I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.
Today’s tip is to have a no plans day and notice how that feels.
Incredibly hard for me to do this. I really, really struggle. How so? A little story.
After a volleyball tournament recently, an all day (5am wakeup, arrive by 7, busy until 330p), I got some food and drove home. I got home around 530. As I was close to home, my wife noted that the generator outside wasn’t working right and she was hoping to do a training session with a horse. Mind you, she was with me all day and then needed to go pick up this horse.
I was looking forward to unwinding at night, play a little guitar and rest. Instead, I got out there, dragged a second generator out there, hooked it up, tested lights, then dragged the old one in. I stood in the barn reading for about 20 minutes until she arrived. I explained how things were working, then went inside.
I could have told her we need to let this go for a day, but I didn’t. I had been somewhat productive coaching during the day, but it wasn’t enough. Not for her either.
This weekend I’m going to try this on Sunday. We are visiting our daughter in NY, and I’ll work Friday while she’s in class, and Sat we have plans to watch volleyball and go to a TedX talk. Sunday, however, I’m not making plans. I want to just see how things go, what my daughter wants to do and just flow with the day. No plans, no worries. If I work out, great. If not, no plans.