Another day i feel i've been tilting. Again some hands I couldn't let go because pot was big. And leveling myself with people.
Don't know how to play without any deception - it's just in my veins.
One thing - maybe it was triggered by some guys play that tilted me (he got his outs on river but was semi-bluffing from flop even after my raise).

But I don't know. I mean I wasn't thinking about his play later on, yet felt dirrefent - probably jsut needed to stop playing.

Tomorrow i'll probably make a  day off and play again at Monday. Do u reccomend taking a day of by not playing/studying/even thinking on poker?

And as for deception/bluffing : how can I unlearn this ? Give up everytime I don't have goods and play only strong hands

IdealHero said: The thing is in poker, you can play perfect poker and still lose, and our brain will still often second guess ourselves and view it as bad play, because we lost.  Like I said humans are very results oriented.  I think it's really important as I mentioned before to analyze your play, how were your focus levels, did you ever get angry and if so did you handle it well?  Also definitely record the trigger so you can work on fixing it in the future.  

Your reaction to losing while playing perfect or even just solid poker, improves dramatically with an increased knowledge about variance.  I agree that a big way that you can reduce your confidence being totally aligned with results is to pay attention to the quality of how you played.  To take it a step further, you'd also be evaluating how significant variance was for or against you that session too - and I mean beyond the obvious suck-outs/coolers, etc.  Really start working hard to see the greys of variance that are harder to define and your confidence in your game will also become more accurate. 

For me personally, my reaction is also dependent a lot on my confidence in my game.  For example, I can run really bad at NLHE, but i've played NLHE for so long, I know the game from the inside out, so I know when it's just variance or if it could be bad play.  PLO on the other hand, i'm not as skilled in it, therefore my confidence level in general is lower, so running bad lowers my confidence at times, even if i'm playing well, because i'm not entirely sure like I am in NLHE what the correct plays are. 

So in PLO, it's a lot more important for me to really try to be non results oriented, because deep down I feel unproven in the game.  Even if I feel i've played well, if I see that i'm down at PLO I start to feel angry and discouraged, this isn't necessarily bad, because I don't check results during session it's more of a post session thing, where I may get upset about the results.  I see i'm down 1,000 and it's like I feel I have to have really good results in PLO to satisfy my ego.  So iv'e been torn between trying to eliminate these negative emotions or just let them remain, but be mindful of them and use them to my advantage.  the negative emotions can sometimes make you work harder, or sometimes it discourages you from even playing.

This reminds me of a philosophy of life debate.  Is it better to have a lot of highs and lows or be really emotionally balanced.  I remember hearing a story of a french man who was asked if he would consider turning to bhuddism, he said he liked his life having ups and downs, including the negative emotion as it's better than not feeling anything or something to that extent.  I think I agree that having a balance of everything is a good thing.  While I usually don't like feeling bad or having negative emotions, once in awhile they're good for you, so the idea to try to eliminate all negative emotions I think is a bit far fetched.  However, you definitely want to be mostly positive, because our brains operate so much more efficiently in that mode, and ofc we feel better hehe.

How this relates to poker, while we play we definitely cannot let negative emotions into our situation because they disable our ability to think clearly.  However, if we perceive negative emotions outside of actually playinge as a tool to motivate us, I think instead of being discouraged we can utilize it to ignite a spark within.  Often our very thoughts of perceiving unpleasant emotions are actually what makes it unpleasant, this type of negative thinking is what can spiral you into a depression, rather than the initial negative emotion itself.  For example, when running on the treadmill sometimes my legs are burning and it feels like torture I think to myself, "this is horrible I can't take it anymore" and I either quit or just feel miserable until i do.  However if I simply observe the pain without negative thoughts, it seems more interesting than like torture and it isn't really bothersome at all.  Point being it's how we react through our perspective that makes something either negative or positive.

Your reaction to losing while playing perfect or even just solid poker, improves dramatically with an increased knowledge about variance.  I agree that a big way that you can reduce your confidence being totally aligned with results is to pay attention to the quality of how you played.  To take it a step further, you'd also be evaluating how significant variance was for or against you that session too - and I mean beyond the obvious suck-outs/coolers, etc.  Really start working hard to see the greys of variance that are harder to define and your confidence in your game will also become more accurate. 

Analyzing own play is a great concept and i tried to write down how i play my focus levels etc. but got bored and stopped doing this. Finding triggers is essential to fix my tilt problems and i'm trying to seek for them every session.

