How to Chill OUT when it feels like the world is coming at you!
Do you ever feel like this?
The world is out to get you and every turn you make there is another scary monster?
I am here to tell you you can make it through!
Trust me I have been there and if I have learned anything it is that when one thing goes wrong it seems like 5 other things go wrong as well.
Within a week last year I had missed a deadline, had a client call because a post had gone out with incorrect information, found out I was being sued, and logged into my bank account to find it was $0… thank you IRS!
Wow… I am sounding like a real winner here, don’t you want to do business together?
I was on the brink and had a fork in the road laid out in front of me. I could either melt down, call mom, curl in a ball in the corner and basically have a mental break or I could take a deep breath, put on my bad ass bitch pants, and get to work to clean up this mess.
I decided the latter.
Introducing Molly’s Steps to chilling the fuck out and getting shit done!
#1: Take a deep breath. I know it’s cheesy but seriously just do it and maybe take 5 but it does help and puts you in the space of it will be ok we just need to push through
#2: Repeat this mantra in your head when the stress tries to overtake you. “Stress is an unproductive emotion and is keeping me from being great! So get the fuck out of here stress I’ve got work to do”
#3: Make a list. Write down everything that is overwhelming you in that moment. And it might not just be work related, it might have to do with a personal relationship, whatever it is put it on the list.
#3B: Feel free to do step or skip it, put your list in order of most important to least. I personally have found my lists are already pretty much in order because what is weighing the most on me was the first thing I wrote.
Example of my list:
Fix the incorrect post / reach out and assure the client we have fixed it and will do better in the future.
Why is my bank account $0!!!!????????
Missed Deadline
Being sued, that is something I hoped would never happen to me but here we are…
#4: Repeat #2
#5: Start working your way through that list! With every task completed take that sharpie with as much gusto as you can and put a big red line through it. Repeat this method until all tasks are complete.
*Pro tip: rewarding yourself with wine (when the situation is appropriate) as you complete your tasks.
Professional tip: Decide at which bullet on your list you will reward with wine as not to start too soon so you pass out and don’t finish anything.
#6 Bask in the glory of a completed list!!!!
Now there might be tasks on your list that you couldn’t complete but you completed what you could do about them. For example when I was being sued most of the work was done by the lawyers I did not have much control over the situation however, I did what I could which was get them all of the information I had and organize it to perfection. Wether they used the information or not it made me feel a whole lot better that I had done all that I could do.
I know you are all dying to read how I handled having a $0 balance in my bank accounts… First I made myself a margarita (this was the only task I was attempting to accomplish that day and I felt that would only improve the situation). Long story short the IRS thought I hadn’t paid taxes so they went into my bank account, drained it, and after a four days of back and forth they realized not only had I paid my taxes, I had actually overpaid in taxes and they owed me money. So I got a little bonus for all of my stress.
Stress is an unproductive emotion and is keeping you from being great! So get the fuck out of here stress I’ve got work to do