regaining some perspective

Today I will be busy. Busy and stressed. The sprogits are going to spend the day with the Grandparents and I am going to try to read and notate another chapter or three of my textbook. Note for anyone thinking about studying at degree level: I do not advise having a major burn out mid-module and leaving half the textbook until the two weeks before the exam. Bad planning on my part. Not that I planned to burn out. But even so. Not good.

TWO WEEKS LEFT!!!

Anyway, I am seriously panicking over the amount of work I have left to do, and putting additional pressure on myself because I feel guilty about not being able to spend as much time with the sprogits as I would like. I am trying very hard to maintain perspective, but it just seems to get lost in a swirl of stress and worry and guilt and aaaaarrrrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhh!

So, one thing at once.

Two Weeks Left!

Firstly, we are still deschooling, so there is no pressure to do lots of focussed activities with the sprogits. Even if we were done deschooling, there still wouldn't be that pressure - we could be following an autonomous path. Plus I am not neglecting them. They are fed, clothed, owwies are kissed, broken legos are mended, arguments are refereed and cuddles are available aplenty. So I'll throw that one away.

Two weeks left.

Secondly, two weeks is loads of time. Fourteen whole days. And I am a reasonably intelligent person, with fairly good organisational skills and access to excellent resources. If I sort myself out and kick the procrastination fairy up her poxy backside then there's no reason why I can't get all the work done.

Two... weeks...

Here's a tip I gleaned from another blog for when you're stressed, or angry, or losing sight of your goals, or just feeling a bit worse for wear...

Take two minutes. Set the timer on your cooker, or your watch, or your phone. Grab a pen and a bit of paper. And write down everything that you are grateful for. Gratitude for the things we take for granted can help to remind us of all the good things we have, the things that tend to get forgotten in the midst of revision stress, or bickering children, or feeling under the weather. So here's mine:

My two minute grateful list

my fabulous parents for taking the sprogits while I study

my sight

the fact that I can access study materials to better myself

electricity to power my computer

breakfast

cups of tea

my wonderful sprogits making my life magical every day

my comfy bed

hair bobbles

dangly earrings

Zoflora

sunshine

good music

raspberries

You can think about and write a lot in two minutes. You could write more than that if you spend less time than I do correcting typos. For some reason I can't just leave them...

Anyway, now I can take on the rest of the day feeling a bit more balanced. Bring it on.