You know the phrase…the one that never really has a punctuation mark. It starts off, “The simple things in life” and then there’s never a verb to complete the sentence. I truly believe that the simple things in life are the best! There’s nothing better than watching the sunrise or the sunset, or feeling the cool water from the beach or a stream in the middle of the hot summer. There’s a peaceful calm about feeling the wind in your hair or just sitting on a porch swing, swaying back and forth. The list of wonderful simple things goes on and on!
But then, there’s another list of simple things. That’s the list of simple things that are supposed to only take 5 minutes, and they end up having a glitch and it’s the center of focus all day long! You know those simple things: taking out the trash (only to have the bag break), printing your resume (and then printer jams and it runs out of ink), vacuuming the floor (the filter clogs, the bag is full, and Target no longer sells the parts), or changing the baby’s diaper (and they go again before you can get a clean one back on them). And everyone knows that when the computer crashes, or the electricity goes out, that everything comes to a screeching halt!
Looking back on those moments, it’s funny! But in the heat of the moment, it’s all you can do to keep from crying, laughing, and screaming all at the same time! So what are the best ways to handle these “simple moments” of pent up stress and frustration? Yeah, you can count to 10. But if that’s not the first thing that comes to mind, try one of these:
- Call a friend on the phone to talk to while you clean up the spill in the floor.
- Treat yourself to a fruity slush or other special sipping delight while you trudge to the store for that ONE item that you HAVE to have right then to function (you know- the trash bags to hold the sopping wet paper towels from the spill, or the printer ink so you can finish that 5 minute task that’s now taken all morning).
- Grab a tiny piece of chocolate and let it melt in your mouth while you attempt to not beat the printer to death.
- Walk away from it! The vacuum can just sit there for a while! The dirt certainly isn’t going anywhere! Enjoy a moment outside. When you come back and take a look at the problem, you may see something differently that you havent noticed before.
- Check something else off of your list that you CAN complete right now, and then come back to those tasks that just aren’t working out the way they planned.
- Shut a door to keep others from coming in and adding to your momentary stress.
- Ask someone to come and help you. This can range from a co-worker who can listen and pass along a tool to getting a repairman to come and just do the job!
And if you have another way to handle your stress in an exasperating situation, just comment below! You may help to make someone else’s day!