Procrastination / Anxiety: A strange way of doing nothing

If someone pays attention at the time this article was written, it will become even more evident that it is not just another day for me. Neither is this just another article, because in it I have tried to capture the essence of something that has been bothering me for quite some time.

Embarking on a task with the intention of mastering it is one thing; tackling it under the pressure of a deadline is an entirely different challenge.

I had started working on a project for my university course on Parallel and Distributed Systems, a subject I have come to tremendously appreciate, when for personal (and as it happens academic reasons), I got a little bit sidetracked. At that point, what I had started working on with joy and satisfaction¹ turned to be a brand new source of stress and disappointment.

The strangest thing is not that I saw my efficiency drop, because at the end of the day, this happens. (un)Fortunately, we are not, and hopefully we will never be, machines, so our emotions can have a toll on us. What troubles me the most is not focusing on that specific task (mentally) prevented me from doing anything else wholeheartedly.

This, extremely short article, is for anyone that might find themselves feeling that way: If you can’t avoid it, deal with it. It certainly does not seem as simple that moment, but in hindsight, there is not much more to it. Maybe start by doing something you prefer, but avoid staying inactive.