You Cannot Be Grateful and Fearful at the Same Time

Dear A.B,

I ve returned to work for the past two days, but the anxieties are quite strong and Im having a really difficult time brainswitching and focusing. Because Im extremely tense, it's difficult to find the motivation to do any work and every task feels like a burden and overwhelming. I've made the commitment to go back and I really want to make this work. I believe I have the WILL, it's just my body/emotions that don't seem to follow. As I will be taking on more work, I'm worried at what point am I pushing too much, or at what point can all of this be overcome by a mindset/will.

Kindest regards, Y________

Dear Y___________
It will help if you remember not to be so self-focused. Focus on your work itself, instead of focusing on your feelings about your work. Enlarge the horizon of your everyday thinking. Focus on doing your work instead of thinking about how it is so hard for you to do your work.

You are part of a great world. Think of yourself as part of this larger world. Think of yourself as a soldier who has been sent into battle. A soldier does not question themselves as to how much work they are doing. Or if they should be there or home in bed. They do whatever has to be done and they do it with agood will. We send our 18 year olds to fight for us in life or death situations. Some of them die on their fields of battle.

Can we do less here at home where we are safe and don't have to dodge car bombs and bullets. How can we send others to free us from the enemy and not shoulder with a good will the work of our own day and not be as willing to be as faithful to our own duty here at home? You are not alone. Many people are helping you every day in important ways and you don't even know of their existence. The traffic cop, the telephone repair man, the garbage collector, the water manager, the grocery clerk, the man who paints the lines on our streets. Without all these people our world would be an utter chaos and we could not survive. We are part of it. To make it all work.

Every once in a while all during the day, relax your body. Let your head drop down, your shoulders drop forward your back relax, your whole body go limp as a noodle. Just for the count of three. One Two Three RELAX. It will help reduce the tension in your body. And when you are relaxed you could be grateful that you have a safe world in which to work. You cannot be grateful and fearful at the same time.
A. B. Curtiss