Interruption PTSD (Part 2)
My pet name “Interruption PTSD” explains the condition of your mind replaying the negative past sensation of being constantly interrupted, making you think it continues to go on when negative stimulus has actually stopped. My epiphany that I suffer from Interruption PTSD came after my coach gently challenged me. He suggested I may need to invest more time and make short-term sacrifices to achieve my bigger vision. He also said I need to master time management.
Unwilling to erode any further time away from my family, friend and personal time, I entered a period shrouded with nervous energy trying to figure out exactly what sacrifices my coach meant. (Even though we Catholics get the sacrifice thing, usually no one is real thrilled about making them.) In a recent time manager module, I learned that it takes 20 minutes to get back on track after you have been interrupted from a task. That fact explained why the way I had structured my work wasn’t working for me, as I wasn’t getting to my important, but not urgent key tasks.
I needed more solid, uninterrupted blocks of time. And my one hour of work I tried to get in after lunch and before I picked up the kids from school was worthless. It literally would take half an hour to figure out what I needed to do, and by then I was about out of time. A simple adjustment of how I scheduled my work time delivered the extra productivity I desired without robbing time from relationship and personal health time.
When we push ourselves to grow in our relationships, our faith, and our own development, we will encounter roadblocks and challenges. But if we keep taking it to prayer and make sure we are conforming our will to God’s will, God will guide us to the various puzzle pieces we need to have it all come together.
Once I stopped being such a Nervous Nelly, God showed me another life reality I needed to get a handle on for successful relationships with others.
The Catholic Women’s Guide to Healthy Relationships Tip: If you learned how not to be interrupted so much or manage your time better, what positive impact would it have on your relationships?
