Order
I know this rhythm, the way it rises and falls. Flurry of activity, restore order. Repeat. Some people can cycle through daily or hourly and never have a pile form, but my cycles are longer. My piles certainly higher. But there's something about restoring order that frees up so much energy for other things--as soon as I begin I feel the lift. Two more hours closer to the taxes being done. Inbox to zero, for the first time ever. One less call on the to-do list, one less appointment to remember.
There's a kind of rest or ease I find in the receipt-adding and the floor-mopping. These tasks that don't demand a clever word or an original thought. It is an act of self-care every time I tend to something that prevents a breakdown. Keys in the findable place. Food purchased prior to mealtime. Bills paid. Flights made. And the lightness comes, even better than good sleep, and the energy builds.