I have a task to perform. I have to phone up a shipping company and arrange for a warranty return to be picked up.

However, I’ve been sitting here for about 2 hours now, looking at the box, the phone and the website with the phone number, and whatever I do, I just cannot seem to make myself pick up the phone and dial the number. I have no idea what I’m worried about, but I just seem to seize up at the idea of doing it.

This sort of thing seems to be happening more and more recently. There are things I need to do, that I know I can do, I just can’t make myself do them. To the point where I’m not sure I’ve done anything productive in the last month. I’m really good at Spider Solitaire though.

Depression?

+1 for depression

That’s the interesting thing. I do suffer from depression, on and off, but I’m pretty sure I’m in one of my “off” phases at the moment. I’m sure there is some deeper psycological meaning behind this that could be pored over in detail, analyzed and strategized, but I am really getting bored of that stuff now. I just wondered if anyone had experience of this specific kind of thing, and had a way to get around it.

I get days like that. But then I also get hyper days where I manage three day’s work in 14 hours, so it balances out nicely. Whenever I can’t face whatever tasks I need to perform, I take the dog for a long walk and that seems to clear the head (before I had a dog, I’d go for a quick blast on the bike).

I’m the same. When I’m at work and have to phone people regarding technical issues it takes me a long time to get the courage to do so. I also have to time it so that people are out of the office too. I hate being like this and have no rational explanation as to why I’m like this. I will always opt for email if I can.

I have no problem phoning people at home though. 😐

hmmm….sounds kind of familiar

Yes, for a long time.

Cat Aids

Cat Aids

But I haven’t licked a cat in ages.

Whilst I also find Spider Solitaire a good distraction, Freecell is a bit more addictive!
I have been on my laptop all morning trying to do about two hours worth of reports, can see it taking all day….
Good luck!

That does sound familiar to me I have similar “lack of motivation to do almost anything” days where I put off certain very achievable tasks…

But I don’t think it’s depression, I think it might just be my brain telling me not to risk it all going tits up, in your case you probably know full well that the Package might get lost by the carrier, the recipient might not honour the warrantee etc, maybe it’s just your subconscious trying to put off the inevitable all ache when things don’t go to plan…. You’re a pessimist not a depressive, now Cheer up – and post your broken toy!

Maybe you just can’t be bothered?

I bet you take the lift to the 1st floor too! 😆

I don’t like the phone that much either, never have. I put it down to communicating better when I can see somebody’s face, or perversely preferring email or text as the meaning is there and hopefully clear.

I especially don’t like talking to people I don’t know on the phone, but that is all part of being foreign, there are a lot of strong accents in this country, I have an accent, and sometimes it just hinders communication.

So in conclusion, you are completely normal, carry on.

It’s probably an anxiety issue linked to you depression and even though you in an up phase you’re probably still subconsioucly worried that the phone call will ‘go wrong’. I get this all the time. I make sure that i have everything i need to say written down so i am confident that i won’t stall and appear more confindent to the person on the other end of the phone.

I even don’t like being on the phone to freinds or family, it usually works out ok in the end though.

Go for a walk to clear the head then go for it, good luck.

Nope, it’s not a pessimism thing. I’ve done this before. I know it works. I don’t have to worry about the thing getting lost, as I’ve already got the replacement. The people on the other end of the phone can’t shoot me (as far as I know), the earth won’t open up and devour civilization. I even know that I can be perfectly agile and charming in a professional conversation. I’m not sad, or angry. I just can’t make myself go through with it. It’s absolutely infuriating, and that is starting to make me frustrated and depressed again.

It would be easier if I was drunk. Maybe that’s the way forward.

EDIT: ads, you is probably right. It’s a nuisance that it seems to touch so many aspects of my life.

16stonepig,

I think you will find that is perfectly normal behaviour.

Why do you think we are all sitting here wasting our time writing responses to your question?

In my case it’s because I’m supposed to be sorting out the allotment.

I often find myself reluctant to make phone calls, especially to people I don’t know and or if they’re calls about important things.

