Do you find it difficult to be rushed to do something

I'm like Stuart, I too get things done faster if I'm not asked. I'm often ok with the task I'm asked to do, but it does depend on who's doing the asking, the situation and the tone of voice. If it's a work type situation then I'll do it, I might have to grit my teeth, but thats what I'm there for. Some people disguise orders as requests that are difficult to ignore, but ignore them I often do, even if a disagreement happens later.

To do something properly and well I need to be in the mood to do it and have the energy to do it, there are times when I really want to be out gardening, but I just don't have the energy or am in to much pain, then I get really fed up with being "asked" to do things.

I can relate to this. I also do very badly with external pressure and my efficiency fluctuates widely so when I can do things when I am feeling well it can be done in a tenth of time sometimes- but it is very hard to make this work for my PhD with all these external demands from others and from the university. Some of the rules just seem like additional barriers that make it very hard for me to get anywhere 

I also find the added pressure of someone hovering / lurking too near / watching me / waiting for me nearby can be counter-productive too.

Even simple things can become stressful under those added pressure conditions (even if people didn't mean it that way).

For example, yesterday I did some laundry and when I heard the washing machine had finished; I came to the machine to take the clean laundry outdoors to hang it up to air dry - only to find right next to the machine: another person in the household had parked their full laundry bag on the floor there - which I then started (needlessly) worrying I might trip over, then the person came and leaned on the room doorframe patiently waiting and watching (silently) for me to empty the machine so they would then set their laundry wash going next while I hung my load outside.

This felt horrible and oppressive (I really don't believe the person meant it to feel that way). 

I am going to have to have a chat with them about this habit / experience - as my performance and experience really would have benefited from a few moments uncluttered by all that other stuff going on in close proximity.

I didn't quite appreciate the full impact upon me at the time - so I didn't ask them to give me space.

The outcome of the added pressure meant I felt more flustered / confused / lost track of my sequence of actions and just doing something so simple and normally autopilot became a bit fraught feeling - and consequently probably took a bit longer than usual to complete (maybe not in the real world - but that is how it felt to me - starting to worry a bit that I was now holding up the other person - even though nothing they did, or said suggested that might be the case).  Odd how things strike you sometimes - just not an issue I had anticipated.

I also find the added pressure of someone hovering / lurking too near / watching me / waiting for me nearby can be counter-productive too.

Even simple things can become stressful under those added pressure conditions (even if people didn't mean it that way).

For example, yesterday I did some laundry and when I heard the washing machine had finished; I came to the machine to take the clean laundry outdoors to hang it up to air dry - only to find right next to the machine: another person in the household had parked their full laundry bag on the floor there - which I then started (needlessly) worrying I might trip over, then the person came and leaned on the room doorframe patiently waiting and watching (silently) for me to empty the machine so they would then set their laundry wash going next while I hung my load outside.

This felt horrible and oppressive (I really don't believe the person meant it to feel that way). 

I am going to have to have a chat with them about this habit / experience - as my performance and experience really would have benefited from a few moments uncluttered by all that other stuff going on in close proximity.

I didn't quite appreciate the full impact upon me at the time - so I didn't ask them to give me space.

The outcome of the added pressure meant I felt more flustered / confused / lost track of my sequence of actions and just doing something so simple and normally autopilot became a bit fraught feeling - and consequently probably took a bit longer than usual to complete (maybe not in the real world - but that is how it felt to me - starting to worry a bit that I was now holding up the other person - even though nothing they did, or said suggested that might be the case).  Odd how things strike you sometimes - just not an issue I had anticipated.