The Dark Side of List Making
But on with my comments on Life Work Balance and The Dark Side of List Making.
August 24, 2008Sometimes, little things can affect the balance, as illustrated in this story.
For years I suffered from what I called "Sunday Stress Syndrome". About the time that stopwatch on the Sixty Minutes TV show started ticking, I'd become aware of a tightening in my shoulders and an unidentified, low-level anxiety. I was dreading Monday and deep breathing didn't help much.
Eventually I figured out at least a partial answer to the problem. I realized that every week I'd make a killer list of all the things that I wanted to accomplish that weekend. Of course there were errands, chores, things we needed to shop for, kids activities, etc. I'd list some creative things I'd want to do, and an area or two of the house to de-clutter. Don't forget laundry, a few minutes to read the Sunday paper and maybe a cookout with friends. There were always home maintenance things waiting to be done, homework to help with and - gasp - some of my own homework I'd brought from the office. It was true that no human could possibly accomplish everything on that list.
By the time the weekend was winding down, there was still many undone things on that pesky list.
When the Sunday Stress Syndrome became so familiar that I'd given it a name, I also started to try to figure out if there was anything that could be done about it.
So I stopped making the list.
No more list. No more Sunday Stress Syndrome!
The interesting thing was, I got the same amount or more accomplished every weekend, even without the list.
If you want to combat Sunday Stress Syndrome, do the following before late Sunday evening:
1. Decide what you'll wear the next day
2. Preload the car with anything you need to take with you Monday morning (dry cleaning, papers, even the briefcase)
3. Make your lunch if you brown bag it (the kids can make their lunches the night before as well)
4. For extra credit, turn the TV off by 7:00 p.m., take a bath by candlelight, read to your kids, and go to bed an hour earlier than usual! :)
Kindest regards,
Sheree