Another thing that helps me in stressful situations is to use cheap hacks to make the situation less stressful. As you note, sleep (or having one’s mind partially turn off) can be an avoidance response; the more painful or ugh-fielded a subject is, the easier it is to accidentally shrink away from it. When this is part of the problem, it helps to use whatever hacks you can to make the situation less stressful.
Along these lines, you might try:
Social support or companionship, if possible, to reduce your fear. (If you have a dog, study with your dog under the table, and rub his ears every few minutes. If you have a supportive friend or significant other, see if they’re willing to offer you moral support by checking in every 20 minutes to see how you’re doing, rubbing your shoulders, etc. You may be able to offer the friend moral support on their own ugh-fielded project at the same time, by working in the same room they’re working in and taking joint breaks).
A pleasant work context in other respects (e.g., a fuzzy or comforting blanket, if it’s cold where you are; something nice to sip, if you like hot beverages; a nice view out the window; a specific pleasant activity to look forward to after you finish your study session).
Listing the causes of your discomfort, in writing. For me, this hack is the miracle, although I’m not sure if I can describe it well enough to work well for others. The idea is to list out the causes of my uncomfortable feelings, in as concrete and detailed a manner as possible, but without judgment. (Just describe it like you’d describe the causes of someone else’s uncomfortable feelings.) Then, I take a good look at the consequences I’m afraid of, the traits I’m ashamed of, etc., but still from the outside, without judging myself or adding to the negative emotions. And then… the ugh field goes away; it’s as though the uncomfortable feelings got integrated out into the rest of my brain, so that, since the feelings are already propagated, looking at the task no longer induces uncomfortable updates.
Another thing that helps me in stressful situations is to use cheap hacks to make the situation less stressful. As you note, sleep (or having one’s mind partially turn off) can be an avoidance response; the more painful or ugh-fielded a subject is, the easier it is to accidentally shrink away from it. When this is part of the problem, it helps to use whatever hacks you can to make the situation less stressful.
Along these lines, you might try:
Social support or companionship, if possible, to reduce your fear. (If you have a dog, study with your dog under the table, and rub his ears every few minutes. If you have a supportive friend or significant other, see if they’re willing to offer you moral support by checking in every 20 minutes to see how you’re doing, rubbing your shoulders, etc. You may be able to offer the friend moral support on their own ugh-fielded project at the same time, by working in the same room they’re working in and taking joint breaks).
A pleasant work context in other respects (e.g., a fuzzy or comforting blanket, if it’s cold where you are; something nice to sip, if you like hot beverages; a nice view out the window; a specific pleasant activity to look forward to after you finish your study session).
Listing the causes of your discomfort, in writing. For me, this hack is the miracle, although I’m not sure if I can describe it well enough to work well for others. The idea is to list out the causes of my uncomfortable feelings, in as concrete and detailed a manner as possible, but without judgment. (Just describe it like you’d describe the causes of someone else’s uncomfortable feelings.) Then, I take a good look at the consequences I’m afraid of, the traits I’m ashamed of, etc., but still from the outside, without judging myself or adding to the negative emotions. And then… the ugh field goes away; it’s as though the uncomfortable feelings got integrated out into the rest of my brain, so that, since the feelings are already propagated, looking at the task no longer induces uncomfortable updates.