Are you a “procrastin-eator”—someone who heads for the refrigerator when they’re not hungry to avoid doing a task you don’t want to do? Many dysregulated eaters use food as a way to put off off-putting activities rather than dig in and get them done. 

The internet abounds with instructions for ending procrastination, yet it remains a major problem for many folks, especially those who carry an ADHD diagnosis. Not that you need to have ADHD to procrastinate. It’s characterized by: “Having uncertain goals, feeling overwhelmed, experiencing difficulty concentrating, holding onto negative beliefs, experiencing personal problems, becoming or being easily bored, setting unrealistic goals, being afraid of failure, making excuses.” Though some criteria are a bit vague, you get the picture.

Here are some useful thoughts on how to overcome the emotional discomfort caused by having tasks to do from How to Stop Procrastinating. If you view yourself as someone who procrastinates, consider why you do it. Generally, it’s because thinking about doing a task brings up uncomfortable emotions. Think of a task you’ve put off and without any judgment identify the reason/s for your discomfort. Are you afraid of failing, dislike doing things that aren’t fun (or don’t give you a big hit of dopamine?), don’t know where to start on a task, have a great deal to do and no energy to do it, or did you decide long ago (likely unconsciously) that you find certain tasks distasteful and you’ve been holding onto that perception without examining it? Or, of course, all of the above!

Consider too the function of turning to food to put off doing something. Voilà, it gives you something to do. You can convince yourself you’re hungry and doing something valuable by feeding yourself. Plus, food brings you pleasure so you get to choose an activity you perceive as enjoyable over one you perceive as unenjoyable. But, what ifyou change your view of what generates pleasure? Remember that perception drives this whole decision-making process. Change the perception, change the outcome.

To be clear, we’re talking about two separate issues here: procrastinating and eating when you’re not hungry, and it’s best to address them separately. First, see them as disconnected in your mind: 1) You can do a task or not; 2) You can decide to use food or not to avoid doing a task. The goal is to break the mental link between the two and practice not turning to food when you don’t want to do something. In fact, you can break the connection and stop avoidant eating even if you continue to procrastinate. Then at least you’ve reduced your problems from two down to one!

Best,

Karen