I Only Do Things at the Last Minute (and I Hate That About Me)

Why do some of us only seem able to start when the pressure is unbearable?

In this episode, I’m talking honestly about last-minute living, not as a productivity problem, but as a nervous system response.

If you’re ADHD, autistic, AuDHD, or living with trauma, deadlines don’t always motivate you. They can trigger freeze, avoidance, shutdown… followed by a last-minute surge of adrenaline that somehow gets the job done, at a cost.

This isn’t laziness.
 It’s adaptation.

In this episode, I explore:

• Why deadlines often trigger freeze for trauma-wired brains
• How ADHD, autism, and CPTSD interact with time and pressure
• Why “just start earlier” is unhelpful (and often harmful) advice
• The shame cycle around last-minute action, and how to soften it
• How urgency becomes a survival strategy, not a choice

This is not an episode about fixing yourself, optimising your time, or becoming more disciplined.

It’s about understanding why your brain works the way it does, and building compassion, and choice, where there used to be self-attack.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why am I like this?”
You’re not alone.

💬 Join the conversation

If this episode resonated, liking or commenting really helps, not for vanity, but because it tells the algorithm this conversation matters.

And if there’s something you’re quietly struggling with, or a topic you wish someone would talk about, tell me in the comments.
 A lot of this podcast exists because someone once asked, “Is it just me?”

Thank you for listening.
 Thank you for being here.
  And for staying curious instead of cruel with yourself.

Until next spiral.

Free Guide

You’re Not Too Much. You Were Just Never Met Fully.

A short guide for anyone who has ever felt too sensitive, too intense, or too much in relationships.

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🎧 Subscribe, share, and spiral with me.

For more raw, honest takes on dating, ADHD, trauma, and being a woman on high alert — head to iljaabbattista.co.uk

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Unmask. Rebuild. Thrive.