Although i don't know how to leave everything behind when i stop playing (after tilting) and that tilt does not influence my other activities and the rest of my day. It's quite a problem, but i'm not tilting that often thankfully.

Tomorrow i'll try to sum up everything it was written here and try to ask some more questions or describe my problem so that You guys could help me little bit more:)

I think the best solution to this is to instead review how you played post-session.  Try to rid yourself of caring about whether you lose completely, I know it's easier said than done.  However, given how much variance there is in poker, results truly aren't a good indication of how well you're playing in the short term, therefore it isn't very helpful in gauging how you're playing.  Thus, it is useless to check your short term results or even care about them.  If you're practicing good bankroll management, short term results will be meaningless long-term, as you won't be in jeopardy of going broke.  

This reaction to seeing ourselves having a session in the negative is so very childish in a way.  As if our ego just starts shouting, "I lost" over and over again.  However it is a natural reaction for most people to get distraught when losing and in some cases that is actually helpful, because it can drive some to work harder and harder because they're so ticked off they aren't the best.  The thing is in poker, you can play perfect poker and still lose, and our brain will still often second guess ourselves and view it as bad play, because we lost.  Like I said humans are very results oriented.  I think it's really important as I mentioned before to analyze your play, how were your focus levels, did you ever get angry and if so did you handle it well?  Also definitely record the trigger so you can work on fixing it in the future.  

One thing I think is really key to add to your comments about not checking results.  For some players forcing yourself to do not look when the urge is strong, isn't going to be practical.  Money always represents something that goes beyond the value of money.  I had a session today with a client who we found had his confidence attached to money.  As his BR rose so too did his confidence, and vice versa on when it shrank.  Just ignoring results, ignored that his confidence was attached to results, which is something in the short-term he doesn't have 100% control of.

Money can also represent goals, freedom, opportunity, achievement, to name a few.  So in taking a deeper look at why you or another player would NEED to check results, sometimes there's valuable mental game edge to gain by understanding it.  Then once you do, the solution ideal satisfies that urge so it's not something you have to fight.  With my client today, as with many others with the same issue, the solution will come from shifting more of his confidence to improving quality of play, quality of practice/work off table, etc and other parts of his game that are in his complete control in the short-term.

I mention it, only because I want to continually be pushing the envelope forward and not to settle for ideas that are common, but not complete enough to help some people with real issues there. 

Can't figure how to find motivation for this – any ideas how to do something regularly?

Yesterday tilted a bit (like 2-3 BI) and thus I want to write something about this with fresh memories.

I can't help myself letting go a hand that was good, but it seems there are many better and as the pot is bigger and I invested alot. I look more for hands that I beat than for all hands.

How can I learn to do big laydowns? Maybe something like lay down a big hand at later street knowing that I'm good? (test my strong will to lay down other 'not so strong' hands?)

I've read about Tommy Angelo laying down Aces preflop – it would be similar.

If I'm early in the hand I can lay down Kings for a raise on low coordinated flop from a tight nit, but if I inversted like 1/3 of my stack It becomes harder.

I don't look at my remaining stack but look at the pot and feel like commited to it. How can I pay more attention on coming bet (and my stack) instead of the pot (which in the middle and it's not my anymore, moreover mine was only half of the pot).

If I'm about to make a big decision my heart beats stronger and I feel my ears become red -  in these situations I think more than not I'm beat – maybe laying down hand every time I feel sth like this would be a temporary solution ?

I had a sticky note near my monitor with "small hand = small pot, big hand = big pot" and "stop bluffing!" written but while playing I still find myself in these situations over and over again.

How can I avoid these?

I play aggresive style and for last month it started to be very beneficial and satisfying. But I know that too much aggresion isn't the answer. But just can't help it during a session to make some multistreet bluffs or weird calldowns and if they fail – I'm tilted.

The tilt itself is pain in the ass because it changes my mood, affects other my activities and my attitude to other people for the rest of the day.

Yesterday after I tilted I starded some 1$ HUSNG, but didn't spew much, just a little.

Maybe speweng and monkey tilt at lowest stakes or play money would be good to let the tilt go away?

I thought that playing omaha or hu would be good.

Omaha because of it's drawing potential – you're never drawing dead and it's good for gamblers i think.

HU because you can sometimes run over your opponent and simply vent emotions.

I've never tried this, if not counting one time when after tilting 9BIs I went to .02nl and played every hand and after while tilted like 6BIs

Oh and one thing: Jared You don't have these vids from stoxpoker enywhere?

