15 Minutes Keeps Me From Drowning
The 15 Minute blog
Are ya feeling overwhelmed my friends? Yes, me too. That seems to be my constant state of life, these covid quarantine life days especially, despite meditation, scheduling my time, 420, screaming into the woods, journaling.. and saying FUCK IT to oh, so many many things.
And more importantly, my stars be damned to do list is honestly about 8 pages long right now, and growing every day.
This solo mom quarantine thing is exhausting. Being 100 people, doing 100x things every day is impossible.
Each and every single day, there is ALWAYS shit that absolutely HAS to get done, and as that list grows and that overwhelming feeling gets bigger and bigger, there is only so much I can say fuck it to. And only so long I can ONLY focus on the bare necessities, IF that. Ha.
So I decided that when I DO feel froggy enough to get shit done, and when I am actively scheduling my life, I would try to do things a little differently, so as to lessen that overwhelming feeling. I’d work for 15 minutes. I would give it a shot, and it seems to be working so far, so I figured I would share.
My to do list items that NEED to get done, work, house work, cleaning, meditation, school work with the kids, yoga, hell, pretty much everything has begun to be chunked into 15 minute chunks. Just 15 minutes. That’s it, that’s all.
First, that seems to be about the guaranteed amount of time I can have to focus on something before someone needs me these days, or something happens, or my attention wavers, or I’m at my limit for what I can do mentally. This covid life is exhausting yo. And with limited sleep, rest time, and actual time to recharge, 15 minutes is also being kind to myself.
And secondly, as I have adapted to this “new” way of life, or as I am trying to adapt, I’m realizing that I can actually be very productive in 15 minutes. Either because I know I only have to be productive for 15 minutes, or because 15 minutes is enough time to be creative without that burnout feeling.
And yes, before someone says something, I DO get more than 15 minutes to get things done sometimes, and yes I do take more than 15 minutes for some things sometimes, but this is a generalization that works when I know it will work or when I am super overwhelmed. I know it’ll help someone. So I share.
Because it’s relieving SO much pressure from me. And every day, every few days, once a week, more and more, things are getting accomplished, and I am feeling less and less overwhelmed. And that also doesn’t mean I am starting 1635 extra projects only to get 15 minutes done here and there. I mean, on the shit that is important right now while I am drowning in covid. Or shit that’s going to make me feel better. Or help my children.
15 minutes can be a full load of washed dishes, or a quick tidy of my kitchen.
15 minutes can be the draft of a blog, or a quick sex scene wrote out.
15 minutes is time to ground myself to the earth, or garden.
15 minutes can mean cuddling and reading a book to my youngest.
15 minutes is a chat with a friend.
15 minutes can be quiet meditation and recharge.
15 minutes is about all my knees can take on the trampoline, haha.
15 minutes is quality time for my kids to share a story with me, uninterrupted.
15 minutes is a load of laundry started, flipped or put away.
15 minutes is time to watch a video with my teenagers.
15 minutes feels really nice to my eyes when they can close.
15 minutes is a shower and feeling fresh.
15 minutes seems like a short period of time to some, and yes, time goes by quickly, but 15 minutes is everything to me right now.
15 minutes keeps me from drowning.
And if this blog, which takes less than 15 minutes to read and share, helps someone, this blog that was thought of in a 15 minute shower, drafted in 15 minutes while my kids played in the yard, and typed out in 15 minutes while my kids had screen time, obviously at different times, ha ha, then my heart and soul are happy.
And now, I’m going to go take 15 minutes to be proud of me, and all I have accomplished, been through and survived. I am amazing.
Thanks for giving me 15 minutes of your time.
Much Love,
Author Carissa McIntyre,
Lady Mack Xo
