Shop for more stuff.

I read a good mystery. preferably, something I've already read. But after my daughter died in December and again when my father died seven months later, I couldn't read at all.

My youngest daughter does the same and had the same reaction to reading afater Shelly died.

Every other situation works with the reading.

shirley

To avoid the worst jobs around the house, I usually do volunteer work or join a new committee. Volunteering gives a positive sense of accomplishment; washing the kitchen floor just means it's going to be dirty again the next day.

I'm trying not to do that as much this fall so I can get caught up around here!

Play on the computer or talk on the phone. (Just think, by reading this we might ALL get new methods of avoidance! LOL)

My biggest avoidance method is browsing the internet - mostly looking at decorating ideas, furniture, & organizing stuff. Sometimes I read, watch tv w/DH or talk on the phone.

Same here. I can spend hours surfing when I should be doing other things.

Talking on the phone, though, actually helps me get stuff done because I can talk on the cordless and do mindless stuff like empty the dishwasher or fold clothes -- it makes the job fly by.

Going to several sites on the internet. They, unfortunately, have taken number 1 priority on my "to do list".

There are times when I'll stay up late just to get my internet fix so that I can concentrate on the house the next day.

Shirley.. Like you anything that had to do with using my head like that was out after our baby son died 5 years ago... I acutally got a lot of or actually tackling projects that I had not gotten too... but that were for the most part mindless... it gave my head a a break and my heart time to at least start the process of healing... it take a long time but each day it gets a little better.
Lots of hugs for you!

Maddiemom

I was appalled at the response to this question that I posted so many years ago... I'm much more proactive now. Clutter is exhausting, but I try to work in 15 minute blocks of time-short bursts of activity is an excellent coping mechanism for avoiding the crash and burn associated with the avoid/attack syndrome. Why did I ever think that having a lot of stuff was important?

Like cupofkindness, I work for 15 minutes at a time with a timer. That's Flylady's method. I listen to my ipod while I am working. I listen to podcasts of radio shows. I like interviews with authors, BBC podcasts, local shows, etc. I have also downloaded FlyLady's crisis cleaning podcast, and I sometimes work while listening to that.