Swirling, Swirling
Last week I started to get the pre-holiday jitters: you know that feeling of excitement & anticipation mixed with a little extra adrenaline & stress when you suddenly you realize the holidays are closer than you thought?
My to-dos & not-done-yets & needs attention nows were swirling around inside my head: client projects, day-to-day chores, Thanksgiving planning, getting ready for company— I was having a hard time concentrating & started leaving unfinished projects all over the house.
Pretty soon, our house started to reflect my cluttered state of mind.
There were dirty dishes left in the sink, unsorted mail piled on the desk, clothes crumpled on the closet floor & I even accidentally left an empty can of cat food on the staircase railing! Each item was a visual reminder of my mounting to-do list and merely added to my feelings of overwhelm.
Finally, on Wednesday night after flitting around the house with an attention span that could rival our two-year-old golden's, I made myself sit down and make a list of all the things I needed to do the next day. Then, I went through the list again and prioritized each item in number order.
On Thursday morning, I started tackling each item on my list. (First on the list: clearing the sink & checking to be sure I hadn't left any more cans of cat food in surprising places!) That night, I made a new list for the next day & repeated the routine: prioritize & complete. By Friday evening, both my home & my mind had returned to a peaceful place.
As things ramp up for the holidays, be sure to take time to check in with yourself.
Notice how you are feeling. If you find that you are having a hard time concentrating, are leaving things out that you usually put away, and may even be a little more on edge than normal, pause for a moment to let your thoughts settle. Make a list, empty your mind of all those swirling thoughts. Prioritize, then act. (Sometimes, I end up spending more time lamenting what needs to be done than it would take me to just get it done.) A checklist can help spur you into action & out of that state of overwhelm.
And if you tend to lose the forest for the trees at times, you may even want to add at the top of each list a reminder of what is truly at the core of our holiday celebrations: spending meaningful moments with family & friends (that definitely beats searching the house for cans of cat food!).
Wishing you the happiest of Thanksgivings.
Until next time,
