Inaction paralysis is not analysis paralysis.
Analysis paralysis occurs when you overthink a decision and this over-thinking keeps you from making a decision. You are paralyzed. You have looked at all of the options. You can’t decide. You feel anxious. You don’t want to make the wrong decision. This experience can show up in the familiar decisions of our lives, like choosing a movie to watch, to complex decisions such as whether you want to take a promotion you have been offered.
Inaction paralysis comes when you know there are many things to get done but you can’t get yourself to do even one of those things. It’s as if you are standing still, frozen. You don’t feel scared. You don’t feel unmotivated. Oftentimes you feel frustrated.
If you have ADHD or ADHD-like characteristics, you are familiar with the following:
- ADHD mental paralysis which occurs when you can’t figure out what to do next.
- ADHD choice paralysis is similar to analysis paralysis, there are too many choices and you can’t decide on one.
- ADHD task paralysis is similar to procrastination and it occurs when you feel unmotivated or nervous, even scared, to make the wrong decision. You distract yourself by doing something else or sometimes even staring off into space.
At first glance, “inaction paralysis” can seem redundant, which is fair because when you have this experience, you feel as if taking action…any action…isn’t an option because you literally feel paralyzed.
So how do you get out of this so you can start moving one thing forward? Here are some things to consider (and in the moment know you will not want to do these things; you will feel resistance).
- Make yourself stand up and go for a walk.
- Walk around your office/home. Leave your desk. Leave your sofa. Go outside if possible especially if it is sunny outside.
- Breathe
- Box breathing while walking is a great way to increase the oxygen in your blood.
- Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, breathe out for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts.
- Box breathing while walking is a great way to increase the oxygen in your blood.
- Write and choose
- Give yourself a 5-minute time frame and start writing everything down (i.e. a Brain Cleanse). Then take a look at your list and choose one thing. That one thing might even be you looking at your calendar to schedule the items you wrote down on your list. Using your calendar as your to do list is a great way to manage your expectations and your time.
- Do a body check
- When was the last time you ate?
- When was the last time you drank water?
The key is to notice when you are in the middle of inaction paralysis and if nothing else, just stand up.
