First thing that came to my mind was the old Sesame Street song .....”Who are the people in your neighborhood?”
Who ARE the personalities in your head neighborhood? And how are they getting along these days?
I know my head personalities are all lit up and actively letting me know they are present and accounted for.
It‘s interesting to me how they interact on a day to day, hour to hour and sometimes minute to minute basis.
So far during this pandemic time, I have connected with .....
>>My Administrator - She carries a clipboard and wears big glasses at the tip of her nose. It seems she is keeping things mostly in order - sticking to routines like waking up and going to bed at the same time, washing my face, brushing my teeth, and getting dressed. She values keeping a schedule during our “sheltering in time” so it all won’t seem like a shock when we get back out there!
>>My Motivator - She wears a jogging suit as she high knee jogs around my head, sometimes with a megaphone. I hear her say, “You got this! It’s a great time to work on your jewelry! Finish reading that stack of books over there! Finish your website! Get your Etsy shop filled back up! Use this time wisely! You got this!”
>>My Athlete - She resembles my motivator and acts like a drill sergeant. She wears a ball cap and a whistle. She is in charge of my workouts and making sure I am getting them done! She is very aware of how important it is for me and for my head to stay active and moving everyday.
>>My Noper - Doesn‘t really have a shape - it’s a light gray fog that sometimes floats around my other personalities. It works on distracting me from my schedule, my workouts, and all the tasks my motivator is helping me staying on top of. I try to not to let it take up so much time! Occasionally, My Noper is responsible for one of my spur of the moments crying times. I usually go right to My Nurturer for support.
>>My Anxiousness - She is a frazzled, hot mess, with dark rings under her eyes. Mostly she pops in at night, pacing, pacing, pacing. She is great at asking “what about” and “what if” questions usually followed by an alarming subject. Once she is flared up, my only hope is distraction like meditation or coloring or The Big Bang Theory.
>>My Fear - Looks like a dark, looming shadow - brings the Harry Potter Dementors to mind. Always floating around, reminding me of its presence. Sometimes it makes me afraid of what has already happened, what is happening and what might happen. My Fear is likely to make me cry at any time of day without warning. My Administrator, Motivator, Athlete and Nurturer, Cheerleader, and even sometimes my Noper do what they can to keep Fear at bay.
>>My Critic - She looks like me when I was a teenager, hands on her hips, and a scowl on her face. In the past, she thought she ran the whole show ....all of me ....and was taken by surprise when she learned she didn’t. That was a major “A-ha” moment of epiphany
for me! (A blog for another day!) Almost never a diplomat, when she pops in it usually takes me by surprise and I find I need the immediate assistance of My Nurturer.
>>My Nurturer - She resembles my administrator without the clipboard. She encourages kindness, patience, and compassion to myself and to others. Her kindness can sometimes make me cry. She often offers tea and cookies in the afternoon and sometimes she offers wine in the evening ;-). Her wisdom usually re-assures and calms my Anxiousness and my Fear. She is usually the one to remind me I might want to color for a little while.
>> My Cheerleader - She doesn’t wear a cheerleading uniform but she does carry a pom-pom in one hand and clapper in the other hand. She often follows my motivator around letting me know I am on the right track when I am getting things done!
Occasionally, I can imagine a conference room table in the middle of my head. All the personalities come filing in together to discuss the game plans of the day, the hour, the minute. I sit at the head of the table and ask ......
Who’s in charge today?
What will we work on?
Will we work together or separate?
Are we acting or reacting?
What’s important?
What’s possible?
Right now, my personalities and I are getting along pretty well as we are doing our part staying home and staying healthy.
So, who are the personalities in your head neighborhood and how are they getting along? I would love for you to share your thoughts!