Scheduling Under Stress

In a year that seems to have a never-ending supply of stress, I find myself needing simple visual reminders of things I can do that will disrupt moments of overwhelm.  I use the following categories to think about different areas of my life, but you may have different ones, of course:

  • ‍Good for body
  • Good for $
  • Good for work
  • Good for brain‍
  • ‍Good for home

I started my year with these categories because they encompassed many rituals I wanted to strengthen or habits I wanted to prioritize.  In my journal, I made a list of examples of what I meant for each of these: 

Good for body:  use foam roller to stretch leg muscles, follow a yoga video for 20 minutes, take the dog for a longer than usual walk.

Good for $: reconcile bills with accounting software for the week, update budget for a marketing program, send email to follow up to previous corporate clients.

Good for work:  respond to 5 emails, post once on Instagram, work on the script for the next presentation.

Good for brain:  watch the next module for the interior design course online, listen to a guided meditation, spend 15 minutes on a cross-stitch project.

Good for home:  empty the dishwasher, order new fabric to re-cover chairs, write a sweet card for husband to find later.

These actions fuel different parts of my life, so I wrote them each out on a post-it note and placed it on my desk. When I feel frozen about what to do next, I pick one of these categories and do one thing from my list (or something that has come up that is the same category), and then I place a checkmark on the post-it note.  The next time, I pick a different post-it with fewer check marks on it and do something from that category.  This helps balance out how I spend my time, especially when my attention is scattered.

‍

What do you do to manage your focus and energy when you know something stressful is on the way?

back to resources
Vertical Lines