Llewellyn's 2012 Witches' Companion by Llewellyn (chrome ebook reader TXT) 📗

share our experience of these hard times with others when we need a little extra help and support.

Take Time For Reflection

It’s easy to get tangled in the complexity of change. We forget to step back and look at the whole of our life—all the things that go into making our lives rich and full and meaningful to us. One easy way to avoid this is to find some time for reflection when we first start to sense that changes are in the air. Some people like sitting down and talking through changes with a close friend. Some people like writing in a journal. You might like to try a divination reading to help you focus your attention, or meditation or ritual to help guide you to the areas that need your attention most. Fundamentally, though, you just need yourself, some time, and some questions.

1) What makes you happy and feeds your dreams?

Our joys and passions are important, especially during challenging times. For some people, it’s creative work; for others, spending time with family, gardening, or another hobby. Write a list of the things you enjoy. Some items will take more time, energy, and focus than others. Brainstorm ways you can include these things in your life. If you enjoy music, listening to music has different demands on you than playing or writing it. You might enjoy cooking, but find that easy slow cooker meals fit your new schedule and energy level much better than preparing a fresh seven-course meal.

2) What must you do?

Obviously, it’s important to take care of our basic needs. That means everything from sleep and food to paying your bills. And for most of us, that means work. While we don’t always have a lot of control over the details of our work environment, there are often simple practical things we can do that can save our time and energy for other things. Perhaps changing how we get to work would cause less stress, take less time, or allow us to read or listen to music on the way. Maybe bringing our lunch would help us eat in a way that better supported our health. Maybe taking time to find a quiet corner and read or listen to music during a break would let us recharge. Perhaps going for a walk outside on break would be of more benefit than ten minutes spent surfing the Internet. Long term, be open to changes, maybe in what you do or where you work, that would better support your dreams. If you work in front of a computer, try evoking the different elements and their energies to balance yourself while you do what you need to do. Use pictures of an ocean or river for watery calm, a cozy campfire or hearth for fiery energy, a wind chime or streamers for airy inspiration, or smooth stones for earthy grounding. Or just put up a photo or desktop background that reminds you to relax and take a deep breath.

The same thing goes for home. Someone has to do the dishes, laundry, and other cleaning. However, a clear look at how we’re doing those things helps us find a great solution. Look at all the tasks you’re currently doing: do they all need to happen that often? If you live with others, check in about chore preferences. You might find out that one person hates doing dishes and would be glad to swap that task for something you dislike or find especially tiring. If you live alone, consider whether your budget could stretch to occasional cleaning help for the chores you really struggle with, or invite a friend over to talk while you do the task. This will keep you on track to stick to the task but distracted by your friend. Don’t be afraid to look for unusual solutions, either. I don’t have a dishwasher and kept putting off doing the dishes because I hated washing glasses by hand. I then decided to replace the glasses with ceramic mugs, which I actually enjoy washing. (And if I drop one, they’re much easier to clean up.) The point is to find ways to do what you have to do while either incorporating something you enjoy or lessening the time it takes to do it.

3) What time and energy is left?

Take out your calendar and list everything you need to do in an average week, including work (and your commute), household chores, meals, your shower or bath, and enough sleep. If you’re dealing with medical issues, factor in plenty of time for rest. Once you have your average week, look at the time you have left. A good rule of thumb is to plan events to take up about 80 percent of your available time so you have some flexibility. That means that some things you’ve been doing may not fit in your life right now. You’ll get more enjoyment out of one ritual where you are fully present than three where your mind is distracted by all the other stuff you need to get done. You can choose events that fit well in your calendar (at times you don’t have other commitments), or you might choose to have a busier Tuesday than you’d like, but leave Monday and Wednesday open, so you have plenty of time to prepare and recover.

4) Are there any other considerations?

A number of life events—grief, many medical conditions, medication, a new baby—can make us feel like we’re moving through a thick fog for months, right at a time when we most need to focus. There are lots of great resources out there for time management and handling commitments. A good starting place is David Allen’s book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (Penguin, 2002), but a search on “productivity” online will turn up lots of other options. Another good term is “lifehacking,” commonly used for tips and tricks that save time and energy in varied ways. Take a bit of time to research how you can