I don't know how to get going.

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A big problem of mine is that I find it very difficult to start projects (or whatever you want to call it). Cooking, cleaning, studying, shopping, doing laundry, throwing away old food etc. Today, for example, I know that I have to study physics and I know that I have to clean. I'm very aware of it even as I'm writing this. I just don't know how to get going. I've been sitting here for a while telling myself (out loud) that I have to clean and that I have to study (I have to retake my physics exam in 5 days because I found it so difficult to get going last term that I didn't pass the finals). I'm really anxious about my studies and I know that if I don't study today I'll get even more anxious. I actually managed to start cleaning about two hours ago but I got distracted and sidetracked and now it's really difficult to start again. This really annoys me. It's really frustrating and I don't understand why it happens.

Does anyone know how to deal with this?

Sounds like a classic case of procrastination to me. It happens to me very often

Well, I don't think there is a special way to cope with it. You just have to clench your fists are resists the urge to do something else. And when you finish, you can reward yourself with doing what you enjoy. This should give you a little boost of motivation.

And speaking of which, I should really be working right now. Sigh...

Hello.

I experience exactly the same thing.

I think for now probably you don't have to worry about your cleaning etc that much because your exam in 5 days' time is the most important. It won't wait for you. So, that's your first priority.

Do you feel that you have to do everything perfectly? I often feel that way and that's what's stopping me from getting started because I feel I have to plan perfectly to get things done perfectly. But it's so hard to plan perfectly and I can't even get started because of that. So, my solution to that is to try to do things rather casually without a rigid plan or a high goal. For example, if my room is very messy, I just start casually tidying up a portion of the room randomly then maybe leave the rest to the next day or so. Once you get some done and don't feel the pressure, you feel motivated and more comfortable to continue. It's important not to put too much pressure on yourself. No too high expectations. No perfection. That's how I sometimes manage. I'm sorry if this all is irrelevant to you.

The sme thing happens to me.

It's called "autistic inertia".

I think I know the feeling very well unfortunately.

If what you're feeling is similar to my experiences, it's something I personally would suggest is more than procrastination. In situations like yours, I've felt that I simply had to clean up before I could get anything else started. Simply because the clutter stressed me out too much. Thinking about cleaning and doing it properly, then overwhelmed me and stressed me even more out, adding to my growing anxiety. Then I started to think about how I couldn't get started on whatever important project I was doing, because of the clutter that had to be cleaned up and the circle would start over.

For me this could go on for hours, usually my fear of not completing the project became greater than my anxiety of starting the project or cleaning and forced me to do something.. Often I ended up grabbing a beer to get the job done, to reduce the the build up anxiety. Really bad habit I know.

I dont' know if you have a diagnosis but I've recently been diagnosed with aspergers and overlapping ADHD(without the hyperactivity=ADD) And I learned that mutch of the anxiety and feeling of being overwhelmed with organising stuff is an inherent trait of having ADD. You might want to have someone check you for this? When you have it without being hyperactive most of the restlesness and excess energy boils up inside, causing a lot of anxiety as well.

I've started on medically approved Ritalin now and it seems to work for me and my productivity. It's pretty great.

Best wishes