
Distraction, then, is an unhealthy escape from bad feelings. Once you can recognize the role internal triggers like boredom, loneliness, insecurity, fatigue, and uncertainty play in your life, you can decide how to respond in a healthier manner. You can’t control how you feel, but you can learn to control how you react to the way you feel.
To overcome procrastination, try to sit with the sensation: fear (often veiled as task-avoidance), ickiness, dissatisfaction, and the urge to escape. We want to feel good, so sitting with discomfort and hard cognitive work can feel like a serious strain. Like anything worthwhile, this takes practice and conscious effort.