General Information
For the next few weeks we will explore ways to care of ourselves from the back of a “Tiger.” This happens when we find ourselves being carried through a tangled “jungle” on the back of a life that is dealing with too much with too little time available. Did I mention that there is no easy way to get off? Riding the Tiger is not a choice! It is an involuntary situation that we may find ourselves in from time to time.
There is no time to breathe, no time to rest, no time for self-care, and no time for the things we want. I have heard these times described as “putting out brush fires” or “wrestling with eels.” They are those times when our nose is “just above the water line” and we pray that there are no waves. These times feel inevitable and uncontrollable. We feel like victims of circumstance and our only choice is to keep riding or risk falling off.
This is living beyond simply being busy. Everything demands our attention. Everything is of vital importance. The many demands may even be interconnected. The boss is demanding that the project must be wrapped up in the next week. Our daughter is applying for college and needs to be taken to the campus for a final interview. We do not have quite enough money for her tuition and need to earn the bonus that will come from the project. Our Doctor calls and needs us to come in for an exam for a suspicious growth. And lastly, our sole means of transportation decides to breakdown. We are a single parent and sole breadwinner. The tiger is running at full speed as we hold on tightly, hoping for the best.
How do we take care of ourselves when we are riding the tiger?
There is no time to breathe, no time to rest, no time for self-care, and no time for the things we want. I have heard these times described as “putting out brush fires” or “wrestling with eels.” They are those times when our nose is “just above the water line” and we pray that there are no waves. These times feel inevitable and uncontrollable. We feel like victims of circumstance and our only choice is to keep riding or risk falling off.
This is living beyond simply being busy. Everything demands our attention. Everything is of vital importance. The many demands may even be interconnected. The boss is demanding that the project must be wrapped up in the next week. Our daughter is applying for college and needs to be taken to the campus for a final interview. We do not have quite enough money for her tuition and need to earn the bonus that will come from the project. Our Doctor calls and needs us to come in for an exam for a suspicious growth. And lastly, our sole means of transportation decides to breakdown. We are a single parent and sole breadwinner. The tiger is running at full speed as we hold on tightly, hoping for the best.
How do we take care of ourselves when we are riding the tiger?
Tips for Tiger Riding
Our first tip is to simply to make a reality check.
Tiger-riding anxiety is perfectly natural. It can clog our “reality filters.” Just as stress narrows our ability to see the big picture, life from the back of tiger tends to focus on that next branch in view or holding on after an unanticipated leap.
But, in those brief moments between branches and leaps, ask yourself the “What if…” questions. What if I did not meet the deadline? Would my boss really fire me? What if my daughter had to sit out a semester?
After the “What if…” questions, ask yourself “What is most important?” What is more important? Health? getting the car fixed? Money for college? Getting your Daughter enrolled? Keeping this job? Most of the time, these two reality questions will help you see that you are not really on the back of a tiger. It may be a bobcat or a house cat. You may have a lot more choices than appear at the moment. This reduces the anxiety and makes the ride bearable.
However, if the reality is that you are on a tiger, rest assured, you can still take care of yourself. We will explore these in the next three weeks.
Tiger-riding anxiety is perfectly natural. It can clog our “reality filters.” Just as stress narrows our ability to see the big picture, life from the back of tiger tends to focus on that next branch in view or holding on after an unanticipated leap.
But, in those brief moments between branches and leaps, ask yourself the “What if…” questions. What if I did not meet the deadline? Would my boss really fire me? What if my daughter had to sit out a semester?
After the “What if…” questions, ask yourself “What is most important?” What is more important? Health? getting the car fixed? Money for college? Getting your Daughter enrolled? Keeping this job? Most of the time, these two reality questions will help you see that you are not really on the back of a tiger. It may be a bobcat or a house cat. You may have a lot more choices than appear at the moment. This reduces the anxiety and makes the ride bearable.
However, if the reality is that you are on a tiger, rest assured, you can still take care of yourself. We will explore these in the next three weeks.
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