Off the weekly work grid

4/17/2016

And ever so lazy

Winter feels officially over in Montreal. The weekend sky is blue, the sun is shining, the air is a lot warmer and the snow has melted (lots of snow still in the Laurentians). In spite of what should be energizing with this great weather and sweet smell in the air, I'm feeling lazy. I just don't feel like doing very much.

Admitting laziness for me is akin to facing the fear that every ounce of ambition, willpower and motivation I own will slip-slide away and I will be trapped in Dante's slackerhood inferno if I don't get cracking, moving and doing. In short, if I am not productive I am doomed.

Thankfully, I'm in the grip of this irrational idea for only a few fleeting moments because I'm a natural at cognitive reframing: I can change my mindset and find the positive or alternative explanations for most negative ideas.

I reframe by reminding myself that:

It is perfectly normal to feel a bit tired at the end of the work week
Hours of dance rehearsals and a recent 'performance' consumed all kinds of energy
After my Friday osteopathy treatment I feel mildly sore
Farmland benefits from fallow time so why can't I have it, too?
Constant planning, organizing and being on the move during time off is an over-valued compulsion
We all need to relax and have a change of pace -- noodling and puttering is good for you
Our brains need time off to recharge, to process and consolidate what we have been learning and thinking about all week

Regardless of your personal and professional challenges, it is necessary to lessen the unsustainable pressures and demands for output, productivity and efficiencies, especially when off the work grid for a few days!

What I have done today amounts to this:

Coached clients in Alberta and BC
Made a vegetable soup stock
Went for a walk
Wrote this blog
Ate handfuls of peanuts and raisins, gummy bears, and slices of baguette with cheese -- while watching birds at the feeder outside

It's been busy off the weekly work grid and ever so lazy -- a very good weekend.

Coach Minda

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6 Comments

Coach Minda

Building and sustaining relationships is central to my life. It is important to see people and things as they really are. I enjoy lots of different people and enjoy free and open discussions. I thrive on helping people resolve problems, turn around difficult relationships and see an optimistic future when others are stuck.

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Hughes Sirgent

4/17/2016 03:01:33 pm

Hear,hear ! If I were given to envy I might be envious of your productiveness . If ever you were to be consigned to Dante's Inferno , I would meet you in the First circle , where all the best people are . I love to sit on the dock of the bay !

4/17/2016 09:11:47 pm

If the best people are hanging out in the First Circle, I'll be happy to join you there! I never get tired of this song - a perfect fit for this blog. In spite of what seems productive, I felt lazy. Giving in to the feeling is what counts. Thank again Hughes

Lisa

4/17/2016 08:54:32 pm

Coaching clients in two provinces, making a vegetable stock and writing this blog is quite a bit of work for a Sunday. Maybe you were too productive:). I guess going for a walk in the country air and then eating those goodies gave you the peace of mind and energy to keep moving forward. Sounds like a great weekend! Always enjoy reading your blog posts!

4/17/2016 09:14:51 pm

I was thinking of you today Lisa and so glad to hear from you. If I look at what was done/accomplished today, I was 'productive'. I think giving in to my initial feeling of being lazy this morning opened up the possibility of doing what I felt like... with no pressure. It was a great weekend.

Miriam

5/2/2016 12:07:51 am

Very nice...I like the impicit/meta idea of reframing things we feel bad and making ourselves feel better. I think your approach included some generic ways of reframing, including
1. It's normal so don't beat up on yourself.
2. Or, there were some exceptional circumstances (e.g., all that dance) which explain the current situation, so don't beat up on yourself.
3. Good things (e.g., re-energizing, lessons etc.) come from what can seem to be bad experiences, so extract those.
4. The bad isn't so bad - sometimes it's good to do the opposite or something different from what you think is good which can in this and other cases mean a break..
Thanks for energizing thought and movement toward the light.

Coach Minda link

5/2/2016 11:17:02 am

Thank you Miriam!

I wonder too if reframing in some situations can be unhealthy or unproductive. For example, reframing to get yourself off the hook when you haven't adequately prepared, planned, practiced or applied effort to something?

Off the weekly work grid

And ever so lazy