How many occasions have there been when you’ve found your list of things to do growing and growing? Not growing because you’re ambitious and are able to get more things done but that you have been doing so much for the people around you that you haven’t taken a minute to really evaluate the needs that YOU have of you?
Even though I am currently out of work (thanks to Coronavirus), I am still bogged down with things to do as a single parent of a 100% remote learning student who also happens to be an athlete. My sister and her husband are both essential in their professions and a lot of the time I offer support to them because we all need a support system. I have found though, that recently I have been taking shortcuts in an effort to get things done just to have a checked off to do list, rather than completing what I can within reason and with great efficiency and I end up having to double back rather than moving on to the next thing.
Last Friday I decided that my focus for the week would be on slowing down. I cut my to do list down from ten things a day to four MUST DOs, 3 should dos and 3 if I have time to dos. Reducing the expectations of myself in a 24 hour period has given me space to take a break, decreased my level of anxiety, and allowed more room to be able to help the people around me without neglecting myself and my own personal responsibility. I have also been able to set aside 30 minutes to myself every night; to really apply the breaks. I may use this time to complete a Spanish lesson on Duolingo, I may listen to one of my favorite podcasts, I may just lay in bed and enjoy the fact that in that moment no one is expecting anything of me. I have also started a gratitude journal. At the end of every night, I list five things that I am grateful for.
This has been a good week! My focus next week will be on thoroughness. I chose this because it flows well behind slowing things down.
Do you need to slow down?
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