When everything collides

With the pandemic disruption of the last two years I had forgotten just how hectic life can sometimes be. So many things were cancelled that it has taken me by surprise to suddenly be so busy, made worse by the fact that the children are now in different schools and there seem to be twice as many things to keep on top of. 

Over the last couple of weeks I've found myself getting a bit overwhelmed. I'm an organised person, and I don't tend to forget things, but I do have a bit of anxiety about being late for things which I can't seem to control. So I spend a lot of time fretting that I'm going to be late for something important, like a music exam or an optician appointment, and then turning up ridiculously early and berating myself for getting into such a flap over it.

We've also had lots of things that needed sorting out recently - we lost a roof tile in the storm, fencing came loose, guttering needed a repair and our car broke down again. I hate gearing myself up to making a phone call then having to leave a message and wait for someone to call me back at an unknown time! 

It all plays havoc with my mental health and stops me doing the things that help me to cope. It's far too easy to pull out my phone and scroll aimlessly through the news and social media as a way of distracting myself, even though it makes me feel worse.

I know all the things that distract me in a positive way - avoiding the news, playing the piano, reading a good book, splashing some paint around in my sketchbook or writing in my journal. It's just a case of actually doing them! I'm hoping that the next few weeks will be a little quieter and I can look forward to the Easter holidays!

Photo credit Masaaki Komori via Unsplash