by What is your strategy for managing the pressure of all the responsibilities you “have to” do? Do you feel a sense of urgency or anxiety just short of panic when deadlines approach?
- Have you found yourself counting the pages left in the chapter instead of just enjoying the book?
- Have you been in heavy traffic and tried to push your way through the car in front of you?
- Have you had a list of obligations such as writing reports, returning phone calls, or returning emails that seemed overwhelming?
- Have you avoided tasks that may take a long time?
The effort of the task is what it is. If you have to read a chapter in a book, the reading of the chapter will still exist whether you feel anxious about it or not. Feeling anxious about it just increases the emotional expenditure and makes you feel tired, overwhelmed, and perhaps resentful. When we lay the added emotional burden of “have to” on top of the original task, we increase the pressure and “suffering”.
What if you read the chapter in a receptive, curious, and relaxed state? Your mind can absorb information easier when relaxed than when tense. You would probably be more efficient than if you kept counting how many more pages you had to read.
This concept was recently reinforced for me during a run last week. I was sprinting to a selected marker. As I approached the marker, I felt more fatigued and had to push myself to the line. On the final circuit, I changed the mindset. The new goal was to run until I felt like stopping. My stride felt relaxed and comfortable and I sailed past the marker effortlessly. It was the difference of enjoying the moment instead of trying to be “done”.
What skills would you use to ease the sense of pressure and overwhelm?