“There I am, fully immersed in my work, and then more work comes along as if I had seen the finishing line, but somehow it’s stretched out further. It feels like the day will be longer than necessary, and my boundaries are slightly shaken. The brain has reached its capacity; I am feeling burned out and tired mentally, like one has run a full marathon but needs to run an extra ten more miles to get the job done. The bandwidth is completely stretched; I am maxed out – here comes the incredible Mr. Hyde.
At times, I often have it all worked out. If I have a strong Monday, the rest of the week should flow, in theory. Not always the case, as life likes throwing its little curveballs, and sometimes they are often bigger in size in the form of waves – they try to knock down your spirit – that requires a little more effort to rise up and back on track. Often, I have found life’s challenges difficult to face, but there needs to be room to allow these additional challenges to be overcome.
I have found the concept of mastering both time and energy essential when dealing with unknown curveballs. It’s about making sure that I can focus on what is priority and delegate other tasks for different days. Let me introduce the firelight concept – something that needs to get done right away and is therefore urgent and should be accomplished first hand. Anything that comes your way in second waves needs to be done either later or on a different day. Give yourself time and breathing space. I have found that even getting away from the desk, the task or individuals often helps.
I have found that self-criticism often comes after the bandwidth, often in the sense of a feedback loop from hell. Thanks, Mark Manson, for pointing that one out. This is where we have to press the reset button, and this button is often used quite regularly, especially when we need to change our routine and try something a little different.
Then there is uncertainty, the messy middle, not knowing, unsure, the unrest, the “what the hell am I doing moment”. Often, our goals and values are something we can fall back on, but sometimes there is a dilemma, and we don’t know where to go. Often, I have found that regular action towards the unknown creates the known, and the fear and anxiety diminish.
The last point to developing a better bandwidth would be to seize the opportunity and go for it. I have often found that life continues and it waits for no one. Opportunities come and go, but every now and then, and I mean there are points in our life, there is that special fish moment – go for it, because they don’t come by too often. Then, you can live with no regrets. On the flip side not going for the right opportunity will lead to additional disappointment and unease.
Solutions, please?
Well, I would say that the first solution would be to give yourself a time-out. Even a 15-minute break can give you space to think, chill, reflect, and observe objectively. It sort of gets you out of the stiffness of your own mind. Second, create a new routine – try something different, speak to someone, journal, express it out in a constructive way until you can find a new game plan that is more productive and intuitive. The bandwidth comes unexpectedly, so the best thing you can ask yourself is: what will be the best course of action moving forward? Once you have taken time out and allowed your mind to be a little clearer or given more leeway, then what’s the best thing you can do moving on from a setback? This will be your best friend in overcoming setbacks faster.