Planning

New comic! This is a problem for me - it's a busy time of year and I can very easily feel overwhelmed by my obligations and responsibilities, even ones that I'm looking forward to with people I love. I have to remember that it's ok to need quiet time and it's ok to feel overwhelmed. It's been really useful to recognize this in myself and ask for space - before that I would start feeling crushed by the planning and stress and I'd lash out at partners and friends in the way shown in this comic. Now I recognize when I'm starting to feel squeezed and I know to say 'I'm really not up for making these kinds of plans now, can we talk about this later?' Transcript below:

I am really looking forward to having a nice quiet weekend next week.

Except don’t forget you’re going on on Friday to a show.

Oh, yeah. That should be fun.

Except don't forget you're going on on Friday

to a show. And Saturday's kind of messed up cut mz is

going to be out of town for a few hours. Hey! Do you

want to come to a conference this weekend? And

Sunday is when everyone's going to the exhibition.

Are we still on for dinner on Tuesday? You're coming

over tomorrow, right? Next weekend we planned to

check out Flameout and then we need to start thinking

about the Solstice party.  What are our family plans for

Christmas? Hey, I haven't heard back from you on that

collaboration we're supposed to work on. Are you

available for some more contract work ASAP?

Hey, next weekend there’s a show that I -

Can we NOT talk about this right fucking now?

Um..yeah, no problem, I’ll check in with you later.

Perfect, another thing you've fucked up, just because

you can't handle a few plans without getting stressed

and anxious like the loser you are. It's only a matter of

time before everyone gets sick of your bullshit attitude

and then you'll end up alone, all because you can't pull

yourself together, always screwing everything up,

fucking up every good thing you have like you always do,

worthless, useless, screwup that you are, you deserve ...

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