What does it mean when you dread something, but enjoy doing it?

I think it is called ‘Masochism’

Like eating a whole bag of chips?

M….like, getting back to a mud and sanding project. It needs to be done. It needs to be done. It needs to be done. It’s an annoying nagging in the back of your head. So, finally you get back to doing it….and it ain’t so bad after all!

I wax eating chicken strips last night. Lost a filling.

So off to the dentist this morning. I dreaded what it would cost and the time. But my dentist is awesome. Sunglasses + iPod + gas and I was super high and having a good time. I don’t really remember getting my tooth fixed. I was really high the whole time rocking out.

It means it might be good to pay attention to your feelings and figure out what they’re about. We often ignore our feelings, which is unhealthy. But it doesn’t mean they’re two competing opinions and one is right and the other wrong. We always have multiple thoughts and feelings about most things. The feelings aren’t like thoughts – they actually exist in your body and it’s usually a bad idea to shut them out.

Laundry.
I guess that’s part of doing housework, but I particularly enjoy doing laundry.

A lot of it probably traces back to my laundromat days, when I’d wait until I had 12–13 loads, do them all at once, and come home to endless clean laundry choices.

Oops. What does it mean?
You’re a procrastinator. You avoid starting things. Possibly because you hate to leave anything unfinished, and the start of any project is also the acceptance of the pressure to finish?

I’m pretty simple. When I’m dreading something I enjoy doing, it’s because I don’t think I’ll be able to do it well enough… and it’s an awful feeling. I want to do such-and-such but then I get stressed out when I’m doing it; either way I’m unsatisfied (haven’t I got it figured out!)

Sometimes I dread something because I expect it to go badly—and when it doesn’t, I find myself pleasantly surprised. Sometimes I dread something because I don’t feel like I’ve got the energy—sometimes I find a “second wind” and it winds up okay, and then I’m able to enjoy it.

This reminds me of my two youngest kids. Every weekend, I take the boys for a hike in the woods on one or both days. We’ve done this since they were born. It’s important to me, my oldest (daughter) always enjoyed it, and the boys liked it when they were younger.

But then one day, it seemed to change. They would complain that they didn’t want to go (mostly my middle son, and the youngest seemed to copy). It could end up in tears and fighting, but eventually they would find themselves out on the trail or hiking a mountain. Invariably – as in 100% of the time – their whole mood would change as soon as they’re out of the car and on the trail. Within no time at all, they would be having a great time.

This is still mostly how it goes, although the complaining is kept to a minimum because they know that I am not going to change my mind. I’d also like to think that somewhere in the back of their mind, they are starting to realize that the dreaded hike is something that they enjoy tremendously once they are out there.

Adults are like this to – myself included. But I find that I’m more open to questioning my dread more. It’s a habit that doesn’t seem too useful.

I’m thinking of times when I have to do something and I expect it to be unpleasant, but it isn’t. So having to attend a meeting that I expect to be a trial, but when I go I meet up with colleagues I like and it’s really not unpleasant at all. Or even having to get dressed up and put makeup on to go to a party when I feel like reading a book, but finding I have had a great time when the night ends.

I can’t imagine ever really enjoying doing housework etc.

Like running for exercise..I dread it every time but once
i am running i don’t want to stop..so why do I dread it
every time? Beats me.