Under Pressure

“Can't we give ourselves one more chance?

Why can't we give love that one more chance?

Why can't we give love, give love, give love, give love

Give love, give love, give love, give love, give love?”

-Queen with David Bowie

These lyrics fully embodies the pressure we feel on a daily basis and the release we are continuously craving. Life shouldn’t be a series of breaking points though, although sometimes they lead to masterpieces like this song.

Wouldn’t it be great if you weren’t held hostage by your responsibilities and instead gave yourself a little more love? With all of the things we have to do and we have to say yes to, it might seem impossible to get out of situations, even at work. But that’s actually not the case. For example, how many times do you have a meeting, with no purpose, yet you waste your days full of anxiety in advance of that meeting? What if you could take back that time you spent obsessing over that meeting or get out of the meeting completely? It’s important to look at your life, not in black and white, but a process full of grey. And while it might be impossible to cancel that meeting now, there are always steps you can take to get there eventually? Setting boundaries for yourself is so important to relieve that overwhelming pressure. 

Let’s play out this meeting situation as an example:

You have a weekly meeting on Tuesday. A round robin of sorts where the pressure of being put on the spot every week (on Zoom no less) stresses you out and triggers your Sunday scaries EVERY. WEEK. 

• What stresses you out about this meeting? Maybe it’s feeling unprepared? 

  • ACTION: Take time to pinpoint where your stress is coming from. Maybe make a list and be honest with yourself. Then use that list to prepare for the meeting on Friday so that you have a plan going into the weekend. 

• What is the purpose of this meeting?

  • ACTION: If you run this meeting, ask yourself what is the point of this meeting. If you don’t run it, ask the person who does. 

• Are there other ways the purpose of this meeting could be fulfilled?

  • ACTION: Problem-solve an alternative. This is the tough part, or the fun part! Could you find an alternative way to have the meeting? Maybe it doesn’t have to be weekly. Maybe you could propose a less stressful structure? 

Try applying this approach to other aspects of your life that put pressure on you. Curious about my method? Sign up for a sample session or share this with a friend!