It’s been an interesting few months for me. I keep running into Life Events that throw me for a loop. From being sick, to providing end-of-life care to a relative, to suddenly getting ready to up and move across the country, the “fun” just doesn’t stop. And that doesn’t even include the work things and extra projects I’m involved with.
As a result, I’ve had to become adept at handling the little curveballs that life keeps throwing. If you want to stay sane during times when life becomes unexpected, here are a few things to consider:
Take Care of Yourself
The very first thing to do is take care of yourself. This can be hard to do when you feel as though you are being run ragged. After all, you don’t have time for adequate sleep, and you might not be able to make healthy meals. I’ve been determined not to let my health slip, so I’ve tried a couple things to at least provide myself with some self-care right now:
- I start each day with 10 minutes of exercise. I can take 10 minutes to get the blood flowing — even if it’s low-impact, like yoga.
- Remembering to take it easy for at least 30 minutes. I do a little meditation during the day, and try to take a break for lunch. I make it a point to read for pleasure during lunch, and to relax a little bit.
- Get at least six hours of sleep. It would be nice to get seven or eight hours of sleep, but I’m trying to be realistic. If I can get six hours of sleep at night, and then start my day with exercise, and do some meditating in between, I usually manage ok.
The reality is that you need to take care of yourself if you want to be able to cope better and keep your relationships intact. Make it a point to carve out at least some time for yourself, and you’ll find that other things tend to fall in line. You might not watch as much TV as usual, but you will likely have time to take care of the important things.
Prioritize Your To-Do List
Some things just fall to the wayside. When life is throwing you curveballs in quick succession, you can’t do everything. Recognize that, and then figure out what’s most important to get done. Do those things first, and if you can’t get to the other items on your list, let it go.
I had to let a few things slide recently. I felt bad when I had to tell others that I had to change things up, but it was necessary for my sanity. Communicate with others and keep them in the loop so that it doesn’t completely blindside them. It’s never fun to go this route, but you need to take care of the most important items, and then move forward.
Giving yourself permission to take care of your basic needs, and giving yourself permission to let the less important things slide are both important to coping with the unexpected.
