Survival.

Do you ever have those times when you feel you are at the end of your rope. There is just so much that needs to be done or dealt with that you a) can see no end in sight and b) can see no way out of it. Escape simply isn’t an option. You and you alone have to face the tasks that have been so graciously set upon your plate.

I have a few different ways that I deal with life at these times… or rather react at these times.

1- Auto Pilot. Like a wind up toy I just get up I the morning and keep on going. I find safety and comfort in routine. I try not to think about my list of things to do because then I will realize I’m walking along the edge of a cliff and if I may fall at any time. I just do it. I get things accomplished and by the end of the day things don’t look all that bad.

2- Analyzer. I prioritize. I take the list, dissect it and find out what is really important. I throw the lesser things out or push them to another time, another day. I find out what tasks upon completion would relieve the most stress.

3- Ostrich. I bury my head in the proverbial sand and hide from everything. I stay in bed. If I keep my eyes closed and lay in this safe warm place then things have to change right?

That is where I found myself this morning. As an Ostrich. The protective powers of the average blanket are amazing. They ward off monsters under the bed and the responsibilities of adulthood. But unlike monsters that go away with the coming of daylight, the responsibilities of adulthood stick around no matter how much light is in the room. In fact, sometimes they multiply.

Fortunately after ignoring the alarm clock for a bit longer than ever anticipated, I was able to get up and Auto Pilot kicked in. Life does go on and somehow we manage to keep going and even crack a smile every once in awhile. I am currently in my office, secretly wishing that Ostrich had taken a stronger hold and I was still in bed while writing this. But I am not. Like most of us hiding under the covers isn’t a luxury we can afford to have… at least not without some careful planning and scheduled time off. Is that what being adult is? Scheduling?

So, what do you do to get through the day? What helps you continue to put one foot in front of the other? Seriously, I want to know. I’m always on the lookout for more ideas to keep on going. If nothing else it makes me feel normal to know I’m not the only one that has these kind of days.