Regroup

Influencers from news media to self-help guides to online games are suggesting that a way to focus 2022 in such a way that could perhaps satisfy one's spirit is to mindfully choose a word to use as a guiding mantra as the days tick by. I did!

Not by spending serious time with a dictionary (paper OR byte-style). Not by opening some book and pointing randomly. Not by reading through lists of suggested words. In fact, as soon as I read the first exhortation to try, I knew exactly what word I wanted for my mantra, which succinctly describes my intent for the coming year. I want to regroup.

At the beginning of 2020, I was cresting a wave of satisfaction that my life was orderly, enjoyable, and largely predictable. HaHaHa!!! My late father would have suggested a large dose of humility. Then, the pandemic began. Life for everyone, including me, has been disordered and unpredictable for nearly two years without respite. It feels like unraveling... like coming apart

A particular personal quirk of mine (I don't want to call it a "quality") is that I often don't make myself stop when I need a break. There are often times when I can't banish swirling thoughts of tasks on my to-do or to-think-about lists, which keep me awake at night, sometimes for hours. The incidence of these unhealthy wakeful periods have greatly increased during the pandemic. I'm now on my third course of trying to deal with this quirk (it sounds somewhat easier to "deal with," rather than to "control" this long-present issue). I know that even when attempts to diminish personal quirks like this are difficult or don't last, it's still important to keep trying.

Each person's approach to handling an undesirable attribute is different. I've become more concise about how I approach my quirks (no -- not taking breaks isn't my only quirk!) and perhaps marginally better at dealing with some of them. The key steps in addressing my inability to take a break are listed below: For the full plan to dial back and regroup, click here >

• intend to stop it ~ "mindfulness" and "intentional" are bonafide buzz words

• own it as a personality issue ~ no blaming or others or on genetics

• research how to deal with it ~ infinite sources to read in print AND bytes

• make a plan to do something different ~ every plan has a beginning, middle, and end, each part with built-in accountability

• implement steps to improve behavior ~ ready, set, ACTION

• enjoy a new way of behaving ~ frequently evaluate progress and celebrate it

Note that I did NOT include the loss of enjoyment. I have continued to enjoy life, even though not in the manner I had been expecting two years ago. Engaging in something enjoyable is a hallmark of mental health maintenance. As a health care

professional, I can't honestly say that I have been happy every day since this pandemic began. As is true for everyone else, there have been some overwhelming moments, days, weeks, months. Everyone reacts to being overwhelmed in their own way. It's important to recognize it and prevent meltdown. Try to pull yourself up, look a problem in the eye, and make genuine efforts to deal with it. You won't always feel in control, but you'll feel better about yourself if you make the effort. Follow the steps listed -- especially the last step. Enjoy!