Could you try disassociating the actions involved to start the phone call (picking up the phone, dialling the number) from the act of making the call. If it’s the “talking to someone on the phone” bit that’s causing your block then if you can separate that act from the dialling then you may be able to dial the number and once it’s ringing you’ll hopefully feel too committed to back out.

It’s hard to describe the tricks I try to play on parts of my mind that are causing blocks, but I think that it comes down to distracting them for long enough until they can’t stop what you need to do. Sort of like how Douglas Adams described flying – fall, but distract yourself so that you forget to hit the ground…

I enjoy phone calls like that; I see them as a challenge to my resourcefulness.

Problem with the Yeti frame was there mate?

Come out tonight and ride from Crowthorne, with a pint at the end of the ride with mates.

I do this often too – I can sit and look at a job on my desk for day after day knowing its an easy 15 minute job but I just keep putting them off – usually until the customers calls in an angry mood!

I’ve no idea why I do it.

16stonepig – Member
I’m really good at Spider Solitaire though.

I recently discovered that Spider Solitaire is in fact just regular solitaire with pictures of spiders on. WTF Microsoft?

Anyway- yes, I recognise the feeling exactly. I can’t give you an informed explanation of what it is or why it happens but it’s incredibly frustrating- not just because of the effects, but from being able to realise how ridiculous it is. Usually I find the irritation eventually outweighs the anxiety, but not always.

Perhaps you’ve developed some kind of social phobia or anxiety and stress-related problems. Maybe you should go to your doctor and ask to be referred to a psychologist or psychiatrist. Mostly though they might want to give you pills, which would perhaps just ease your symptoms. Or maybe you could be referred to someone who specialises in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. You could also try counselling or the trendy sounding life coaches. Some websites I’ve seen seem to have some people who sound like they could be of help. But I don’t think you can get them on the NHS though.

16stonepig – I seem to get the same feeling. Personally I find that it’s worse when I’m doing something for the first time/ I’m not quite certain what to do. I can sympathise that it’s very frustrating but I’ve yet to find a way round it.

Minesweeper for the win!

I think you have to focus on the fact that once you’ve done the task or made the call, that you know you will think “that was easy, what was I worried about?”

Do you find that it get worse this time of the year when it is dark and rainy?

Shit this has worried me quite a bit, I thought I was just a general pessimist/prevaricator…
Turns out I may have depression and anxiety…

Where/who do you go to get properly diagnosed and treated for this sort of thing?

I get this all the time, I think in old money it was called lazyness, more recently procrastination, the solution for me is to give myself a bit of a metaphorical slap and JFDI.

Where/who do you go to get properly diagnosed and treated for this sort of thing?

First, go to your GP. They’ll talk about what prompted you to go see them, and will then discuss options with you. They may want to give you pills (mine did, but I preferred not to take them), and may want to refer you to a counsellor, or psychiatrist, or some sort of self-help. My impression is, though, that getting decent psychiatric help is difficult on the NHS, unless you’re a complete basket case.

Oh – if you do go and explore this, be prepared to be completely honest, even if it’s a little uncomfortable. If there’s anything you don’t want to answer, tell them, rather than just making stuff up.

Funny isn’t it? I was happy to ride 45 miles on the bike last sunday, but got home and had complete inertia when it came to doing the washing up and ironing a shirt for work next day, easy tasks, but so easy to put off.

procrastination is your subconscious mind rebelling against feeling trapped by life/circumstances

I was happy to ride 45 miles on the bike last sunday, but got home and had complete inertia when it came to doing the washing up and ironing a shirt for work next day,

Nothing weird about this, I think lots of us are guilty of selective laziness.

Used to love gardening but you’d have to put a gun to my head to get me out there this year. Biking makes me happier so I do that instead.

OP – maybe try taking the tablets, they do work for some people

This:

“procrastination is your subconscious mind rebelling against feeling trapped by life/circumstances “

plus this:

“a pint at the end of the ride with mates. ”