Do You Procrastin-Eat?
Filed Under: Overeating
13 August 2021 | Written by Xenia Ayiotis
Picture the scene.
Scene 1
The deadline for your tax returns is looming. You’ve postponed. You’ve cleaned your desk and tidied your drawers. If you delay any further there will be penalties. So, to sweeten the bitter pill you decide to have a cup of tea and cookies and then you will get stuck into it.
Scene 2
You’re working late at night, everyone’s asleep or watching a series. You feel a bit sorry for yourself, so while you are working on the report, a bag of Doritos accompanies you.
Scene 3
You come home from a challenging day at work. The house is chaotic. The first thing you do is go to the kitchen, stand at the counter and eat.
What is procrastineating?
According to the Urban dictionary, it is the consumption of food undertaken to avoid a dull or difficult task.
Why do we do it?
It’s human to struggle with procrastination. In our minds, the impending discomfort of beginning the task needs to be avoided at all costs. We humans are wired to avoid pain and seek pleasure. The brain actively looks for comfort and pleasure. Many of us struggle with the cycle of “task to be done” – urge to eat and delay – followed by guilt.
Where does eating come in?
Eating is pleasurable. It distracts us. It’s a pleasant pause. It gives us momentary relief and comfort and helps us escape the unpleasant emotion about what needs to be done. Sometimes eating is also a way we transition from one task to another. We are experts at immediately gratifying an urge to delay! When it comes to procrastineating, food is the reward for having to do something unpleasant. In a way we are taught this from a young age. How often are children rewarded with food for doing well at school or given a lollipop after receiving an injection? Some of us procrastinate by eating, others have a cigarette, some surf the internet. We all have a “thing” and if eating is your “thing”, chances are you’ll eat as avoidance.
What can we do about it?
Acceptance
Accept that procrastination is part of our human condition and that the way we avoid and delay tasks is by eating. Understand the role that food plays in that moment. Most of us naturally avoid difficulty, procrastination is a protective act.
Allow
Allow yourself time to procrastinate. Give yourself permission to eat if you feel the need to delay by eating. The more we tell ourselves we shouldn’t the more resistance is created.
Truth
Tell yourself the truth about what you are doing. Name what you are doing and why you are doing it. You could even say to yourself “I am eating as a way to delay starting this report”. Sometimes just giving something a name can ease the pain of it. The truth is, that at some point, the job needs to get done.
No Judgement
We tend to blame and shame ourselves for not being disciplined and for procrastinating. We also add another layer of guilt around the procrastineating.
Replace the judgement with curiosity. This can reveal a lot more than criticising yourself. You may discover what lies underneath the behaviour.
Enjoy
Can you enjoy the delay instead of beating yourself up and feeling guilty? Make the most of it! Savour every moment and every bite. Pay as much attention to the food as you can. Try not eating with more distractions. This way, you will get maximum pleasure from the experience!
Urges
Expect that you may want to delay further or to eat more. Notice the urges, they will come. Can you be with them? Be still, they will come like a wave. If you simply notice they will pass. Your mind will also create thoughts and justifications. Notice the thoughts.
One tiny step
Take one small step towards the task. Once you get started the discomfort will be there and this is the most difficult part. Keep doing it in small little chunks.
Acknowledge
Once the task is completed you need to enjoy that sense of accomplishment that comes with completing a difficult task, regardless whether you have eaten or not. This is an important part of the process because the brain likes to receive a reward.
Wishing you well,
Xen
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— Jeanette, USA
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