Been a bit slack lately

[tess85]

I haven't been around much since having my bub last year. I still lurk daily though Good to see that familiar faces are still around.

However, I've been extremely slack on the IP front. I haven't been proactive at all. Our LL + building insurance expired 2 months ago and I still haven't renewed it It's a house (+ GF), so if it burned down overnight we'd be screwed!

I'm receiving counselling for PND which is going well but I'm still finding it hard to get things done. Currently doing some internet banking and paying some bills, some of them are late Trying to muster up some energy to look into insurance for the IP and having a bit of a headache over the (possibly council unapproved?) GF and the fact that the lease is expired, so rental loss won't be covered. the PM did send the tenants a new lease with higher rent but they ignored it in favour of continuing on the expired lease.

What do people do to get themselves out of a rut? I seem to be in one at the moment, that's the only way I can explain me not doing crucial things like insuring IPs and paying bills!

 

[LisaP]

I haven't been around much since having my bub last year. I still lurk daily though Good to see that familiar faces are still around.

However, I've been extremely slack on the IP front. I haven't been proactive at all. Our LL + building insurance expired 2 months ago and I still haven't renewed it It's a house (+ GF), so if it burned down overnight we'd be screwed!

I'm receiving counselling for PND which is going well but I'm still finding it hard to get things done. Currently doing some internet banking and paying some bills, some of them are late Trying to muster up some energy to look into insurance for the IP and having a bit of a headache over the (possibly council unapproved?) GF and the fact that the lease is expired, so rental loss won't be covered. the PM did send the tenants a new lease with higher rent but they ignored it in favour of continuing on the expired lease.

What do people do to get themselves out of a rut? I seem to be in one at the moment, that's the only way I can explain me not doing crucial things like insuring IPs and paying bills!

Hi Tess,

Given you are going through PND, you need to give yourself permission to go easy on yourself.

When tasks start to pile up, it is easy to begin to feel overwhelmed by it all (even if you don't suffer from PND!) and as a result, freeze up and "get stuck in a rut".

What I find helpful is writing a list of everything that I need to do. Here are some real examples from my current list:

Call Telstra
Email Amber
Organise cupboard installation
MV work
Prepare for tute
Await Orange reply
Complete and scan forms
Print material - highlighted work / assignments
Organise time inspect Ingleburn
Confirm strata / electricity
Email media officer

As you can see, the list isn't in any particular priority, but I will go through and circle the bullet points of those that need to be completed first. Once I've finished the task, I will put a line through the circle to indicate its completion. I write this list in a smallish A5 note book. This also allows me to write more detailed notes related to the tasks (such as writing down the details of a conversation with the media officer, for example).

Even the act of writing down what you need to do takes some of the pressue off. Then slowly, but surely, you will start to work your way through the list, ticking or crossing off each item as you go.

Action creates momentum, and before you know it, you'll have completed all your tasks, and may even have enough time left over to start looking for another IP!

Hope this helps some!

Lisa

 

[LisaP]

Oh, and as an afterthought, I take this notepad with me everywhere!

While this might not sound very technologically savvy, I've tried writing notes in my iphone, but have found this to be very slow and cumbersome process.

 

[Macca]

Hi,

And after you make the list promise to do just one a day, yes! I know you should do as many as possible but then you won't do any tomorrow

So, at the start of the day pick one and do it, then feel good about it for the whole day. Next day do the same, it may help lift your mood a little and in a week you will have 7 jobs done and then you feel much better

 

[Overwhelmed]

G'day Tess,

I don't know if you've seen my thread: http://www.somersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71599 but I have the same problem. I've seen the doctor who has ruled out depression for me. My next step is to make a list of things to do, and then set about getting them done. Finally I have to start delegating/outsourcing the jobs that continually hold me up; eg: bookkeeping.

Can I ask why you didn't renew your insurance? Was it because you wanted to review the policy or because you were worried about your budget? Or some other reason?

 

[tess85]

Thanks all for the replies. I didn't renew the insurance because I did want to review the policy (budget is not really an issue but I just want to know we are getting the best value for money etc). Then I got overwhelmed everytime I started looking into it, so in the end I did nothing. Logical hey? The place is still uninsured
Lisa I have tried the notebook technique in the past and it works well if my list is under 15 items or so. Just started writing down everything i need to do and there's over 50 bear in mind that most of these are the result of a years worth of neglect, that's why i've built up to so many things. Among some of these items are do my well-overdue tax, get IP insurance x 2, etc etc.