Some things that have worked really effectively for me are never checking the cashier or HEM during a session to see what i'm up or down.  As long as I don't even think about money while playing, I can focus entirely on the game, as soon as I start looking at my results, bad emotions crop up.  Then also after the session being honest with myself on how I played, in terms of emotional control, focus at the tables and then execution of my abilities.  I've found that as long as I played as good as I could, even if I lose 10-15 buyins, I can accept it, because I know I made money long-term playing. 

Also lastly as Jared said someitmes negative emotions can heavily discourage you from playing and working on your game, but they're there for a reason you have underlying problems that need to be fixed.  So try to look at your emotions taking an outside perspective, dont' take them seriously and get too caught up in your ego. 

"Welcome to the site.  As for the book, a release date hasn't been set, but I'm working hard to get it out by Nov/Dec.  I'm glad to hear you like the chapters I wrote for Dusty's book, obviously the book I'm writing now will go into much greater depth, but until you (and I) have a chance to read it, here are a few things to think about."

Okey, nice to hear it will be coming out soon. Will you sell it as an e-book aswell or just hard copy? Either way I'm insta-buying it.

Very likely it'll be both.  Great to know I have a buyer!

"I think you're correct that the pressure to win now is a part of the problem, the other which I think is a bigger one for you right now because it is hidden is tilt. "I tilt pretty…" Given this…I suspect tilt happens more than you realize, and it's at least worth finding out how much, rather than just assuming that it doesn't."

Now that I think of it, I think you're right. I can even tilt a little bit when I lose a 20-30bb that I think I should win and even that can set me up from my a-game. I realize I tilt alot, more then I expected. But I still think I can manage to play okeyish but realize that there's much room for improvement.

""This time I got …." – Your motivation problem here is caused by Tilt.  It's not because you don't want to play, it's because when you do play you are frustrated by variance, or by losing.  The problem is how you handle losing, not motivation.  In fact, I would say that your reaction to not want to play, and be unmotivated is actually pretty good.  If you were to play you'd get more pissed off and lose more.  Your lack of motivation is protecting that from happening." 

Okey, that makes sense.

I understand that the lack of motivation (causing by tilt) is good in one way because it prevents me from losing more but the perfect scenario would of course be if I could keep playing good.

"So the question that's important here is what's causing the frustration?  Is it variance? Do you hate losing? Do you want results so badly RIGHT now that losing feels like you're steping back?  A combo of all.  I know you mentioned the pressure on your BR, and that makes perfect sense.  To dig a little deeper, find out if there's more that causes tilt.  I suspect there is. If so, also just provide more details about why you're frustrated and that will help me to suggest ways to break it down."

I think it's all those things combined. I am afraid of variance because even though I am a big winner over an large samplesize (winning over 5ptbb/100 over 200k hands + that I get 2-3ptbb/100 from rakeback) I am not that confident in my play and with the bankroll being short (because of cashouts) it's not helping me. Of course I hate losing and sometimes I can even feel pride issues when a guy stacks me (especially if he's bad and got lucky) then making hm as a target (which I know is bad). Also I am a little frustrated because I always have to start over again because of cashouts when I know (or am pretty sure) that I am a solid winner on little higher stakes.

But the main thing I think that is causing tilt is that I think I'm too attached to my bankroll. My bankroll is pretty much my whole life bankroll aswell (I'm only 19 and I am looking for a job aswell and I get some money to spend from my parents so I guess it's nothing serious). So when losing a buyin or two it hurts because that's a good portion of my life bankroll and even though the buyins aren't that big, it is for me because I don't have anything else basically. And a buyin is so small that it doesn't cover much in real life so those combinations makes it not that great. I guess if I would have a side income of like 1.5k$ it wouldn't hurt as much because I know that I always have money to spend without having to worry etc.

The other side to this too is quitting when your up money.  Why do you?

I think it's comined things of that I hate losing it. And that I'm satisfied with those buyins I win and think I'm good for a while. Which I realize is bad if I want to become a real grinder since it's all a big session and it doesn't matter what one session looks like. But I guess it's easier to say now then when I'm up or losing.

"In the meantime, when you recognize that you want to quit when up or down, take a couple deep breaths so you can remind yourself of how you want to think.  I like reminding yourself about variance, are there other things you could tell yourself at this time to essentially coach yourself through it.  Then see if you can work into playing longer naturally, or if it continues to be too tough, playing for just 5-10 more minutes working really hard to play as well as you can, is a great way to build the mental muscle you need to increase volume and control tilt."

