Benjamin Hendricks

I often get panicky and stressed at the thought of the never-ending nature of simple tasks. Laundry and dishes will always pile up; food and other stocks will always need to be resupplied; bills, insurance, taxes, and other paperwork will always need to be redone; I will always need to work to get money; etc. All of these things seem to stress me out significantly more than they do other people, and the fact that I'll never truly be rid of them is almost terrifying - and has been since I realized it in my teens. When I've had difficulties with similar things in the past, I've been able to adapt by changing my perspective on the issue using "rationality" theories. For example, I used the theory of hyperbolic discounting and picoeconomics to change how I dealt with cravings and impulsive thoughts. Sometimes, rationality-based techniques can also help. Goal factoring (and aversion factoring) helped me to change my habits for the better. The problem is that I can't find anything similar to help with this issue - my difficulties with mundane responsibilities. I've heard of a few arguments/solutions that would help, but they seem insufficient: Everyone has these chores, so everyone has the tools to deal with it - I've heard this in a few forms, and it doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Just because an experience is common doesn't mean that everyone can do it. For an obvious example, walking is pretty common, but many disabled people are unable to do it. People with debilitating psychological issues may be unable to function without medicine - or at all. There's always a possibility that something about my brain makes my experience unusual, unpleasant, and - possibly - unfixable. Just trick yourself, fake it 'til you make it - A couple people have recommended that I just try to power through these chores, turning off my brain for a while. They suggest that if I do this enough times, I'll get desensitized to the stress and everything will be fine. Aside from the obvious sil