How to slow down the continuous demands
Today’s problem: the tyranny of the inbox.
So many people say their inbox is driving them crazy, how they have too many emails, and that the demands are always coming at them. They are at the mercy of that inbox.
Well, I have news for you. You may not like this. Ready? It’s probably NOT your inbox. To address JUST the inbox, there’s lots of programs where you can go to inbox zero and you can have this system and that system and have it filtered, etc. Those things are really good to do. However, the problem is much bigger and much deeper. I say this with love: the problem just might be you.
It’s not that you are a bad person. I believe that we are all made in the image of the divine and that we are all amazing.The problem comes in when we sometimes overdo ourselves, get distracted, and we overfill our lives to such a point where we are so overloaded that all we can do is look at our inbox.
Think about a river, a river that is getting polluted. Sure, you can pick up the trash at the end of the river. That’s like dealing with “inbox zero”. Or you can go to the source and say, what’s happening? That’s what we’re doing today: getting to the SOURCE.
Let’s discuss three ways that you can look differently at your inbox.
- Dial into the FEELING of the inbox tyranny. If you feel that all you’re doing is reacting and all you’re doing is being in that inbox and dealing with that inbox, that is your sympathetic nervous system going full blast. Great news: you can reverse this.
We have four energy systems in our bodies, and the first energy system and the most powerful one is the sympathetic nervous system. That system is what keeps us safe. It’s why we run out of burning buildings without thinking twice about it. You are living with it and it is creating cloudiness in your executive function brain, so that you feel as though you are under attack. Just the anxiety level of it is big. So know that the sympathetic nervous system is on overload.
The way to calm it is to breathe and to give yourself grace and to do things that will calm you so that your sympathetic nervous system calms down and that your executive brain actually functions.
2) When you’re in Overload, you are in firefighting mode (this is related to number one). Firefighting mode feels really good, because who doesn’t love a good firefighter, right? He or she puts out the fires in the building. We love firefighters. However, if we are in firefighting mode all the time, guess what we’re not doing? We’re not doing our big, important work that requires that deep thought. What we get, however, in firefighting, is “wow, thanks very much for responding right away”. And that dopamine comes in, it’s like, woo, I’m a hero, I’m a firefighter and I’m doing it. And that’s addictive. We get this false sense of “I’m getting it all done.”
3) Remember, the inbox is the presenting problem. It seems as though that’s all you’re doing. And guess what? It’s because you are, that’s what you’re doing. You do have the power to decide. You get to decide to do something differently.
You get to decide whatever you want for your life. You get to decide not to “squirrel” in your inbox and go to other people’s problems (AKA Your Inbox) all the time. You get to be the king or queen of your own darn life. DECIDE is a big topic…bigger than this article. Read more on that here: UnScatter Your Entrepreneurial Life Guide.
Download and print that, and read it through. More importantly, do the exercises because it will help you DECIDE. Most of the time when we’re in our inbox, it’s because we haven’t decided to say yes to ourselves and our own priorities.
And please let me know what you think of the guide! Email me carol@unscatterme.com.
So, rise above your inbox tyranny and decide. Another way to move out of the chaos, with your friends, is to attend Wisdom Warriors.
In fact, tomorrow (Monday) is our Wisdom Warriors (the free monthly version of the UnscattereMe community on Facebook), where we will be addressing our issues with SQUIRRELING and how to turn that around!
I will teach, live, how to trust your gut when all you can think about is your failures, to capitalize on that last minute energy even when it’s not the last minute, and to really chase your dreams, not your squirrels.
Looking ahead, in September, I do have a paid workshop. So come on in while you get in for free! You can ask anything you want and it’s an amazing deal. https://eps-time.com/wisdom-warriors-welcome-new.html
It’s the best “lunchtime” hour of your life….or at least the month!