8 Ways to Face the Frazzle and Slow Down the Return to Real Life

When my children were small and had what we called a “melt-down,” my husband and I were quick to recognize what was going on. It was often a case of too much of something. Too much noise and activity, too many people, too many errands to run with the grownups, even too much fun and excitement. It was time for a nap, a rest, a snack, or just a quiet place. They were overstimulated, overtired, overscheduled, and just over it. They needed a time-out - in the best sense of the word.

Somehow, we fail to recognize in ourselves what we so easily spot in children. We overschedule our work days with a to-do list that is beyond impossible and then tack on errands and other chores at the end of our never ending days. We really need a time out.

The pandemic forced some of us into a slow-down of sorts. We worked from home or found ourselves temporarily or even permanently laid-off. Others, instead, found themselves even busier, with remote work layered on top of the new role of homeschool teacher. It’s been a lot. No wonder we are so frazzled and burned out.

And as we begin to move back into “real life” at varying speeds across the globe, we find ourselves facing more of the frazzle again. How do we truly slow down in a way that promotes both mental and physical health while at the same time staying energized and productive at work?  We want to be successful at our jobs and to move our bodies to stay healthy. We want to have quality time with our children and make plans with friends. We want to try out new recipes or start that new hobby. But we also just need a nap.

Whether you are slowly emerging from pandemic hibernation or struggling to keep up with your even busier pandemic life, here are some ideas to keep it slow and, in essence, to simplify your life. Mindfulness is a buzz word these days, but that’s really what it’s about. Paying attention to your life.

Here are eight ways to face the frazzle, slow down and simplify your life: 

1. Put down your phone. It’s at the top of the list. Those ever so helpful little gadgets can keep us from actually focusing on the real world around us. We’re constantly checking, clicking, updating, swiping, posting.  I know – there’s a whole world in there. But research has shown that all that time spent on screens, including Zoom screens, activates our stress levels, elevating adrenaline and stress hormones like cortisol. Try to find some time to disconnect each day. Take a walk without your phone. Turn it off for your lunch hour. (You do take a lunch hour, right?)

2. Let someone else go first. Yes. Step back in the line and let someone else go first. Use that minute to take a breath, to listen to the sounds around you. Don’t pull out your phone! Notice something new in the environment.  Play the I spy game with yourself using all the basic colors. I spy something red – easy to do in Canada. I spy something blue.

3. Go to bed earlier than usual. Read a book – the old school paper kind – if you can’t immediately fall asleep. Non-fiction works best for me. If it’s a good fiction book, I’ll stay up half the night to finish it!  Try a sleep meditation app like Calm or Headspace. Sleep is essential for lowering cortisol levels and preventing cognitive decline.

4. Turn off the news.  For you news junkies out there, limit your news/ twitter fix to three times or even just twice a day.  If it’s important, you will hear about it, I promise.

5. Practice mindful eating. This doesn’t mean that you must sigh rapturously after every bite. It simply means put down your phone, turn off the screens, close the book or magazine, and just eat your lunch. Notice where you are. What sounds do you hear? Leave your phone inside and take your lunch outside. This is a great time of year for that.  

6. Clean off your desk. Or clean up your kitchen. Put the dishes away. Clear some space. It’s amazing how different it feels to walk into a space that feels orderly and organized. It’s important to plan some time each time to reset your space so that you can easily find things. Nothing creates frazzle more than frantically racing to find something you’ve misplaced.

7.  Check in with your emotions. Writer Julia Cameron recommends morning pages– a great way to take your emotional temperature each day. Morning pages are three pages of stream of consciousness writing done first thing in the morning. It’s a way to check in with yourself and, even better, get those feelings and obsessive thoughts out of your head and onto the page.

8. Cultivate a joy practice. We seem to lose a bit of our joy as we grow up. Children know instinctively what they like to do. For most of us, our “joy” has gotten wrapped up in our shoulds.  Our joy becomes checking off things on our to-do list. Is that really joy?

   Try to remember what you enjoyed as a child. Rediscover what makes your heart sing. You may have to try things out to decide. Did you like painting as a child?  You may try it out again as an adult and find that you hate watercolours but love paint-by-number. Baking bread may not be your thing but baking chocolate chip cookies? Yes, please. Swimming laps may feel like drudgery but what about an outdoor spin on an easy bike path? Try out digging in the dirt, water aerobics, jumping in a mud puddle, lying flat on your back in the grass and watching the clouds. Make a commitment to try out one new potential joy practice each week.

Anita Flowers is working on slowing down her own return to real life.

Anita is a Board Certified career and life coach at Blue Sage Career Strategies. A little different than most life coaches, Anita’s background in clinical psychology and years of experience as a counselor gives her a rich understanding of human development and family dynamics. Her work history includes 13 years working with an international business company and 12 years doing individual and family counseling as well as career counseling. This blend of counseling and business experience gives Anita a unique perspective on the world of work and life. Anita works with people literally all over the world to help them discover a life and career they love. Contact Anita here to get started on your new career and life!