I'm already already trying improving my session length after I read your chapters on dusty's book and it has been working well so far, although I have been running okeyish so I realize it wouldn't be as easy as it is now. And I know when it's most hard then you see you're true potential. And I will keep reminding me how I think from now on.

Thanks again!

Pickaface

It sound like your head is in a solid place with the rest of this, just keep chipping away at it and continually working.  You'll get there.  Also too, there so much value being able to take these challenges on for the rest of your life too.  Just think about what you'll be able to accomplish outside of poker if you can take these issues head on and get to see your potential!!

Wish you well, stop back anytime. 

One thing came in my mind. Do you suggest stop playing and taking a break when I'll find myself tilting? I recently tried to stand up, wash my face and come back to table and try to regain focus and A-game.

As for the question : for me doing session analysis is boring because of many similar hands just replaying again and again… (at the begining of my career I tried to do this for all hands, later all 10bb+ pots, now I almost don't do this). Also it's more fun simply to play new hands than review hands I know results.

While analysing I tend to care more about big mistakes, don't bother the small ones, thats another thing I'd like to work LATER on (again procrestination coultn't help it, but my plan was to find the biggest leaks and later fix smaller).

I think marking some few hands would be ok, I'll try to do this from the next session. Also I'm writing a blog (more like videoblog) so I'll post most difficult hands there.

Just realized one more thing. I'm writing this after my session and It's quite late and I'm tired. I used to do my session analysis always after playing so I always was tired. Maybe analyzing hands before session would be more profitable and additionally put me in right mindset before playing.

One more thing about poker is that I underestimate odds and ev, I almost never calculate them and just simply remember what are those for draws more or less.

If I run bad or have been tilting recently I try to play more than analyze game because I want to get on the right path (play my A-game) and get more confident with my plays.

Sounds like in general you answered a lot of your own problems for yourself here.  The logic behind playing more when tilted or running bad makes sense, but it's not working.  Try the opposite and just see what happens.  It may produce the same result, but clearly playing more isn't working so try something else. 

Tilt often occurs when I make some not stantard play like check/raise bluff and tripple barrels that fail. Or even if not , while making some of these plays my heart beats stronger that I can feel this. Then I feel something wen't wrong because I'm nervous and excited what will happen. If I'm far from the poker table I know that simply playing straightforward will make me a winner but during a session I can't help myself.

I'm not sure about other of Your's questions about tilt. I think it's both about money and winning back confidence

It's often both so that make sense. 

Now at my poker career I'm having a major upswing , this month is my best month and even if I tilt it's while playing some random mtt's, 6max or SNGHU (and i play almost exclusively rush, so maybe one session i'm tilting and next one I'm managing to bring back confidence etc).

I'm little bit afraid of being overconfitent ( It's happening sometimes and cutting my winrate ) as that is begining of tilt.

One interesting thing You've written: "A big problem procrastinators have is thinking they've learned something when they've only just become familar with it. "

What's the conclusion ?

The conclusion is to spend more time mastering what you are learning rather than continually moving on.  Procrastination comes in because you think there's nothing to work on, that you've already mastered it, but you haven't.  Knowing that you haven't means you need to improve today, otherwise you sacrifice the ability to improve more tomorrow.  The bottom line is that you actually can't put everything off until tomorrow, some for sure, but delaying working on what's important leaves you underprepared to face tomorrow and the next day and the next day, etc, etc.  Each day you delay you become exponentially behind.  So eventually you muster the energy to DO IT ALL, but that burns you out, and you can't really DO IT ALL, it just seems that way, because you think you can learn it all at once, but the brain doesn't work that way - it needs continual steady attention, repetition, experience, etc to ACTUALLY learn and not just think you have.

PS: I'm very glad that someone like You is helping me and I really appreciate it, Thanks.

YW, I'm glad to know my advice is helping. 

"Welcome to the site.  As for the book, a release date hasn't been set, but I'm working hard to get it out by Nov/Dec.  I'm glad to hear you like the chapters I wrote for Dusty's book, obviously the book I'm writing now will go into much greater depth, but until you (and I) have a chance to read it, here are a few things to think about."

Okey, nice to hear it will be coming out soon. Will you sell it as an e-book aswell or just hard copy? Either way I'm insta-buying it.

"I think you're correct that the pressure to win now is a part of the problem, the other which I think is a bigger one for you right now because it is hidden is tilt. "I tilt pretty..." Given this...I suspect tilt happens more than you realize, and it's at least worth finding out how much, rather than just assuming that it doesn't."

