Jimbo's Jots

“Everything is piling up!” It was the first thing she said as our session opened up. There have been changes at work. Some are of the family out of town. Extended family coming into town to help. Then, she said the car accident happened. Lots to process!

Then, the big question, “What do I do? How can I work through all of this?”

As she asked that question, she had mentioned in passing that the family coming in to town was going to do the laundry that had been piling up. So using her laundry as a starting point, here is what I suggested:

• Sort – begin by sorting the big issues from the little issues. Begin by asking, “what can I accomplish right now?” As most A-type personalities know, accomplishing something give a sense of reward. So identify those things that can be taken care of easily and without much time or effort. Then, you can start to tackle the next task.
• Time – completing laundry is about timing. One load is done washing, now it’s in to the dryer. Then, you have about 35-40 minutes, depending, to do something else. In this case, I suggested that she focus on the issues that are creating anxiety for a limited amount of time, like 10-15 minutes. I also suggested that she do this first thing in the morning. Maybe offer a prayer over it! Then, once she’s done with that “load”, she moves on.
• Folding – In this case, folding takes place when she begins to feel anxious at some point during the day that she has already thought about and prayed over, she says to herself, “I’ve already worried over this! I’m done!”
• Putting Away – This is the end of her day. Back to a brief period of time in which she celebrates being able to manage her anxiety during the day. She believes in God and invited the Bible into this part of her day. Here is what we agreed would be her focus at the end of the day, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

How big is your laundry pile? How do you begin to sort through it? If you need some help, let me know! I don’t mind doing laundry!

Be blessed! Be a blessing to others!