Why it took me so long to post

I have had the idea of this blog since July of 2022. I sat down and signed up on wix in September of 2022. There I sat as friends, nights out, nights in passed me by. It wasn't until last night, 1/21/23 something sparked and set on fire in my soul and my fingertips could not wait any longer. Honestly, my procrastination has grown to be my biggest insecurity. I have come up with so many creative ideas yet have failed to execute so many of them. I want to promise myself to never do that again. I've had a pile of clothes and fabrics I've been wanting to dig into and play with for two years. I wish I was lying.

I know procrastination is common and spoken about often. There are now, new applications or ads online that try to convince you their company will solve procrastination for you. (I remain skeptical over any business//i'm convinced I can solve my own problems, anyway).

Why do we procrastinate?

• You might genuinely just not be interested in the task (ex: homework)

• Lack of confidence in your abilities

• Fear and/or anxiety

• Perfectionism

• Distractions (friends, substance, technology etc.)

A study from 2016 showed that procrastination does decrease as you get older and is most prominent through the ages of 14-29. Researchers believe that the decrease of procrastination can be connected to drastic changes/development of perception of self, personality, and time. There are also coping skills that develop over time. One thing that stuck with me after my little research is that procrastination does NOT equal laziness. You are not lazy! Procrastination is just linked to so many mental health challenges like depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and ADHD.

This was really comforting for me to find out because, funny enough, while I was in school learning about mental health, I had heavy negative self talk when it came to procrastinating on homework. My biggest thought was “why am i so lazy… I hate that I am lazy with work.. Why am I like this? ". I was so frustrated because I did have genuine interest in the tasks. However, I let my perfectionism and any distraction get in my way.

Tips on how to overcome procrastination:

• Just start, don't think it

• Break down the bigger picture into puzzle pieces, one piece at a time

• Be more organized

• Increase motivation, decrease ANT (automatic negative thoughts, I will use this acronym often)

• Remember you are not lazy, there are mental obstacles in your way that are 100% normal and common

(McLean Hospital, 2022) https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/procrastination#:~:text=The%20issue%20can%20be%20linked,well%20as%20poor%20impulse%20control.

Last night I killed all of my fear and anxiety over sharing my thoughts online. I focused on the intention instead which is simply to express myself, and hopefully inspire others along the way. Im proud of myself for killing my ANT, increased motivation, sitting down and diving in. I didn't let myself overthink, get distracted, or talk myself out of it. So here I am. Finally.

My biggest passion in life is brain health. I am obsessed with the mind and how it functions. How, for a fact although we may be the same species, not one human will ever think the same as the other. It's fascinating to me that each of our individual lives construct our perspective, and I love hearing about them. I also find it intriguing when people are still stuck in their ego and are ignorant to the fact, and think they're always right. It's almost like meeting a rigid mop thats stiff and wont let the fabuloso, or knowledge in this case, seep through. I feel determined to get every rigid mop i meet the water it needs to allow the fabuloso to flow. It also raises the question “what is right and what is wrong”? I will further debate in another blog entry (am I saying that right? I'm not sure, I'm new to this whole thing).

Thank you for being here. I hope you have a beautiful morning, day, night, whenever you're reading. Don't forget to share with friends and loved ones if you think this can inspire them.

Eileen M.G.A.