Do you know kids who are obsessive? They get stuck on one point or issue and completely miss the bigger picture and pattern of what is happening. I’ve seen this trait in many students over the years. It can be debilitating.

Truth be known, I suffer from this affliction. It usually plays out in one of two ways. In the first scenario I get hung up on one detail of something and can’t move on. It’s a perfectionist tendency I sort of hate. In the other situation I get so overwhelmed with tasks that I solely focus on extinguishing whatever fire is in front of me, failing to step back and put things in perspective.

I feel certain I’m not alone in this second type of obsessiveness. As 2020 keeps throwing more at us, we jump from task-to-task in survival mode. The result? Habitual Myopia – meaning we develop rituals of just dealing with the immediate issue at hand, internalizing large amounts of stress, and missing the bigger picture in the process. Again, this can be debilitating.

My suggestion? Don’t let external stress become your internal norm. Find time each week to engage in activities you want to do, rather than have to do. I’m confident that when you regularly get off the hamster wheel of checking off your “to do” list, you will be better able to slow down and gain a healthier perspective. And that’s a good thing – for all of us.