Now that I think of it, I think you're right. I can even tilt a little bit when I lose a 20-30bb that I think I should win and even that can set me up from my a-game. I realize I tilt alot, more then I expected. But I still think I can manage to play okeyish but realize that there's much room for improvement.

""This time I got ...." - Your motivation problem here is caused by Tilt.  It's not because you don't want to play, it's because when you do play you are frustrated by variance, or by losing.  The problem is how you handle losing, not motivation.  In fact, I would say that your reaction to not want to play, and be unmotivated is actually pretty good.  If you were to play you'd get more pissed off and lose more.  Your lack of motivation is protecting that from happening." 

Okey, that makes sense.

I understand that the lack of motivation (causing by tilt) is good in one way because it prevents me from losing more but the perfect scenario would of course be if I could keep playing good.

"So the question that's important here is what's causing the frustration?  Is it variance? Do you hate losing? Do you want results so badly RIGHT now that losing feels like you're steping back?  A combo of all.  I know you mentioned the pressure on your BR, and that makes perfect sense.  To dig a little deeper, find out if there's more that causes tilt.  I suspect there is. If so, also just provide more details about why you're frustrated and that will help me to suggest ways to break it down."

I think it's all those things combined. I am afraid of variance because even though I am a big winner over an large samplesize (winning over 5ptbb/100 over 200k hands + that I get 2-3ptbb/100 from rakeback) I am not that confident in my play and with the bankroll being short (because of cashouts) it's not helping me. Of course I hate losing and sometimes I can even feel pride issues when a guy stacks me (especially if he's bad and got lucky) then making hm as a target (which I know is bad). Also I am a little frustrated because I always have to start over again because of cashouts when I know (or am pretty sure) that I am a solid winner on little higher stakes.

But the main thing I think that is causing tilt is that I think I'm too attached to my bankroll. My bankroll is pretty much my whole life bankroll aswell (I'm only 19 and I am looking for a job aswell and I get some money to spend from my parents so I guess it's nothing serious). So when losing a buyin or two it hurts because that's a good portion of my life bankroll and even though the buyins aren't that big, it is for me because I don't have anything else basically. And a buyin is so small that it doesn't cover much in real life so those combinations makes it not that great. I guess if I would have a side income of like 1.5k$ it wouldn't hurt as much because I know that I always have money to spend without having to worry etc.

The other side to this too is quitting when your up money.  Why do you?

I think it's comined things of that I hate losing it. And that I'm satisfied with those buyins I win and think I'm good for a while. Which I realize is bad if I want to become a real grinder since it's all a big session and it doesn't matter what one session looks like. But I guess it's easier to say now then when I'm up or losing.

"In the meantime, when you recognize that you want to quit when up or down, take a couple deep breaths so you can remind yourself of how you want to think.  I like reminding yourself about variance, are there other things you could tell yourself at this time to essentially coach yourself through it.  Then see if you can work into playing longer naturally, or if it continues to be too tough, playing for just 5-10 more minutes working really hard to play as well as you can, is a great way to build the mental muscle you need to increase volume and control tilt."

I'm already already trying improving my session length after I read your chapters on dusty's book and it has been working well so far, although I have been running okeyish so I realize it wouldn't be as easy as it is now. And I know when it's most hard then you see you're true potential. And I will keep reminding me how I think from now on.

Thanks again!

Pickaface

As for the question : for me doing session analysis is boring because of many similar hands just replaying again and again… (at the begining of my career I tried to do this for all hands, later all 10bb+ pots, now I almost don't do this). Also it's more fun simply to play new hands than review hands I know results.

While analysing I tend to care more about big mistakes, don't bother the small ones, thats another thing I'd like to work LATER on (again procrestination coultn't help it, but my plan was to find the biggest leaks and later fix smaller).

I think marking some few hands would be ok, I'll try to do this from the next session. Also I'm writing a blog (more like videoblog) so I'll post most difficult hands there.

Just realized one more thing. I'm writing this after my session and It's quite late and I'm tired. I used to do my session analysis always after playing so I always was tired. Maybe analyzing hands before session would be more profitable and additionally put me in right mindset before playing.

One more thing about poker is that I underestimate odds and ev, I almost never calculate them and just simply remember what are those for draws more or less.

If I run bad or have been tilting recently I try to play more than analyze game because I want to get on the right path (play my A-game) and get more confident with my plays.