Overwhelmed I have seen your thread and really empathise with what you're going through. The doctor doesn't really think I'm depressed either, when I say I'm receiving counselling for PND it's more for post-natal distress (ie. not really coping) rather than true PND. I actually feel fine most of the time if it wasn't for a bone-weary tiredness and a lethargy that makes me unable to get out of bed in the mornings, concentrate, or attend to tasks. I've been seeing my GP practically weekly, trying to work this issue out. We've ruled out thyroid issues, low iron/haemo, coeliac, low vit D etc. The next step is for me to see an endocrinologist/physician which is coming up soon. My GP can't be sure, but it's possible that I had glandular in March (although i didn't know it at the time, just had really swollen glands) and what I'm experiencing now is a post viral fatigue syndrome.
Anyway, sorry about the rambling. I might go and give the insurance another shot...

 

[RumpledElf]

I have one of those calendars with nice big squares on it and write things on there.

Also prone to forgetting bills so we have as many things as possible monthly direct debit. Insurance policies automagically renew themselves. Sure it could be a bit cheaper doing it manually annually (I'm a poet!) but that works for lazy people. Automatic bill deductions are fantastic.

Won't do it with the electricity bill though, that one is too big and too variable. When we move I need to set up a fortnightly Centrepay off my FTA to take the pain away, been delaying that one cos this move was SUPPOSED to happen last year and is just getting put back and back and back and back and ******* me off no end because its been almost a year since I had a bedroom without kids sleeping in it.

This all reminds me, when our hosting went up from $45 to $65 the idiot hosting company were incapable of automagically setting up a monthly direct paypal on that one for the increase (they can only do it for the initial one) so I gotta go set up a new one for that ...

 

[marg4000]

"Thanks all for the replies.
Lisa I have tried the notebook technique in the past and it works well if my list is under 15 items or so. Just started writing down everything i need to do and there's over 50 bear in mind that most of these are the result of a years worth of neglect, that's why i've built up to so many things. Among some of these items are do my well-overdue tax, get IP insurance x 2, etc etc."



Doesn't matter if there are 100 items on the list, at least you have a starting point.

Go through the list and put an asterisk beside 5 items that you can do today (well, tomorrow as it is the afternoon).

Do the easiest 5 first. Do a happy dance as you cross those suckers off the list.

Each day choose at least ONE item to do. 2 or 3 if they are easier.

It may take you quite a few weeks to work through the list, but if you get to cross off even one item each day you will be surprised how you will build up momentum to get things done.

Don't agonise too much, in the case of the insurance simply go with what you had before so long as it meets your needs. You really can't afford to be uninsured and risk financial disaster. Next year you can start early and look for a better deal.

Good luck
Marg

 

[weg]

I have tried the notebook technique in the past and it works well if my list is under 15 items or so. Just started writing down everything i need to do and there's over 50 bear in mind that most of these are the result of a years worth of neglect, that's why i've built up to so many things. Among some of these items are do my well-overdue tax, get IP insurance x 2, etc etc.

Is this simply a bad habit of ignoring and neglecting your everyday type responsibilities and tasks? People DO get depressed but they do get lazy too, especially when it comes to those things that don't bring us pleasure.

If so then there is no easy way around it... you have to stop thinking about how much you have to do and just start doing it.

Many of these things don't take much time and effort at all, so start with the little things first and work up to the bigger ones.

Do what you can as a problem presents itself (how did the IP's insurance run out and why couldn't a simple phone call reinstate it?)

Plan it if you have to - do five things every second day, ticking them off as you go along.

I'm assuming you don't have 5 kids, a fulltime job and are self managing 10 IP's.

If you do set yourself smaller tasks and learn the art of delegation .

 

[wannaretire!]

Thanks all for the replies. I didn't renew the insurance because I did want to review the policy (budget is not really an issue but I just want to know we are getting the best value for money etc). Then I got overwhelmed everytime I started looking into it, so in the end I did nothing. Logical hey? The place is still uninsured

Hon whatever else you do, just make the phone call first thing tomorrow and get this sorted out (i.e. insured). You can always do more research into the actual policy at a later stage if you feel the need, and get a refund (I assume) if you decide to go somewhere else. I bet you'll feel heaps better once you have arranged for the insurance.

Big hugs, I have also recently had a bub and know how hard it can be. It's great that you're proactively getting medical help.