Little boxes everywhere
When I am stressed and have too much on my plate I organize through mental boxes. If my personal and/or emotional life is running heavy and hard and I have a deadline or just a heavy work load I have adopted this strategy that usually works really well for me. I give myself a little pep talk and if I can (carpooling does not fit in a box believe me I tried) I put it in a box for dealing with later. Kind of like a project bag.
Up until now this has proven to be a great tool for me. I either open them later when I have the time and space to deal or the lid pops of and the screaming gets my attention or (and this is my favorite one) I open the box and it is empty. Oh look it just needed a time out to right itself. How nice.
Lately there has been so much so fast and it just keeps coming, that I am a little concerned about the number of boxes accumulating.
A bit overwhelming.
This was vividly brought to my attention last night when my daughter Rabia walked by my desk on her way to the laundry room. She over heard me mutter to myself (we all talk to ourselves-no judging) something like “ just walk away… put it in a box and focus” assuredly accompanied by a few choice words.
I sensed that she had stopped and I looked up. She was watching me and shaking her head. I waited. She easily shares what’s on her mind with me usually only a matter of time. Time I obviously don’t have but hey what’s new?
Finally she said , “ Hey mom it seems that there is a lot of putting “stuff” in boxes lately and I am wondering if maybe you should be marking them. Do you mark them? Seriously how do you know what is what? What if one really should not be next to the other? I think it would be pretty awful if discord among the boxes was added to this mix. Also I am sure some of them are time sensitive right? What if one goes rogue? You love colour you could colour code them. That would work. Oh and by the way, I’m not in there anywhere am I? “
I have to admit for a brief moment after the hysterical laughter subsided I considered her suggestions. She’s a smart, funny young woman and very astute. She has built her own internal coping systems as we all do. So…she has a point .
I do love the colour coding idea.
Mostly though… I have decided that I might need to take a little time this weekend to clean out the closet.
ps Also have considered breaking out my therapist badge and marketing this as a colour coded stress coping system.
