Friends,
Today we want to talk about freneticism.
Carrie here. Doesn’t it feel like we’re running, juggling and scheduling at a more crazed pace than before the pandemic? Case in point: As Emily and I talked about this newsletter edition by phone this week, one of us realized we were late for another call and hopped off. It was funny, we laughed.
But it’s not always funny. It could be seasonal holidays; it could be that end-of-the-year dash to finish work and personal goals; and/or, it could be delayed whiplash from switching into more routine pre-pandemic activities. Maybe all of this together is causing burnout, or a new layer of burnout on top of the height-of-pandemic burnout.
We know we’re not alone in this feeling. Some recent comments among friends: “Does it count if I do a Headspace meditation while driving?” “It feels like my nerves have lost their casing.” And not practical, but somehow reasonable: “What if we all took a break on deadlines between Thanksgiving and New Year’s?”
Over here, what we know for sure is that the chronic feeling that a wheel could spin off is creating some unease, or even dread. How many balls can a juggler throw around in the air before one falls? We are not keen to discover the answer. This is most definitely a sign that it’s time to reset.
Lo and behold! Here are our present thoughts on how to regain the ground beneath one’s feet. They are not particularly new, but it’s helpful to arrange them all here. Maybe there’s one you’d add? Please do! Send us a note.
Step One: Rediscover the to-do list. Make one, eliminate some less urgent items. Do the same with the calendar. Also, maybe it’s time to return to the paper-and-pencil calendar instead of Google Calendar and digital to-do lists?
Step Two: Exchange the ratios currently used for coffee and water. In other words, drink more water and less caffeine.
Step Three: Schedule focus sprints. Some people call this time blocking, others call it time chunking. Whatever you call it, focusing for one hour+ without distractions is a win.
Step Four: Use one of those focus sprints to brainstorm how we can build new systems that rethink the “we-give-110%” model in all areas of life.
Water Cooler Convo
Carrie: Emily! What do you think of the focus modes on the iPhone? I’m totally into it. But I also see how it’s a way to keep me tethered to my phone in order to focus. Ha! Also, this is random but I’d love to hear the BEST lunch you’ve made recently.
Emily: I kind of … love it? I like knowing when people text me past ~9pm, they know I’m not online, and I’m not ignoring them. And the best lunch recently ... You’re going to be disappointed but honestly it was this frozen Amy’s enchilada.
Emily: On this topic: I feel like when I’m in a frenetic mode, I turn to TV more than reading. Carrie, do you resonate? We finished Squid Game, and I just started The Morning Show.
Carrie: Glad you mention that observation — interesting! TV asks for less but doesn’t always deliver. That said, I recently watched Ted Lasso and loved it. Did anyone else see it as a retelling of Star Wars?
Carrie: In honor of COP26, here’s an incredible map that shows how close you are to industrial facilities that generate cancer-causing air pollutants. Many thanks to Kendall for flagging this amazing ProPublica work.
Emily: Isn’t nonprofit news amazing? ;)
That’s all for now, folks.
Your pals,
Carrie and Emily