What the hell?
Sometimes I wonder what the hell I'm thinking when I agree to take on projects. I'm still asking myself that, hours after tonight's NAMI meeting. Um hello Sid? I know you want to help others, but shouldn't learning to take care of yourself be the priority, especially when you seem to fail so miserably at it?
The local NAMI affiliate I'm involved with is rather small. I think primarily because the area we service is tiny compared to the other affiliates in the region, one of which encompasses an entire county. We also don't have the luxury of having a major psychiatric hospital or community mental health center within our boundaries with which to align ourselves and help spread the word about our group. We do have one behavioral health hospital that lies within our area, but it is small and specializes in treating only youths.
One of our discussions today centered around ways in which we can boost our membership. NAMI does have a grant program to help fund programs at the state and local levels. Just so happens that for the 2007 fiscal year, one of the primary ways in which they want these monies to be spent is on membership. Applications for a grant are due in by January 18th. The president of our affiliate said the application is quite long and involved, and therefore asked for volunteers to come over to his house for a "round table session" to help fill it out. Who was I to say no?
In addition to offering to help with that, the brilliant idiot that I am, also offered to take on another task. I offered to make appointments with the social workers at all the jr high and high schools in our school district, a large portion of which lies within our NAMI affiliate's boundaries, in order to make them aware our group exists, explain what we're about if they're not familiar with NAMI and to supply them with brochures they can pass on to parents looking for support and information on mental illnesses.
What the hell? I'm not a social person. I don't like meeting with and talking to people I don't know. What would ever possess me to offer up my time, especially with going to the schools?? Someone slap me because apparently I'm too stupid to do it myself.
3 Comments:
I think you can undo this by gracefully saying so. I think maybe there is a part of you that wants to do this. I can relate to the whole thing, I'm very shy too, and I actually get a bit nervous in social settings.
I think sometimes we find it difficult to say No to something. In my DBT group last year we practiced saying no through role -playing. We came up with a list of things that we could say if someone asks something of us and we don't want to do it.
Here are some suggestions:
"It's not good time right now"
"no, I'm sorry"
"I'd love to help, but I really don't have time...."
I think it's courageous of you to step up, but if you don't feel like you can do it, I do hope that you can at least learn to say No.
Take care
Polar B.
I agree with polar...I have a hard time saying no. I always take on projects too that I shouldn't. I'm getting better at it though.
I agree with the Dr. as well that you can probably get out of it by just being honest and saying you weren't thinking when you agreed and/or that you're biting off more then you can chew. Something like that maybe.
I hope you can find a way to release yourself from the commitment.
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