Tilt often occurs when I make some not stantard play like check/raise bluff and tripple barrels that fail. Or even if not , while making some of these plays my heart beats stronger that I can feel this. Then I feel something wen't wrong because I'm nervous and excited what will happen. If I'm far from the poker table I know that simply playing straightforward will make me a winner but during a session I can't help myself.

I'm not sure about other of Your's questions about tilt. I think it's both about money and winning back confidence

Now at my poker career I'm having a major upswing , this month is my best month and even if I tilt it's while playing some random mtt's, 6max or SNGHU (and i play almost exclusively rush, so maybe one session i'm tilting and next one I'm managing to bring back confidence etc).

I'm little bit afraid of being overconfitent ( It's happening sometimes and cutting my winrate ) as that is begining of tilt.

One interesting thing You've written: "A big problem procrastinators have is thinking they've learned something when they've only just become familar with it. "

What's the conclusion ?

PS: I'm very glad that someone like You is helping me and I really appreciate it, Thanks.

The last  paragraph is really describing my whole life:) And that's why I decided not to delay to answer this post and reply right away.

Maybe that's good enough reason to work primary on : Procrastination/motivation

I tried to do session reviews after every session but it became boring and I started postponing some of them and usually forgeting.  Quick side note: Why did it become boring?  Generally if you're looking at biggest winners/losers, or other math based hands, you're not getting much value from what's most important for you to be learning.  I'd suggest marking hands where you had to think hard about a decision, were unsure about what was right, or other hands that were tough.  Those are the hands where you have the most to learn, and when there's something to learn you'll far less likely to be bored. 

Recently I tried to write down some additional information about every session (like my motivation, how I played, thoughts after session etc. As anobydy could expect it didn't last long. After about two more sessions I started to write down only 2 important columns (at the begining I had like 7 or 8 columns describing different aspects of my play) .Few days later I stopped writing anything.

I found that there is syndrome that a person delays everything to last minute (we call it "student's syndrome" in Poland).

Before I've never put much attention to goal setting, I always underestimated it. Now, while writing this post, I tried to write about goal setting, but later changed it to motivation because I couldn't find good enough reasons to think anything more important than my tilt or "delaying everything".

Don't sure if it is the most important but if we will work on this I'll work on other issues as well.

As for questions...

How can I work on this? not only as for poker but everytime. Work with a schedule, and hold to it everytime. I don't have any particular questions or maybe didn't write enough but maybe You cold help me and suggest something.

Ahh yes, student syndrome - we have that here in the US too!  The interesting thing with these issues, since there isn't one that stands out to you, is that they are likely all interrelated and contribute to each other.

Given what you mentioned in both posts, I'd say that motivation and tilt are equal in terms of priority because I suspect they are feeding each other, like a cycle that keeps repeating itself.  I'll suggest a strategy to get started, but I'd also suggest providing more details and I can give more specific advice.

Here are the details I need:

When procrastinating, what are the thoughts that come to mind?  Why is it logical that you'd be avoiding playing or working on your game?  Do you delay doing the work because it's easier than working now?  If you were to do the work now, do you have high expectations and get self-critical for any small mistake?

With tilt, what are the thoughts that come to mind when your burning inside?  When you have the motivation to gamble, what's the reason?  If it's just about winning money, is it also to win back your confidence?  Does losing make you lose confidence?

In the meantime, try this to make some small progress with each of these problems. Since they are feeding each other, you need to look at progress as being like chopping down a tree with an ax - or something that suggests how you're not going to solve this straight away, it instead takes continual attention to make steady progress.  Rather than slipping into the downward spiral, you want to create an upward spiral where each action you take that is positive means you're taking steps forward.  But only until you can prove this progress over a long period of time - several months, even longer can you say that you're beginning to really get it, and then much longer to master it.  A big problem procrastinators have is thinking they've learned something when they've only just become familar with it. 

Each time you recognize your frustration rising, or your desire to delay or procrastinate rise, take a few deep breaths and remind yourself of how you want to logically think - some statement that you can say to yourself to get you thinking more clearly and taking action to correct either tilt or procrastination.  You're going to need to really work hard, because the pattern of tilt or procrastination is a skill you KNOW really well.  Breaking that habit takes energy and when you make some small progress recognize that you did.  Recognition of the small steps forward gives you small motivation to keep working because you know your efforts are working. 

I realize this may be a little jumbled, but does it make sense? Also, feel free to post more details when you have them.