Thursday, 19 August 2021
Comedown Context
Well, it’s the first day of leave, and I’ve had a headache all night and have had it for most of the day too. Surviving the day was a challenge, but I realised the headache was hanging around because I was coming down from the previous day’s stress. Yet, I hadn’t let go.
When I left the office yesterday, there were three minor tasks that I had wanted to accomplish before I left. Yeah. Yeah. I know I said I was okay with not completing everything, but the truth is most of the stuff I didn’t get done I WAS comfortable leaving until I got back. There were some with time frames on them which couldn’t be left until I got back.
So, I bit the bullet and logged in from home to finish those three things hanging over my head. The relief I felt from getting them out of the way without anybody noticing was worth every second of it.
My headache didn’t leave as soon as I completed those tasks; a stress comedown can take minutes or days. How long the relief takes depends upon how long you were under pressure and didn’t change chair position. If you’re tense and sitting in a focussed posture at a desk, you may wind up with neck or back tension simply because you hadn’t exercised those muscles.
I don’t like needles, and I don’t like rushed solutions to problems like COVID. However, I do understand the need to try at least something. Even ranting on my high horse needed a comedown, but I was brave and booked my COVID-19 vaccination. Trust me; this is a big deal for me.
Today's Cards
The Cards - Comedown Analysis
Carryover Cards
One card carried over from yesterday; Beyond Illusion moved from Hopes & Fears to Feelings.
Cross
Experiencing is in the Distant Past providing the grounds for the Healing influence and the Silence Now. In the Recent Past, there’s an Understanding that the Goal is to be The Outsider. By being The Outsider, the Future Energy is Politics.
How do the cards relate to my day? Despite my headache, or perhaps it was a sign of it, I underwent Healing or a comedown from the previous day’s stresses. Under the influence, the noise of having to get this or that done, went away and there was mental Silence.
The Distant Past position is tricky because the trigger for the root of the current situation isn’t always easily identified. So, what the Experiencing card is referring to is unclear to me. But if I had to guess, it would be a previous holiday experience where I had experienced a similar comedown. Could it be when I broke my ankle back in January (Day 018)?
Nonetheless, I understood from previous vacation departures that leaving without completing everything I’d set out to do would not bode well. Once this Understanding dawned on me, I knew logging in by stealth (Politics) to complete the activities would give me a far better break.
Base
My Feelings on the subject are that completing the tasks would morph my leave to a new level. The Beyond Illusion comedown chrysalis from stressed caterpillar to relaxed butterfly sums up my feelings perfectly.
From Others’ Views, I had completed (Completion) everything. It also implied my logging in may not have gone unnoticed.
Hopes & Fears shows the We Are the World card. We Are the World is unity and togetherness; without the Completion card (being used above 😁), the card also substitutes for finalising things.
I hope no leftover activities will impact anyone looking after my role in my absence; this is the spirit of We Are the World, teamwork. The corresponding fear is the reverse is true.
At the end of it all, in the Outcome position, is Exhaustion. Everything I had to give I gave. Exhaustion is the ultimate comedown from a highly stressful pre-holiday period.
Waiter! Where’s the Mojito cocktail!
References
- Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
