So here we are, still in the middle of that crazy wheel of life. Difficult/Stressful/Busy times get thrown at us, and we can’t choose when or what or how long they’ll last. So we took time when the blast hit to pay attention and find a little compassion, move and shake, and nourish ourselves well (you read the last three posts and did your homework , right?). But the truth is, despite our best intentions, sometimes life is so crazy we can’t make it fit into a neat little box, and then what?
Well, sometimes things are hard and there’s nothing to be done but plow through. You may hate when the house is cluttered with mail and laundry and general mess. You may feel icky when you don’t exercise X times per week. You may just feel overwhelmed and need a moment to slow down, and you may not get it.
The problem with life is we are not as in control as we think we are. Yes, humans have tamed the wild environment to LOOK pretty controlled, but we are still part of nature and not the directors of it.
So, when that is made abundantly clear, sometimes we just have to put our heads down and do what’s necessary. If it’s more an emergency situation than just a busy work or holiday season, you might have to put your planned tasks aside and just tend to matters. A sick family member? Get over there! Car crash? You’ll be on the phone with insurance people and such and that might take priority over your planned lunch date. Under the weather? You might be stuck in bed and there just might not be anything you can do about it. Flood or other act of nature? What are you going to do but just deal with it?
The problem during true times of emergency is that there might be a lot of things that simply HAVE to be done. Even if you let go of all the “want tos” and “probably shoulds” you may be left with way more “completely and totally necessaries” than seem possible to accomplish.
What to do? Take it one step at a time. Rather than indulge the overwhelm and think about the mounting “musts” just do one thing. Then do another. And keep doing one more thing at a time until there is no time left.
You will still have things left undone that felt utterly necessary. You know what, if your bills are late this one time, they just are. Your (mother/husband/brother/child/pet/new job interview) are more important right now. Hopefully you will get enough of the “musts” done that you won’t have too much to catch up on later. But let’s face it, you’re only human, and you can only do so much. But you’ll be amazed at what can be accomplished one thing at a time.
It’s like yoga, just a little. For me, if I get on the mat and start doing sun salutes but think of the whole long practice to follow I feel tired and overwhelmed at the start. If I just think of the sun salute itself, the breath I’m on, the one pose I’m in the middle of, I feel calmer in my mind and generally I just keep moving on till my current series is complete.
While you’re doing all these things that just have to be done, be sure to get enough sleep. Sleep is the one thing you really need to be able to hold it together. You can try to keep working at the previous tips, but be ok with lots of intentions going by the wayside.
Sometimes you just have no choice but to face the immediate challenges. But if you have a good plan and follow it the rest of the time, this short window of “emergency” won’t completely steal your overall delectability.
And with that, I’m off to get some “musts” done.
What’s your biggest challenge this week?
