Return to Ease

As I've said, this summer has been "busy". I am feeling stressed by the nagging sensation that I am behind on responsibilities, and also the feeling that I'm not taking time to enjoy summer days. 

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and prepare for Grandson fun and for a return to ease.

Agenda:
1. Read "The Sweet Spot"

2. Plan for summer ease

3. Big outdoor building projects

1. Read "The Sweet Spot":

I'm reading this book by Christine Carter (2015), about "How to Find Your Groove". The thesis is that when we hit from our sweet spot we have optimum power and the greatest ease. "Being in our sweet spot is a felt sense; we know intuitively that everything is aligned. Our sweet spot doesn't require conscious thought; our unconscious mind tells us that we are there..."

Chapter 2 is The Stress / Success Tipping Point. She talks about how stress affects us physiologically, including our brain function. And how we face hundreds of stressors in modern life - so many that we become physiologically (in effect) allergic to stressors, and our bodies produce bigger and bigger responses to smaller triggers until we are having a full-on fight or flight response to spilt milk.

We must find healthy ways to counteractive the stress response, practices that produce the positive emotions that have an "undoing effect" and return us to ease fastest. 

2. Plan for summer ease:

The rhythm of summer is pretty fast-paced - we have lots of adventures and social events planned, which can be stressful for an introvert. Also, I'm acting clerk this summer, which comes with loads of tiny tasks and emails to answer. I need a plan for how to stay centered and calm, and remember to enjoy all the summer fun! 

Here's my plan:

• Keep a list of tiny tasks and get them done early and daily during my "Clerk Hour".
• Schedule an actual 15-minute slot twice a day to answer emails and get caught up.
• Remember to relax into summer kid time and engage with the fun (rather than being an observer).
• Plan some fun times in nature with just myself and W - time with no kid responsibilities.
• Pace myself. Disengage from the action and take breaks to walk in the garden or retreat to my room.

3. Big outdoor building projects: 

My house care theme for this month is to get started on some big building projects - repair a windowsill, clear out the studio and build new shelving, repair the back deck, and reorganize the outdoor storage area. These are joint projects and my role is organizational and visionary.

This week I plan to:

• Get bins for studio
• Measure shelf space
• Research outdoor sheds and draw a plan
• Begin to clear all top shelves and counters into new bins
• Text about windowsill and broken window