It’s been a day, huh? Kids are out of school now (not that the eLearning they were doing was taking up too much of their day, tasks piling up, working from home, trying to keep things clean and tidy ... it is just a lot, right. A truly huge amount of a L O T.
When we get over-tasked, the easiest response can be to be crabby and difficult with your loved ones... they are, after all, the ones that will be the most likely to forgive your harpyness. But this crabbiness, can wreak havoc on your peace of mind, too. Here are a few self-awareness questions that you might consider asking yourself, check in, and take note of what’s happening in your mind and body.
Questions to ask yourself:
1. What am I aware of right now? Notice what you’re telling yourself (and try to gain some distance from those thoughts, especially any that are negative). There’s the thought of “I can’t do this.” There’s the thought of “I’m super stressed.” There’s the thought,”Why bother?” Notice the emotions that are arising. There goes sadness. Anger. Anxiety. Notice your physical sensations and overall state. Tension in your shoulders. Tightness in your legs. Exhaustion. Check in and see how you are.
2. How am I meeting this experience? In other words, what’s your attitude toward your inner experience? Are you curious about what’s happening? Are you judging your emotions? Are you telling yourself you shouldn’t be feeling that way? Are you putting yourself down?
3. What is a wise and kind response? What can genuinely support you in this moment? Maybe you can stop judging how you’re feeling for a moment, and get curious instead, wondering what sparked those feelings. Maybe you’d like to stretch your body or journal further about your feelings. Maybe you’d like to talk about it with a trustworthy friend. Maybe you’d like to get outside to feel better. Maybe you’d like to simply tell yourself, “This is hard. I’m doing the best I can.” If you’re having a hard time accessing self-compassion or cutting yourself even a smidgen of slack, try picturing yourself as a child, or try picturing your child (and how you’d like them to treat themselves).
Be kind to yourself.