Hey Space Makers,
I’m feeling rather scattered today.
I’ve had two migraines this week so I had to adjust my plans accordingly and now I have ended up with a day full of loose tasks, open loops, and a lot of waiting on bits of information so I can complete some of those tasks and close some of those loops.
This is not a fun feeling for anyone, I’m sure. For someone with ADHD, this kind of day can feel really out of control and bring up all kinds of bad feelings from before I knew why I had to work differently.
In the first few posts for this week, I was referring to managing expectations of future events but today, I am going to give myself what I need (in post form) and remind myself (and you) that it is a good idea to manage expectations in the moment (or at least in the short term), too.
What does that mean for me today?
It means acknowledging that my day is kind of a game of pick-up-sticks but that I don’t have to win the game, I just have to play it.
It means accepting that my plans for the day may shift around and some sticks may fall.
It means I may have to be strategic about which sticks I pick up – either going for the easy ones at the edges or being really careful with the ones that are worth the most points.
It means that I may have to lift up all the sticks and drop them again to get a different layout.
It means that each stick I can move matters, even if I can’t pick them all up.
And to step away from the analogy a little, it means that I have to add some extra fun elements into my day, I have to take lots of short breaks, and I have to pay attention to my progress* rather than focusing on finishing anything in particular.
Perhaps your day is less brain-scattering than mine but it is still a good idea to be kind to yourself about your expectations of yourself today.
Make whatever allowances and accommodations you need to in order to do the tasks that are most important to you and to your well-being.
And no matter what metaphorical game you are playing today, I wish you ease and peace of mind.
With that said, let’s have a look at today’s suggested videos:
Today’s movement practice is a 7 Minute Feel Good Workout at Home – Full Body Low Cardio Boost Energy video from Lucy Wyndham-Read. In this video, she’s adding a fun VR style element that shows her doing all the movements in virtual natural spaces. It’s a bit of a ‘real person in a cartoon world’ type of thing but very enjoyable.
Our mindfulness practice for today is a 3 Minute Breathing Meditation from Medistate Mind – I especially liked watching the (animated, I presume?) water in this one.
*On days like this I usually find a way to create a visual record of my progress in addition to crossing things off my list. Usually I draw a series of circles (or stars!) on my notebook and colour in one circle/star for every work session I complete. I use an app called Repeat Timer that lets me set a recurring cycle of 13 minutes work and 2 minutes rest for set periods of time. I like 13 minute sessions because 10 mins is too short and 15 is too long and because 13 has always been a lucky number for me.
