Postponing is Prolonging.

This week, I heard someone say "prolong" when they meant to say "postpone." 


It was something like, "You could just prolong it until next week."


And I was like, wait a minute...



Postpone: 
to cause or arrange for (something) to take place at a time later than that first scheduled.

Prolong:
to extend the duration of.



The difference here is subtle, but PROFOUND.


She was talking about putting something off. Doing it later. But what she said actually meant extending it. Dragging it out.


The reason I can't quite remember the context here is because my brain was like 🤯.


Everything you're postponing, you're actually prolonging.


I do this with - among other things - dentist appointments (can I get an AMEN?). I *think* I'm just postponing the unpleasantness of it. Like, eh, I'll worry about that later. 


The thing is, just because I'm not consciously worried about it doesn't mean I'm not subconsciously worried about it. In fact, postponing anything just means I've buried it. It's still there, running in the background, slowing down my processing ability like allllll those extra browser tabs open on my desktop or notifications of software waiting to update.


And WHY would I want to prolong that? Not only is it there in the background of my subconscious, stressing me out in ways I don't even realize, but every once in awhile I remember that I still haven't made the appointment and I get a surge of anxiety in the pit of my stomach. Instead of just making one unpleasant appointment -- "unpleasant" being 100% a reflection of my THOUGHTS, by the way -- I'm making it last so...


...much...


...longer.


By the way, those prolonged tasks don't simply turn into fleeting feelings. There are real things -- unhealthy things -- happening in your brain and gut when you stress yourself out like that. And then you're confused when you're crabby, anxious, fearful, fatigued, or mysteriously ill.


Just me?


What are you prolonging? 


Monica