Headspace
It's Labor Day weekend and for many, that means the ceremonious end to a more slow paced and carefree season.
It means back to school, back to work, back to routine. The idea of all the "back to" things on our list can be utterly overwhelming. And it can feel like all the joy and fun is being sucked right out in favor of all the "have to's." So how do we make it less painful? One of the challenges is the sheer volume of things that have to get done. As someone with a brain that gets easily overwhlemed, if I don't manage it, I can get paralyzed and end up in this sort of frozen state of not knowing what to do with myself. It's taken me a lot of time and trial and error to figure out how to avoid total paralysis when I get overwhelmed, so I'm going to share what I've found works best for me. Maybe it'll help you too.
Out of my head
The first thing that has to happen is a total brain dump of everything that's swirling around in my brain. It doesn't matter what it is. If it's in there, it needs to live somewhere else. For me, that's usually in my notepad app on my phone because shocker, it's always on me ;) So it makes it really easy to just dump anything that comes up into the notepad. I just label it To Dos. At first, just get it all out into one big list. Everything from the little things (make dr. appt), to the high priority (work on that quote, drive Johnny to practice, etc), to the things that don't have a specific deadline, but are on my list of things I want or need to do (visit X relative). Then you can take the big list and break it down into manageable chunks in your calendar, in whatever format works best for you. If I don't put a date to all of these items, they will stay in my head. There's a peace that comes with knowing that I've put a timeline against all the things that need to get done. And everything doesn't have to be set in stone to feel that level of peace, either. It's ok to have things move around as things change and fluctuate. Just having them written down is enough. I also include things that are daily self care practices as well. Because if they aren't in the schedule, they could easily get missed in favor of something else coming up. So add in those items too- exercise, meditation, etc. Eating healthy meals that I've prepared is also a priority, so I make sure a weekly meal plan followed by grocery shopping is on my schedule too. It may seem rediculous, but I make sure it's all on my schedule. And here's the biggest reason why.
My schedule, not yours
If you don't put everything down that you want to get scheduled and that you want to make sure happens, it is really easy for other people to take over your schedule. If you just have all the thoughts and goals swirling in your head vs. on your calendar, someone can ask for something and you do it in favor of whatever you could be doing for yourself. I'm not saying you won't sometimes decide to change your schedule to accommodate a request or to live in the moment and have some unplanned fun, but the point is for it to be YOUR decision. Your call. Your schedule, your management.
I know it sounds miniscule to just say have a calendar, but really- have a calendar. It is a game changer. Choose one that makes it easy to move things around. You can have a running list of things that aren't yet listed on a specific date, but that you know need to be at some point. If it's on your brain, just write it down (if you're already thinking about Christmas shopping, seriously- write it in the long list of things that will eventually get scheduled). It is such a gift to give ourselves headspace. It gives that back to school fresh pencil smell we all have memories of ;) With all that extra space in your head, you can live more in the moment, knowing that everything will get done- at some point ;)
Wishing you a happy back to school, work, reality this week! We've got this!!!
XO
