I had the unfortunate experience the other day of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. I wasn’t doing anything strenuous or work related. I was running errands. Saturdays are typically our day to get all the groceries and supplies we need for the rest of the week. These days that means going to several stores because no one place has the things we need. Some of this is related to supply chain issues, but it’s more that different stores carry different brands. This time however I needed to go to seven different stores just to get everything. Our spoiled cats require a specific kind of cat food which isn’t sold at the same place as our dog food.
The result of all this running around was that I was tired. After getting a coffee and watching a video on the couch for 15 minutes (which didn’t make me feel any better) I decided that building something with my kids was a far better idea. As it turns out, it worked.
We are currently enrolled in the Mark Rober Creative Engineering course at Monthly.com. It’s a great course, though we have fallen behind a bit. Our first project is a cat treat launcher, which is turning out to be more complicated that any of us expected. We spent the next 90 minutes trying different solutions to the problems we ran into – all with Popsicle sticks, balsa wood, and hot glue. We got something to work decently enough, but there are still refinements to make.
The solution wasn’t the point however, the process of finding the solution was the key. We stopped when it was time to make dinner, but we could have easily kept iterating through designs, trying different things. I actually felt refreshed and energized even though we didn’t “finish”. This isn’t really that surprising, I’ve always liked building things. The process is what pulled me back from the rabbit hole of YouTube videos (which I enjoy) and social media posts. The creative process, solving problems, building something: these things are able to lift me out of most of the low energy moods in my life.
I’m not really sure why this works, other than perhaps it gets me out of my head long enough for the fatigue, or negative feelings, or whatever is going on, can pass. I’m glad that it does work though. I can be more present for everyone in my life when I’m in a good head space, which is important for the longevity of my relationships and well being.
If you have similar stories, experiences, or insights I’d love to hear about them in the comments. If you have your own methods and tools for dealing with negative head spaces, please tell me about those too. I know this method is not unique to me, but I’m curious about what other people use to overcome their own issues. Here’s hoping everyone has a good holiday season.
Stay sane, stay safe.