I realized something weirdly true about myself recently:
I’m almost always bored—except when I’m avoiding something I’m supposed to be doing.
The second I have a task looming over me, especially one I don’t want to do, suddenly I’m not bored. I’m scheming. I’m procrastinating with purpose. I feel strangely alive. It’s not that I’m relaxed. But I’m definitely engaged.
Avoidance, it turns out, solves my boredom problem.
It gives my brain just enough tension and stimulation to feel occupied. It creates a little story: “Here’s the thing I’m supposed to do, and here’s all the clever ways I’m dancing around it.” It’s not great for productivity, but it’s a brilliant (if subconscious) trick for staying mentally busy.
So I’ve been thinking: if avoidance is secretly feeding a need for low-stakes drama, engagement, or control… maybe I can work with that instead of against it.
Here are some strategies I’m trying—or at least laughing about trying—as I figure out how to hack my own avoidance habits.
1. The “Thing I’m Avoiding Today” Game
Each day, I name the thing I’m most likely to avoid. I write it down at the top of my planner like a little dare.
Then I watch myself not do it. I see how long I can avoid it. I track the creative ways I procrastinate. It turns into a game. Eventually, doing the task starts to feel like winning.
2. Productive Procrastination Is Still a Win
If I’m going to avoid Task A, I might as well get something else done in the process. That’s the magic of productive procrastination.
I keep a list of low-effort, still-useful tasks I can do when I’m resisting the big one: emptying the dishwasher, answering a quick email, scheduling an appointment. It keeps the momentum going—and sometimes, once I’m in motion, the dreaded task feels easier to tackle.
3. Fake Urgency Works Surprisingly Well
Avoidance creates urgency—just not the kind that gets things done. So I’ve started manufacturing urgency instead.
I’ll set a 10-minute timer and try to do as much as I can before it runs out. Or I’ll tell someone, “I’m sending you this by 3:00,” just to create some external accountability. Sometimes I even make up tiny consequences, like “If I don’t finish this by the time the tea is steeped, I have to fold the laundry I’ve been ignoring for two days.”
4. Micro-Rebellions with a Purpose
There’s a rebellious energy in avoidance. “You can’t make me” becomes the vibe. So now I try to use that same energy to do the thing—just to mess with the universe.
I’ll tell myself: “No one expects me to do this now. So what if I did? Just for the drama?” Somehow that flips the script. The task becomes a little act of defiance. Against what, exactly? I don’t know. But it works.
5. The “I Did It Anyway” List
This one’s simple: I keep a list called “Things I Didn’t Want to Do (But Did Anyway).” That’s it.
It’s satisfying to look back and see that I’ve tricked myself into productivity more often than I think. It’s a reminder that I can redirect that avoidance energy into actual progress.
Final Thoughts
I’m not saying I’ve cured procrastination. But I do think understanding the function of avoidance is half the battle. Sometimes, it’s not about laziness or bad habits—it’s about needing some kind of stimulation, some kind of edge.
Avoidance gives you a little hit of that. But so can curiosity, playfulness, and a well-placed timer.
If you’re someone who thrives on low-key tension but also wants to get stuff done… maybe try turning the dance into a game you can actually win.
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