dread their tasks at hand. Have you fallen out of love with your career? Do you find yourself wishing you were doing something different? People's lives and values change through the years. It may be time to consider a career change.
@MrTeacher, I have a "Procrastination Journal", and I find it helps me curb these efforts. It's basically a journal saying, if you procrastinate today, you have to put money in savings/donate it. I find that it's very helpful, as I enjoy bieng able to use the bit of money I DO have, and even if I do procrastinate a bit, then I'd be able to know what I considered to be procrastination and prevent it the next day. I hope this idea helps you as much as it helped me!
Sweetheart,, throw your phone and buy some good books to read on based of your choice Whatso you like
This is no excuse; no bullshit,, This is straight to point You are enough mature to understand things
Please throw your smartphone Buy a very simple phone, enhance your productivity, Do gym.. Leaving without cellphone is hard But it's good really..I'm 40 yr old teacher, my student loves me; i used to do same thing, Now i utilise my time in useful things, Who helped me? My inner person helped me than my partner Because i don't wanted to give headache..So do it Fast From Right Now
@MrTeacher I too have always been a procrastinator but now more so than ever with depression. Often I play video games for 2 hours each day as a distraction, but in the long run it makes me feel worse.
Maybe you can get a timer and set aside some completely focused time and then after the timer rings you can take a timed break and then restart.
Hey MrTeacher
So procrastination is a pain avoidence mechanism of your brain, somthing i know personally all too well. For me meditating really helps, before i sit down at the computer, i meditate for at least 10 min somtimes 20-30 (there are many apps to help) and i focus on accepting the stress.
Basically when you precrastinate you brain is trying to push the stress away, but because the root cause ( like marking papers) still needs to be done, the stress keeps coming back, so your brain tries to avoid it more, in an endless loop
With meditating, hopfully you let the stress come to your mind.......accept it and move through it, therfore when you begin, your not trying to avoid the unavoidable.
A lot of people dont like the idea of meditating,but for me its been a hugly positive thing
goodluck