Melbourne

It's going to sound completely backwards and dumb, but you just sit down and put fingers to keyboard (pen to paper) and write. Even if you just write "blaaaaaaaaaaah"

You have to force yourself to just do it. I find it helps to visualise it in my head as an actual brickwall, and envision myself taking it down brick by brick. It helps me do chores.

That, or a hard deadline (like an inspection) will scare me into doing the chore regardless of the thickness of the wall.

Encountered this feeling before.

As daunting as it is, make a start and slowly work at it bit by bit and you’ll get there in the end.

Take the first step and plan or start on the work.

For me personally, I break it down until it's manageable. Seriously, it can be broken down into something as small as writing your name and date at the top of the page.

Also a good reminder for anyone and everyone is your first attempt can look like a toddler drew a picture for Mummy and Daddy.

I usually do the pomodoro method, which is doing a task in 25 minutes with a 5 minute break. Or I go "okay I'll do the task for 5 minutes, if after that 5 minutes I can't do it anymore then okay, I'll try again next time" most of the time, I fly past the 5 minutes and end up doing it. But I totally understand the paralysis feeling.

I have significant recurring difficulty with this. Meds help me lift my baseline, but aren't everything. Some tips that have helped me regardless of meds, and could apply to anyone is - find something fun or rewarding about it. Even if it means turning it into a game (break it down into the smallest task and ramp it up like you're smashing the early levels of a game). Envisage how relieved you will feel when it's done so it feels like a worthwhile goal - though don't get stuck in the fantasy! I also recommend others tips here about wearing something different/creating a separate space for work, and writing out tasks and dot points by hand.

Usually what has the most impact, though, is the adrenaline of a deadline :(

Just start, with anything at all. Make a bullet point list of what to include, ideas, connections, a flow chart, sketch; it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t have to be in computer. I find that writing by hand seems to be easier way to break the block. It feels less official?

Recommendation 2 is gonna sound kooky. Put shoes on. Or whatever you would normally wear out of the house. Fosters some kind of subconscious ’doing something’ mode.

My old saying was 'the first word is the hardest".

You got this just write a few down and rest will manifest.