Life has a tendency to kind of pile up sometimes, doesn’t it? There’s one thing, and then another. These things can pile up like a game of Jenga. It only takes one extra block to make it all collapse. Then, game over. You’re left with a jumble of blocks and possibly a sliver.
Here’s the interesting thing about stress. The block that causes the big Jenga tumble can be tiniest event or hiccup: an issue at work, a fender bender, meet the teacher night, leaves that need raking. Suddenly, everything becomes overwhelming and all you want to do is huddle under the covers. And stay there.
I practically emptied the hot water tank as I steamed up the shower today, cataloging recent events and to-do lists. I won’t get into the nitty gritty but I will say that things have been weighing on me and there have been One Too Many Things and my internal Jenga is at a tipping point.
I will say this, I know myself and I know what helps me cope: my Litebook (interesting how I posted about using it almost exactly this time of year two years ago), my vitamins, a good breakfast, my treadmill time, my daily dog walk. Also, I am having trouble sleeping, so I’m hoping to get into a better rhythm sooner than later.
In response to wobbly Jenga, I have upped my efforts and my focus. For example, I made myself a treat for lunch today; a salad with some of my favourite fixin’s…
There’s argula, Farm Boy apple cider dressing, goat cheese, diced apple, and candied pecans that I whipped up, just because I could.
Staving off Jenga collapse is not just about eating well and getting quality ZZZs and making to do lists. Fitness is key. I know this. We have a family YMCA membership but I’m just waiting for it to be confirmed through work at the moment.
Related: I have been thinking about something lately, and I wanted to run it by you Fishies. This may sound odd but here goes… does your inner self match what you project to the world?
What first got me thinking about this was an article I read awhile back about living with teenagers. The author wrote that teens have a tendency to rant and unload on their parents. This is a good thing. If they’re doing this it means they trust you. Here’s the thing: it’s easy for parents to fall into the trap of thinking that their kid’s venting/complaining is the essence of who they are. e.g. How could we have raised someone that’s so negative and ranty all of the time? So the best thing to do, apparently, is listen and offer support and not call them out on being complainers because it’s likely they aren’t. Complaining, ranting and unloading is just something they do at the dinner table because they know you’re listening.
When Mark and I take the dog for a walk I tend to unload as well. I haven’t seen him all day so I run through recent events and unpack all of my feelings. If I’m perfectly honest with myself, some of what I’m saying out load is negative stuff – complaints and grievances – yet at the same time, I know I am a happy person overall. If all I talk about are bad things – things that went wrong or that are annoying – that person will conclude that’s all I think about. But it’s not. I know I am content. Grateful. Optimistic. Satisfied with my lot. I see good, even when the Jenga blocks are wobbling.
There has to be a balance. You want to be honest with your loved ones and be yourself, but it’s important to share the good things that happened during the day and not just a list of annoyances that float to the top of the pile and push the other stuff down. Maybe the next time we walk the dog or sit down to dinner I will start with the best thing that happened to me today. What do you think?
