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May 26

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Surviving Being Swamped

It's the busiest time of year for people. Especially students, teachers, and parents.

We're swamped. And some of us wear it like a badge of honor.

We all know at least one person. Whether they share it at every opportunity, post it on Facebook, or plaster it on their instagram.

The number of obligations. The few hours of sleep. The laundry list of things that need to be done. And how in awe we should be of it.

It's true, most of us end up with more things on our plate than can be done in a day. Whether we like it or not.

It's the times we live in.

The problem is, we tend to deal with it by sacrificing sleep. And that's something we should talk about.

My suspicion is that school trained us for this.

If you have a mountain of homework and projects due, you can't ask for an extension. You can't tell school that the assignments need to wait because you're prioritizing sleep this month.

And that's not even considering the extracurricular activity schedule on top of school.

But that's why we have kids getting five hours of sleep when they really need more like ten.

Then, we become adults and use the same solutions.

Heavy workload? Just take it out of sleep until you're over the hump. We can overlook the future mental and physical health risks for now, because things need to get done.

But, believe it or not, there are other options. Because we're not in school anymore.

(Although, I would love to see some daring school-aged students take these steps themselves.)

I've tried to follow a short set of rules to get things done, while maintaining my sanity...and maybe even having a little fun along the way.

Rule #1: Health Comes First

If I'm beyond exhausted, I stop working and I get an early rest. Because working will only be torturous, I'll lose sleep, and I'll be all the more inefficient the next day.

Rule #2: Prioritize the Urgent Stuff

When there isn't enough time to get everything done, I figure out what the top priority is. The thing I might get in trouble for not doing today. That's the thing will get done. 

The other stuff can wait until tomorrow (even if our stress response says it needs to get done now).

Rule #3: Be Honest with People

This is the one I would love to see some students try.

If someone is expecting something from you, there's nothing wrong with being honest that you're overwhelmed. A simple, "I'm having a tough week with my commitments and need to prioritize my sleep and well-being. I know you want it tomorrow, but I need another week. Sorry."

Anyone who would get mad at you for that probably isn't worth working with.

It's a scary move. But, if you're one of those people who wakes up and faces an endless list of stressful commitments and workloads until you go back to bed, give this a try.

Put something off to tomorrow that you were going to do today. The stuff that can wait. Even if one or two people might not be thrilled with you.

And get a decent night's sleep.

When you wake up to find that the world didn't end and you feel a lot better, it might just change your life.

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About Jonathan Roberts

I am the founder and director of the South Shore Piano School, and I have been teaching the piano for nearly 20 years. My work centers around bringing music to the lives of kids, parents, and adults in an enriching, meaningful way. At the South Shore Piano School, my incredible colleagues and I accomplish this through skill-based teaching, community, and an innovative, people-first business model. You can read more about me here.


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