This is probably a no-brainer, but it’s helping me. Yesterday I was lamenting (rather childishly) the fact that my workload is large and my time to do what I like is small. John asked what he could do to help me. I was crabby, so of course there was no solution, because if there’s a solution I have to quit pouting.
But, I think I figured out a good way to psyche myself out. It’s similar to setting the clocks five minutes ahead or having a ‘cushion’ in your checking account, since you know you’re sort of fooling yourself, but those sorts of things work for me. Instead of just a ‘to do’ list, I am adding things I want to do. It may be written or it may be in my head, but I’m putting things I like on my list. So far they have been part of what needs to get taken care of anyway, but I’m selecting stuff I like. Yesterday it was making potato salad and banana bread; today was cutting back and weeding the teensy patch where the lavender and poppies are, and pulling some weeds in the back yard while the girls played in water. Totally improved my outlook.