Three Things Thursday No. 15: Navigating Tired
Hello, my friend!
Welcome to the 15th edition of Three Things Thursday, wherein we talk about being tired and stay-at-home strategies.
I’m tired. Are you? It seems like I have been tired for days. Weeks, even. I didn’t really know why until I was emailing back and forth with a friend who reminded me of something: we are living through an epic, challenging experience. OF COURSE we are tired.
Because I work from home and I homeschool my kids, the day-to-day rhythms of my life haven’t changed significantly. I couldn’t figure out why I was so exhausted. I mean, there are things we’re having to figure out just like everyone else, like whether or not we need to stock up on toilet paper, whether or not we can donate our clutter right now, or whether we need to disinfect packages that we are receiving. (Unsure, not really, and probably not but we are anyway.) So there are things. But we are fortunate enough not to be suffering greatly. We are healthy. Our jobs are fairly secure. We’re already set up to be at home all the time.
So why am I so tired?
I think it is two things. So here’s those two things plus the third on how I’m responding to it.
Thing 1: Processing
Obviously for those on the front lines (in all of the ways that you can be on the front lines), this is huge. I have the utmost respect and awe for those who are fighting this fight every day either for themselves or for others. My thoughts and support are there every day.
But I also think the rest of us are taking a hit as well. We are processing everything we’re experiencing. We’re processing the heartbreaking news reports. We’re navigating the constant changes in what is and isn’t happening. We’re trying to keep things steady (if not exactly normal) for our families and make a million little decisions as we continue to collectively move forward through this experience. It takes energy and willpower and determination and fortitude to do all those things and they each take a little bit of your energy.
So yeah, we are all tired. It’s okay to be tired. It’s okay to recognize that you are not 100% right now even though you might just be at home with your family. Give yourself some grace, please. It WILL pass, eventually, but like grief, it is going to take its toll on what you have to give for a while.
Or, in Stardew Valley lingo, it’s like you’re getting an energy penalty every day. You just have to scale down your plans accordingly. (More on that in the P.S.)
Thing 2: Overcompensating
We are all wanting to see the opportunity in the crisis. I’m glad that we are like that. That’s a good thing. It shows how resilient, resourceful and hopeful we are. As creative, positive people, that’s one of the the things that defines us—one of our strengths. I love that about us.
BUT.
We can’t do it all, and we shouldn’t expect ourselves to be superhuman during this time. YES, do those projects you’ve been meaning to do. YES, start that book or finish that quilt or take up drawing or launch that business. Do all those things. Just don’t try to do them all at once or all day long.
The best way to tackle a big project is one step at a time. A small step, every day, day in and day out. Just a little step, nothing big.
For myself, I’ve been meaning to set up a section on my website with free quilt patterns and printable art and things just for you guys. I never get to it. Now I’m doing one TINY step per day. Today I did one configuration step. ONE. But guess what? I’ve been doing that every day for a few days now and by next week it should be ready to share! Success!! Baby steps work, my friend, baby steps work.
Thing 3: Responding
So, as I said back in Thing 1, this is an almost otherworldly time. We are all responding to the practical but also to the emotional and mental toll of living through this experience. We are navigating, every single day. Let’s be gentle with ourselves and just do one thing at a time.
First of all, focus on your family safety. Are you doing what you need to do to keep your family safe and avoid exposure? Do you have what you need to be fed, clothed, warm, safe, dry and deal with basic first aid while you are at home? This was definitely the first thing we tackled when we started hearing the reports back in January and February.
Next, focus on your health. Are you taking time to unplug each day? Do you have a practice such as journaling, meditation or prayer that you can do to stay mentally healthy? Can you figure out a way to do something physical to keep the blood moving? It doesn’t have to be huge, even marching in place will work. Just get UP. I admit I suck at this. I am trying. Every dry day I go in my backyard to work on the garden—I call that “gardencize.” If it is not dry I try to march in place while I am watching a training video of some sort—I call that “educize.” Some days I just don’t. But I keep trying. You should, too.
Then, comfort and fun. As a Gen X child, I am accustomed to fending for myself and always have several projects going. I’m good to go. Throw in some snacks, music and a few good books and seriously I could be at home for weeks at a time and not notice. Add in some good games, movies or shows and you won’t see me for months. Now that I’m saying that out loud, I’m realizing that’s probably weird. But I’m okay with that. I’m not the most exciting person in the world, but I’m definitely self-sufficient. ;-)
But what about you? What do YOU need? Project supplies? A new streaming subscription? Art supplies? Fabric? Pick a couple (like, two) projects and enjoy that exploration. Just, you know, slowly. :-)
That’s it!
This week it’s all about keeping it slow and steady during the crisis and being gentle with ourselves while we continue to be resourceful and optimistic.
What big project are you going to tackle while you stay home (in baby steps, of course)? Share in the comments or write me and tell me! I’d love to hear and I bet everyone else would, too.
You can also always find me on Facebook or Instagram!
Much love,
P.S. I think I mentioned this a couple weeks ago but my daughter and I have been playing this game Stardew Valley for several weeks now. I am not usually a “gamer” but having this happy place to escape to at the end of each day has been really helpful for me since this all started. I play on my iPad and my daughter on her laptop, and we share tips and clues with each other as we go. We are going to be launching a YouTube channel with videos about our experiences at the end of the month, so stay tuned to the newsletter postscripts as that moves forward. Oh yes, and the game is available on several platforms including iOS, Steam, xBox, PlayStation and Switch.
