Grace Happens.
How I wish that somewhere there existed an island for those that are wise and of good will.
Albert Einstein
How I wish that somewhere there existed an island for those that are wise and of good will.
Albert Einstein
Donna Lochner NCC, LMHC Counseling and Psychotherapy |
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Grace Happens.
How I wish that somewhere there existed an island for those that are wise and of good will. Albert Einstein And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
Anais Nin Have you had the experience of facing a mountain of paperwork, bills, or other not so fun household chores?
It can feel pretty overwhelming! Many of us believe that when facing the mountain, we MUST do it all before going on to something else. We get anxious about facing things or give up because it's too much. Chunking is a thought process where you look at the task (the one where you say ugh!) as a collection of smaller, more manageable steps. One way to execute chunking is to tell yourself, "I only have to do 20 minutes right now, then I can give myself a break". Sometimes once you get started you may find yourself on a roll and want to do more. But, (and this is a big but) if you don't want to continue after 20 minutes, keep your promise to yourself; take that break. That's a way to build self trust. Our inner selves tend to act out when we promise ourselves something and renege. It can be like a 2 year old whipping herself into a tantrum. Secondly, to execute, you can decide to pay 2 bills now, fold one armful of clean clothes, pick up 3 items from a bedroom or kitchen that live somewhere else in the house. Little bits really do matter. They add up. There are so many ways to chunk down tasks we don't like to do. I'm not a fan of doing dishes. When I started using chunking, I'd tell myself, "Ok, 10 minutes and if you hate it you don't have to do continue now". it's amazing how many dishes can transition from sink to dryer area in a short period of time! If you're a regular exerciser or a wannabe but you can't drag yourself outside or to the gym, try this. Tell yourself that you're going to where you don't feel like being, then that you have to do 10 minutes and can leave after if you want. If your insides are screaming "get me OUT of here", then go. Otherwise you could ask yourself if you're up for another 10 minutes. You may want to experiment and see how/if chunking gets you where you'd like to be, out from behind the mountain and breathing a sigh of relief. |
Donna Lochner
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