Maybe you're experiencing the stage of emotional disregulation beyond fight or flight: freeze.[1]
I have been trying to actually take a real break when I get distressed.
Say you've been procrastinating for an hour, and you only have another hour before you need to stop for the day. In the moment, it feels like you can't "waste" fifteen minutes on a break because you just wasted an hour. Truth is, though, it's better to spend fifteen minutes doing something to calm the emotions down and then get a productive 45 minutes in.
It takes practice, but like all good habits, the benefits compound over time.
I have been trying to actually take a real break when I get distressed.
Say you've been procrastinating for an hour, and you only have another hour before you need to stop for the day. In the moment, it feels like you can't "waste" fifteen minutes on a break because you just wasted an hour. Truth is, though, it's better to spend fifteen minutes doing something to calm the emotions down and then get a productive 45 minutes in.
It takes practice, but like all good habits, the benefits compound over time.
[1]: I really like Sarah Schlote's work explaining interoception of stress and emotional regulation. https://equusoma.com/the-ponyvagal-theory-updates-to-the-neu...