Given that we all lead very different lives, we all have our own kind of “busy” to manage. Whether it’s accumulated e-mails, phone calls to return, filing, bill-paying, or scheduling, these are all things that require our eventual attention.
So, what’s your “catch-up” day? Or do you even have one?
From time to time, we all get back-logged with life in general. How we choose to “catch up” is clearly personal. You may have loose ends to tie up at the close of a week, or you may be managing what I refer to as, weekend residue. You know what I’m talking about, it’s that kind of leftover “clean-up” after a busy and hectic weekend that you avoid tackling. And then there’s everything else in between, right?
The day you prefer to “catch up” with yourself is really irrelevant. The key is to “schedule” it to happen or it likely won’t happen at all.
Starting a new week with a clean slate feels great. For me, I tend to “catch up” with myself on Sunday nights. At an early age, I was programmed to organize and prepare for school (no surprise how I inherited the organizing gene, lol). It punctuated the end of the weekend, and a start of a new week ahead. This usually meant dinner at home and early to bed. It was a time to gather, clean up, and shift my focus. I raised my children in the same way and although it was an unpopular job, I chose to be the enforcer of these dreaded practices.
My children are grown now and although I no longer have to micro-manage their routines, I’m still a creature of habit. Sunday nights sometimes still feel like “school nights,” and admittedly, they trigger some adolescent anxiety of “Sunday Night Stress” of years ago. I have tried to change it up a little and “catch up” during the daytime, and opt to go out to dinner or even catch a movie. I’ve noticed that those nights feel very different. It stretches the weekend and relaxes me before a stressful week. Have to be honest here, while the idea is great, these opportunities are few and far between on a cold winter’s night. I’m just as happy to declare Sunday a snuggle and catch-up day and never the leave the house at all!
Funny that as routine-oriented that I am, Summertime brings on a whole new energy and so my “catch up” days are not as fixed. With the longer days, I feel more flexible with my schedule and break down the “catch-ups” differently. Since I love to be outside, I prefer the “catch-ups” that can be mobile; the opportunity to do so outside by poolside is way more enticing than a mandatory lock down inside. Less stressful and equally productive 🙂 I opt to save the paperwork and housekeeping for a rainy day or evening.
What seems to be abundantly clear is that we all need a day or two to “catch up” in order to “keep up” with our busy lives. If we fail to do so, things will surely pile up and then we are in danger of chasing our tails. Overwhelm can easily ensue. “Keeping up” is really about maintaining a healthy life-balance that will keep our stress level down.
I have polled this question to many friends and colleagues, and have gotten a myriad of responses. My findings were that those who work from home, or not all, a significant number of people prefer Mondays as their “catch-up” day. What’s yours? Do you have a “catch -up ” strategy to share?
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