Do you ever find yourself caught in a vicious cycle of emotions?
Last week, I found myself stuck. My baseline anxiety level was a bit higher than I would have liked it to be. I was struggling to focus, which caused me to feel anxious about not getting work done. This led me to feel aggravated. This cycle continued for a few days.
I was tired and feeling pressure to get things done. Seeing that I wasn’t making progress caused my anxiety to climb. It felt like I was running really hard but getting nowhere.
In this type of situation, I tend to overthink and work harder. Instead of working late into the evening, I pushed pause and left my work in my office. I enjoyed time with my family. Instead of getting further stuck and frustrated, I let it go and tried something different the next day.
As I went through our application exercise for the week, I reflected on my emotions and reactions to those emotions. Looking back, I could see the anxiety, distraction, and aggravation. I saw how one led to the next one and the endless cycle I was stuck in. In hindsight, I could see how pushing pause and leaving my work in my office was a healthy choice.
Did I know that this was the healthy choice walking through it? NO.
I was sick of the alternative. I knew what it was like to overthink it and work late into the evening. It would lead to missing valuable time with my family and potentially being in the same position at the end of the day. Working harder with little improvement would only add to feeling more tired and anxious. This exercise taught me how to reflect and process my feelings in a healthy way.
How about you? Do you often find yourself stuck in a vicious cycle of emotions?
I would encourage you to find a healthy way to process your emotions. When you get stuck, push pause and be brave enough to try something different.
If you would like to complete this exercise, it is posted in the discussion space within the Overflow Community. Not a member of the community? Tap the button below 👇 to receive an invitation.
