When I get fast food, I don’t eat the fries until I get home.
That’s interesting. I wonder if I can trick myself into doing stuff like that as a form of punishment. Generally I find myself unable to move so I just stare into space. Sometimes I have a hard time even moving my arms and legs to drive home from work. Or to get out of the car once I’ve parked out front. How do you manage to start?
It’s a practice. It’s about bringing your focus back to the present moment. When you’re sitting in your car your head is probably swimming in the world of what happens when you step out. But you’re not out yet, you’re in your car. Breathe and remind yourself of that.
Think of it like restarting your computer when it freezes. You’ve overwhelmed your system, it’s easier to reset than try resolve the issue through direct control.
I don’t force myself to start right away. After years of “well I guess I might as well” I now more-or-less automatically start washing dishes, doing laundry, and tackling yardwork when my mood dips. I still need to make the conscious choice to tackle bigger jobs like mucking out the basement or turnjng the compost.
