Friday Internal Hyperbole

It’s Friday morning, and here I am, walking my dog, feeling that familiar little knot of dread in my stomach. Today, I’ve got two IEP meetings lined up and a teacher training session that I used to really enjoy, but right now it just feels like another big hill to climb. And inside, there’s this dramatic little voice saying, “I just want to crash out. I’m done.”

Of course, I know I’m not actually going to quit my job or collapse in a heap. It’s just that internal hyperbole at work, those little cognitive distortions that make everything feel more dramatic than it really is.

And yes, I’ll admit, there’s even that little fear of, “What if someone reads this and thinks something’s wrong with me?” But that’s just another layer of that internal drama. Instead, I name it for what it is: internal hyperbole. I ground myself by saying, “You know what? I’m going to do these meetings, and it’ll be fine. The day will end, I’ll head home, watch game one of the World Series or catch some NBA, and enjoy a night out with friends over the weekend.” In other words, I remind myself that there’s something good to look forward to, and then we’ll do it all again on Monday.

So, do you ever feel that kind of internal hyperbole too? How do you gently bring yourself back to the moment and find your own little piece of peace?