Stressed out of my mind…almost

Are you stressed this week? This month? Feeling overwhelmed by too many things? I am. Here’s why, and what I’m going to do about it.

• I’m ill. Very.
• My office moved. To a much-further location. Which drastically lengthened my commute and robbed me of my cherished commute with my wife.
• My new office is half the size of the ones I’ve had for a decade. It has no window. I suppose “cozy” would be a polite way to describe it. At least I have one.
• My carefully ordered files are in disarray because of the move, so my highly effective system of getting things done is significantly impacted. The system that manages my stuff has become temporarily untrustworthy.
• My boss for the last nearly-nine years retired.
• Dear friends are experiencing some very difficult circumstances in their lives.

Would I like some cheese with this whine? No, but thanks for asking. So, what’s my point? I don’t control these things. They are multiple externally-imposed stressors impinging on my feeling of effectiveness and my quality of work life. And, I’m pretty sure no one cares.

Have I really become less effective? Only temporarily and insignificantly as I, and several hundred other people, unpack. My system of capturing new items functions as well as ever. My system of delegating work and tracking what is due back functions as well as ever.


So, here’s what I’m going to do about it:

• Spend some extra time in prayer and centering, because they calm me
• Read my Bible more, because it brings me peace
• Remember to breathe, thanks to my stellar executive coach and another dear friend
• Organize my new closet masquerading as an office so it serves my needs
• Allow extra time each day to ensure actions are documented and follow-ups are scheduled
• Move down the ladder of inference, even though I can see better higher up the ladder

Breathe…otherwise, you’ll turn blue and pass out.

Andrew