Stressed....? Who's stressed????

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So, I don't know about ya'll, but this semester is already off to a rocky start.  Instead of jumping into a brand new semester and academic year full of energy, hope, and excitement I've spent the last two weeks simply trying to breathe.  This is by far not the best time for a major asthma episode, and it has thrown everything into chaos.  Add in issues with the bookstore, late add's to classes, and all of the usual fun and fanfare that a new academic year brings... and, I'm exhausted.  And, I'm betting I'm not the only one struggling to get things on track.  So, I thought the best thing to do for today is to remember a few things that can help while we're in survival mode:

1) A fresh start is always available.  - If things didn't go as planned, use the afternoon to breathe and regroup.  And, start again fresh in the morning.  You don't even have to wait until tomorrow morning.  You can start fresh with your next deep breath.

2) Go slowly and breathe deeply. - Often if we take our time, we'll actually find that we have more time to get things done.  I know it sounds counterintuitive; but, when we rush we often make mistakes necessitating more time to fix these mistakes or deal with them.  By going slowly and mindfully, things will still get done.  And, they'll get done right the first time.  Even taking the time to plan can help save us time in the long run.

3) You only get so many matches a day.  Use them wisely. - Every day we wake up with a certain number of "matches" in our matchbook for the day.  Each one of them is a set amount of energy and attention that we have to burn during the day.  Once they're used up, we're out of energy for the day.  Some days we get a full book to use. Other days, maybe we didn't sleep well or we're not feeling well.  Then we only get a few matches to use during the day.  However many matches you woke up with this morning, it's ok.  "Start where you are.  Use what you have.  Do what you can."  And, then let it go.  That to do list isn't going anywhere.  And, you can always start fresh again tomorrow.

Welcome back to classes, everyone!

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