NGL… Yesterday, the aforementioned colleague and I nearly fell out. We were working at very different paces, and I could handle it for the first 4 hours (without a break or getting up from my chair…) and I felt some of the camaraderie and flow of above, but as we floated on past the time I’d said I would have to leave without our having finished at all, and it was then assumed I could just give up my Sunday for the project too (because she was taking much longer than we had planned to finish her elements), I started to unravel and my frustration started popping out through the seams. Eventually, I said bleakly, “I think I should go. I’m clearly too tired to do this properly.” and I gathered my stuff and hustled frostily out. :-///
The thing is we have different working styles: my style is to work out what time I have, and then work like a ruddy turbo-charged bunny to get the thing done in the time available. (And I very rarely cancel on social activities or volunteer work ‘because of work’ because I take care to manage my workflow so that largely it stays within work hours, even if that means I have to push.) My colleague takes time to ponder and relish and mull over. It means that to meet our project deadline, I’ve therefore done most of the work. On turbo-charge. Which is not good for my health.
And your learning is?
Collaboration can be exhausting. For me.
And the MindWeed at hand is…?
The MindWeed is: My notion that ‘I can’t do it alone. I need a collaborator to work with to get stuff done, and to navigate the sales and the clients…’
BUT, I don’t with the Self-Coaching guru (which I now have as a spreadsheet).
I’ve been thinking about how I work in two quite intense, and polar opposite modes -which I can call INHALE and EXHALE.
This writing happens in EXHALE mode… Super open, free-ranging.
My comms and work to deadline happens in INHALE mode…. requiring tightening of focus. I need to get into INHALE mode to finish everything today.
Remember to embark on your day after zazen practice…
***Zazen15minTimer***
Arising……. This in/out focus is the antidote to some of the MindWeeds around procrastination, or lack of self-direction….
NOTE: Inhale
NOTE: Exhale
NOTE: Inhale – sensations of gathering, growing, strengthening, uplifting, focusing, directing, ‘golden anchor’
NOTE: Exhale – sensations of grounding, settling, unwinding, opening, listening, forgiving, ‘dropping anchor’
NOTE: Inhale mode – prefrontal cortex engaged, momentum building, accelerating round bends, executive functioning, mental director sets the stage, boundaries clear, target set, active, no multitasking thank you (Activities include: work, comms, working to deadline, navigating tasks)
NOTE: Exhale mode – completing the stress response cycle, replenishing, applying the breaks, cruising in neutral, resting, recouping, processing, parasympathetic state, passive, receiving, multitasking in Harry Potter mode is fine… (Activities include: QT, time with G, eating, resting, relaxing, reading, daydreaming)
This is so helpful in terms of my immense challenges (and opportunities) with task switching. And a good potential antidote to:
- excess inhale (turbo-charging, efforting, pushpushpush, scanscanscan)
- excess exhale (swimming in imagination, not grounded, avoiding tasks, letting QT or social media eat up my time)
NOTE: Inhale
NOTE: Exhale
Ok. Will do that today. Ty. And I’ll seek balance of both. No excess. Maybe Noting Exhale will make engaging with and stopping Noting Inhale easier. This is about safe and sensible executive functioning.
Letting your Self-Coach be your guide as to when to switch from Inhale to Exhale Mode.
It is getting ‘stuck’ in either Inhale Mode or Exhale Mode that leads to exhaustion, overwhelm, adrenal fatigue, frustration and panic. Your system will trust you better, and be more willing to switch task, when you demonstrate that you can and will and do keep your Inhale Mode and Exhale Mode in equilibrium – like lungs expanding and reducing, like the waves ebbing and flowing, like the sun rising and setting, like the swinging door opening and closely. Movement eternal.
Note: Inhale. Note: Exhale.