All Things Bucket
This week I have been talking buckets.
Different buckets but all 3 play their part in a balanced life.
Let me talk you through them!
The Stress Bucket
We all have a stress bucket. The size of the bucket is individual. Some people will be able to take a larger quantity of ‘stress’ than others.
The stresses of life will flow into the bucket each day. Sometimes a drip, sometimes it is more of a pour.
The key is to have an open tap that empties the stress on a regular basis. If you have an open tap, then the size of the bucket is negligible.
The tap will be different for all of us. For me it is music, friends, banter with my son, basketball, walks, exercise. For others, it will be books, wine, running etc.
It is important that we all have something that releases the stress and keeps the tap open and the flow constant.
It is important to understand when our ‘stress bucket’ is nearing full. This is our trigger. It is also important to recognise this in friends and family.
It only takes one last droplet for a bucket to overflow. That’s why sometimes it is the small things that ‘tip us over the edge’.
Keep the stress levels low and this reduces the risk of overflow.
TIP: Do something every day that will reduce the level. It doesn’t have to be much, or for long but take that time to empty the stress bucket a little.
The ‘Phuket’ bucket ;-)
(not the place in Thailand)
This is a separate bucket but also will help reduce stress levels.
Sometimes we cannot control something — this is the ‘stuff’ that goes in the bucket.
When something happens ask yourself this
- Can you change what happened? — If yes go back and rectify it
- If you can’t change it what did you learn from it?
- If you can’t change or control it then choose how to respond it.
Chuck it in the ‘Phucket’ bucket and move on.
The Bucket List
As well as having a ‘tap’ that releases the stress it is good to have positive areas of focus to work towards.
In stressful times, one way to help balance things out is to focus on something positive.
Do you have a bucket list? What is on it? When was the last time you did something to work towards it?
A tenuous link but if you want a feel-good film I do recommend the ‘Bucket List’!
May your stress bucket be empty and the bucket list long!
