the whole plate.

Happy Friday!  Today is another installment in the “Staying Balanced” series.  

The holidays are underway – one of the busiest and often most stressful times of year.  Everyone will be faced with traveling, office parties, family gatherings, friendly affairs.  Gifts need to be found and bestowed, elaborate meals planned and cooked.  I know I can always use some reminders to keep myself balanced this time of year, not necessarily in terms of food, but in body and in mind.  This series aims to do just that.

The title of this post might seem a bit counterintuitive.  This blog is all about balance [as am I]; this series is all about relieving stress and maintaining calm.  And yet, I am supporting procrastination.  Makes little sense, right?

I have been going almost entirely nonstop since I boarded the train to Connecticut the day before Thanksgiving.  The week was full of back-to-back social commitments, which, while wonderful, didn’t leave much of the “me-time” that I require.  I arrived back in the city on Sunday without a moment to spare, and in the midst of this week, I’ve been working, writing, blogging, negotiating and signing a lease for a new apartment, preparing for and going on several interviews, attending multiple networking events, and even attempting to maintain a little social interaction.  I’ve continued to wake up for long yoga sessions and cook myself homemade, though quick, dinners.  

Basically, it’s been madness that will only continue straight through my move at the end of the month [we're moving down the block, so that's slightly less stressful].  It’ll all be worth it when I finally have some structure and professional progress in January, but for now: the madness reigns.

a little breakfast procrastinating

With a schedule like that, there really isn’t time for procrastination.  If I lay in bed too long, my yoga time gets cut short.  If I chat on the phone, I might not be able to tackle the professional emails I need to get out [I'm already behind on the friend and family ones - sorry, guys].

Yesterday, however, as I was eating breakfast and sorting through my inbox, my fingers clicked open a tab for my Google Reader.  I spent the next ten minutes reading a couple blogs.  I left a comment on one.  I glanced through my neglected Twitter.

For ten minutes, I ignored responsibility.  I clicked and scrolled; I read about food and fashion, performance and pictures.  For ten minutes, I procrastinated.

When I x-ed the window, knowing full well my time had long past run out, my mind was clear.  I needed those ten minutes – not to talk, not to deep breathe, not to think, but instead, to let someone else do the thinking for me.  I read other people’s thoughts, and I was able to briefly escape the intensity of my own.

Of course, the key with procrastination is to keep it short.  Open a blog, scour YouTube, read a piece of a magazine.  Whatever your method, just allow yourself to be imperfect, to not maintain your focus one hundred percent of the time.  And then, get back to work.

For me, those ten minutes were not a waste of time, but a worthwhile use of a tool.  My short moments of procrastination may have meant my breakfast dishes spent the day in the sink, but they also ensured my concentration and conviction were renewed.  I let myself be momentarily mindless, and afterward, I jumped back into my life, efficient as ever.

How do you procrastinate?

Missed Part 1?  Staying Balanced: Just Be

Related posts:

1. staying balanced: let go.
2. staying balanced: just be.
3. staying balanced: embrace the unknown.