Rome was not built in a day, and the pyramids took decades to complete…

Us humans, and especially those of us who suffer anxieties, can set unrealistic expectations on ourselves. If we are impatient with specific things we want or need to achieve, we go into meltdown if we don’t complete them. I am still guilty of this – when I don’t allow my intelligence to steer myself, then every issue of mine becomes exacerbated: past and present! I’ll be mean to myself and bring to mind a host of problems that really have little to do with the task in hand. And then, if I’m having a hard week and I’m already feeling low, it sinks me further into the quicksand of depression.

So how am I learning to address this?

I am in the process of writing a novel, and spare time is a scarce and beautiful commodity. I try not to waste any of it, even though I only have slivers of it. Nowadays I keep timetables and know exactly when I’m going to do certain things: cooking, cleaning, working, etc. But I also note down any slivers of time in which I can enjoy a writing hour.

Additionally, by going to bed an hour earlier, it’s easier for me to get up in the morning – and the sense of achievement by simply finding a free hour to write makes for a very productive session, and a happier version of myself. Perhaps you could try keeping a timetable to help organise yourself – and try to value and utilise those precious moments of free time to help you do something for yourself, whether it’s getting that piece of work done, or taking a bath, or writing the next best-selling novel!