Is spring fever real? Perhaps it is a moniker for springtime allergies. Can I get sick from it? Someone on UrbanDictionary.com mentioned it was someone who is sexually aroused.
OK. That one I actually get because it is mating season for woodland creatures.
dreaming of spring
spring fever?
Memories of sitting while my head lolled on my school desk. Birds chirped, sun shone, flowers bloomed, etc. The weather was warming and I was stuck in the classroom.
I had no interest in following the teacher’s lecture. Why couldn’t I go out and play? Gah! Drool collected as I daydreamed of doing something else. ANYTHING ELSE!
excuses excuses
Heck, I was probably like that more often but spring fever seemed like great justification for being in the clouds. In winter I could say it was too cold to focus. Fall, the changing leaves mesmerized me. (see a pattern here?)
I believe spring fever is a catchall for being distracted. The reality is when I have an important task, I procrastinate instead. Why do today what I can put off till tomorrow?
What are some of my favorite diversions? Hmmm…
- clean (stop laughing)
- read
- paint
- sit mindlessly playing solitaire
- sleep
- shop
- eat
- listen to music whilst doing something else so I can’t complete task effectively
- blog
diversion denial?
The above list looks fairly benign. Seriously it is comprised of essential activities. (yay! another excuse). It is only when the diversions are abused past the point of distraction they become a problem.
Someone recently told me distraction is the biggest untreated addiction in the world. Geez. That really hit home.
I don’t consider myself to have an addictive personality. Usually once a dependent behavior is discovered, I am able to let it go and move on. The end.
avoiding pain
If I am not an addict, I realize these diversions say otherwise. Why continue? Actually, I am breaking the monotonous cycle of listening to a book on audible while playing some other witless game just writing this post.
Is fear holding me tenaciously by the ankle? What do I need to do that my subconscious wants to avoid? It all comes down to money.
the dreaded budget
I am not great with money. I don’t always feel the pull to spend everything except when stressed. Clothing, makeup, household items flow freely into the house as I fight off the funk.
I promised my husband, my therapist and myself to sit down and redo my personal monthly budget. Setting up a 401k was a big step but I needed to dig deeper and step further.
Last week I swallowed hard and pulled up my bank account. Unfortunately, I forgot the password and user name. I disabled online access after 3 failed attempts. OOPS. My bad.
diverting distractions
Now that I am super hyper aware of my predicament, I must act. I don’t mind owning my transgressions and their subsequent consequences.
diversion or another reason to wear amazing hats?
In this case, the consequences are that I haven’t reestablished a passcode for online banking or set up a monthly budget. Let’ face it, I am really hurting myself worse than anyone else.
Maybe I will take my list of favorite distractions and allot time for each of them. It is not so much about denial as time management.
I like painting and don’t want to stop. Giving up laundry sounds awesome but it still needs to get done. I can limit listening to music or books on my phone. Gotta eat, but don’t want to eat to avoid unappealing tasks.
I could also use frivolous diversions as a reward for completing something I dread. The kinks are not completely worked out yet. I am open to suggestions.
What are your favorite diversions? Do you suffer from spring fever or something more ominous? If not, how do you avoid the pitfalls of such a hidden addiction? Please feel free to share your insights.
