Have you ever had something important to do, but instead of starting it, you suddenly want to do something else?
Scroll your phone. Reply to random messages. Tidy something that does not even need tidying.

The problem is the longer you avoid the task, the heavier it starts to feel.
Psychologically, this links to avoidance reinforcement.
What that means is when a task feels stressful, the brain looks for relief. The basal ganglia can reinforce that avoidance pattern because avoiding the task temporarily reduces stress.

So when this happens, use ‘Reflect Honestly’ to move from avoidance back to momentum.
A simple trick to make that cerebral shift is to ask:
“What is the smallest possible step I can do right now?”
Not finish the whole thing. Just start.

Open the document. Write one sentence. Do two minutes.
Because action creates momentum faster than overthinking ever will.
And once movement starts, the task feels less unknown. The basal ganglia stops reinforcing avoidance, and your reward system starts getting evidence that progress is possible.

That is why even two minutes can change your state.
Get this right and you stop feeling stuck, rebuild motivation and become far more productive under pressure.

Put this into practice and you’ll be a way more confident and higher performing version of you, what’s not to love about that!

To “Book Bruce” for an engaging keynote speech, or to find out more, go to the contact form on our website LINK IN BIO

#psychologyfacts #psychologist #psychology #stressrelief #stressmanagement