How do we do it all…. ?
Idk about you guys but my biggest challenge in the day is mentally juggling the metaphorical hat trick we play. And if you don’t already know I’m talking about all the roles we pridefully consume. Mine of which are… mom/wife/teacher/student/therapist/business owner/friend/sister/daughter/dog mom/woman and whichever else presents itself as an opportunity.
So how does our brain shift between most of those in the span of one day…?
Like each one of those people have a to-do list and each to-do list takes a certain amount of time/energy and all of that time/energy has to come from ONE source..? Looking at it from the outside looking in I can’t make it make sense, but when I’m in the trenches I’m somehow pulling it all off. Cooking dinner, folding laundry, vacuuming, and changing the baby at the same time. SO long story short it is possible and it does make sense because it gets done(pretty or not).
I got on here this morning, as my 1 year old harasses the dog, to share my go-to’s to stay sane through the trenches!
first is a DAILY to-do list… I know you might have so many already but trust me this helps. Let go of the fact that you probably already have this written down somewhere. When you make up in the morning either before getting out of bed or whichever part of your morning routine has a little down-time, use the notes in your phone or grab a pen and paper and write down your top three NEED to-do’s for the day, and top 3 WANT to-do’s for the day. During the day when my brain goes to “I don’t want to do anything but I know there is stuff” or “there is so much I need/want to do I don’t know where to start” LOOK AT THIS LIST. It takes like 3 minutes max and it keeps you from getting to that function-freeze head space.
use progressive muscle relaxation(PMR).. you might already do this but not even know it. This is a therapeutic technique that has a formal process, but HONESTLY works all the same when you’re trenched out and only have like 2 minutes to spare. PMR is basically just contracting your muscles, holding it, and then releasing. Research shows it activates your nervous system which leads to a decrease in stress hormones! When I’m in my own space (hiding from my dogs/kids in the laundry room) I typically clench my fists, arms/upper body and just hold it for 10-15 seconds and release. I do this a few times until it feels comfortable! If you’re in a public space and know that you need to release some tension.. try clenching your toes in your shoes or squeezing your hands together under the table!
These are just two things I do in my day-to-day to help make it a little easier for my brain to transition through all the things.
Hope this helps!
-Jane
If you’re interested here is an article about PMR!
https://www.verywellmind.com/reduce-tension-with-progressive-muscle-relaxation-3144608