Yep. It's Monday again. For me, the "Monday feeling" started as a growing sense of overwhelm yesterday. Quite often, that overwhelmed feeling takes up residence in my mind on Sunday nights. (Insert sleepless Sunday nights here, followed by fatigued Monday mornings). That's not a helpful combination.
Very much like calculating the percentage of time that any particular (usually daunting) task takes in your life, another technique I use to reframe and reduce my feelings of stress is to create "slices of time." Not to be confused with time management methods, the "time slice" concept is more of a mindset for creating space and mindfulness amidst the things you need to accomplish on a daily and weekly basis.
Here's a real-life, real-time example of the "time slice" approach:
I welcomed a new puppy (and additional sleepless nights) into my home a few days ago. Yay! She is irresistibly cute, but her attention span is, well, that of a 3-month-old puppy--not long! As I sat down to write this she immediately needed my attention. I quickly jotted down a few ideas, knowing I needed to take her outside right now, and that I would return to this when the situation was less urgent. The puppy got what she needed, I avoided cleaning up a mess, and I was able to get in some movement while walking and bonding with her. Win, win, win.
The "time slice" approach to reducing overwhelm is more about the quality of experience than the quantity of things accomplished on any given day. A major section or "supreme" of the "time slice" approach is being fully present with each slice. Similarly, Integral Life Practice (ILP) offers a "Gold Star Practice" called One Minute to Full Presence which incorporates a very similar concept emphasizing quality over quantity in a very short period (or slice) of time. The "time slice" mindset is about creating the juiciest and best experiences and outcomes during our daily lives while reducing stress and anxiety.
Keeping today's "time slice" short and sweet, this week's suggested reflection: How juicy can you make your time slices this week? How does this approach sweeten your experiences and reduce feelings of overwhelm? Feel free to share!
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