Is anyone else in this state of mind?
I rise, forget the shine, and ready myself for the day. The water boils for my first cuppa of tea, I pour it in my cheerful shamrocks mug and off to the computer I go.
Ready to face what lies ahead, I sit and focus on completing each task, one by one.
Then it happens.
One email shifts my planned direction. Another fire drill reaches me through Teams. The phone rings. Ask, after ask, after ask. Tab after tab is opened then I find myself distracted, overwhelmed and exhausted.
What was I working on?
Scattered. I’m suddenly scattered. I try to re-focus. Bright shiny thing over there! I attempt to concentrate. Message notification on Facebook. Moments pass – then minutes and hours.
What did I need to do?
Stretch break. Another cuppa. Shoot, I need to toss a load of laundry in.
What time is my next meeting?
The struggle is real. For a woman who used to be hyper-focused and on point, I’m scattered more often than not.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been working from home for a year come Friday. Maybe it’s because my schedule, like everyone else’s, has come to halt in some aspects and intensified in others. Maybe it’s because the walls that house me are closing in over time, a claustrophobia of sorts. Maybe it’s because there is no finite stop to the work day, so it’s mixed in with personal chores and commitments. Maybe it’s because I’m a 51 year old woman who is reaching that foggy, mid-life, peri-menopausal stage.
No matter what the maybe, things have to get done. So how am I working through my scattered state of mind?
Prioritization. What are the must haves and nice to haves for the day. What has to get done and what doesn’t.
Focus. Set times to check social media and take stretch breaks. Prioritize work time during the week and personal chores on the weekend.
Mindfulness. When I find myself drifting off and moving in another direction, I stop, breathe in then shift back to the task at hand.
If you’re like me right now, how are you handling this? What tips do you have to share that might help the rest of us?
