Yesterday, I finally got to swim in a pond- my first time this summer!
It was big fun and it felt summery and relaxing and like I was letting out a breath I had been holding for a long time.
And it was all because I decided to reprioritize my summer fun.
Last month, I set out some kinda detailed but fairly flexible plans and I thought I was off to a good start on my summer.
But then some work projects went off the rails, and my foot started hurting, and the weather kept getting in my way (too hot, too rainy, too windy…you know the deal), and my weekends and evenings were crammed full of stuff and…
The short version is that I got overwhelmed.
And once I got overwhelmed, my ADHD went into overdrive and made it impossible for me to tell the difference between ‘meh, I don’t wanna’ and ‘this is actually an obstacle.’
And, as usual, it kept trying to get me to finish the stuff on my list before it would let me go into relaxation mode.*
Note: You might think this tendency is about needing to be productive or to really earn my rest, but that’s not the goal there. Instead, my ADHD wants me to finish this stuff so when I do rest, I can ‘really relax without this stuff hanging over my head.’ Alas, it also gets in the way of me actually finishing the stuff so it simultaneously keeps me from working and keeps me from relaxing but pressured me about both things. (This situation is just as fun as it sounds.)
I have been doing some fun things and relaxing here and there but I haven’t been able to really get into the plans I laid out in that post.
Here’s how things have stacked up so far:
I’ve been doing some relaxation exercises (imagine how tricky the past month would have been without them!)
I haven’t done any cycling.
I’ve done some yoga on the patio but not the 3-5 times a week I had planned.
I haven’t done any hiking.
I’ve done some hula hooping and had fun with it – I’m not any better yet, though.
And until yesterday, I hadn’t actually gone for a swim in a pond this summer.
Luckily, last Friday, my friend sent me a message asking me to hang out and swim with her on Monday afternoon.
My instinct was to say no but when I looked at the date on the calendar I realized that we’re well into July and I have barely done any of my summer fun!
That realization pulled me out of my ‘don’t relax until you can REALLY relax’ loop and reminded me that stopping to rest and to have fun is not only good in its own way, it might actually help me be able to focus when I head back to my desk.
So, on Monday, instead of trying to work on ALL OF THE THINGS, I picked three main things, worked on them until noon, had lunch and then headed out to see my friend.
I basically made fun my priority for the afternoon and I followed through.
And I had a glorious time alternating between being a pond creature and a creature who eats chips and chats with her friend.
Both of those are good creatures to be.
