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Why it feels like the espresso machine goes wonky at just the wrong time
It’s one of those mornings. You’re already running late for an important meeting (or even worse, it’s the morning you have to leave for the airport to catch a flight) when you go to make your morning latte. ☕
You push the button. After all, that’s why you bought the superautomatic espresso machine to begin with, right?
It says it wants water. Fine. You go get water and pour it into the reservoir.
Then it says it needs more beans. A little more annoying, but you grab a measuring cup and the jar of beans and fill the bean container.
Then comes the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
It gives you the dreaded “Empty the grounds drawer” message. This one, of course takes the longest to do so it’s really the one that makes you say…
Are you kidding me?! It feels like your trusty espresso machine always goes wonky at the worst possible moment! 🤬
When you’re in a hurry, you don’t need what I call the “espresso machine trifecta.”
I know it can be infuriating when things, or systems, break down right when you need them most. As someone striving for balance across all areas of my demanding life, I get how disruptive and stressful this can feel.
But what if I told you there may be more than bad luck behind why these inconvenient breakdowns tend to happen when we’re rushed and overwhelmed?
The truth is, always operating in ‘go mode’ puts us in a stressed mental and emotional state where we’re more likely to have a negative perception of challenges that arise. When we’re anxiously rushing from one task to the next, small disruptions seem amplified. Why? Our brains are primed to view them as threats that could derail our tightly scheduled days.
In this overwhelmed state, it also becomes much harder to practice resilience when things don’t go as planned. Instead of pausing to problem solve, we’re far more susceptible to reactions like frustration, panic, and feelings of ineffectiveness. Over time, this takes a major toll on our mental health and performance. The physical sensations and emotions you feel when one thing goes wrong carry over and make you more prone to going off the rails when something else happens.
The key is recognizing that perceived catastrophes, like the wonky espresso machine, aren’t objective reflections of reality. Rather, they mirror the chaotic headspace we’re operating from. The machine may only be down for 3 minutes, but through our overwhelmed lens, it feels like an insurmountable obstacle to overcome, just one more thing.
So how can we regain balance and cultivate resilience for when life’s speed bumps arise?
1. Check in with your current state of mind. Are you calm or chaotic? Rushed or responsive? The clearer perspective you have on your mental/emotional landscape, the better you can navigate disruptions. You will feel more resilient when you aren’t tightly wound up.
2. When facing daily mishaps, consciously tap into self-regulation skills. Take a few deep breaths, recenter your mindset, and stimulate feelings of control. And remember that a week from now, this probably won’t matter.
3. Streamline obligations and build breathing room into your schedule. Without reasonable time cushions, you’ll stay stuck in ‘go mode’ where small issues feel amplified. Figure out when you have to be somewhere, and reverse engineer it to figure out what time you have to head out the door. And watch out for ways your brain can trick you! For many of us, a 2 pm doctor’s appointment can mean we’re in the room with the doctor at 2, we’re standing at the check-in desk at 2, and we’re pulling into the parking garage at 2 - all at the same time! Brains are weird that way!
4. Seek support through community, coaching, or self-care practices. You shouldn’t have to power through challenges alone.
The wonky espresso machine may be outside your control, but how you respond is not. With greater balance, boundaries, and emotional tools, you’ll feel far more empowered to take disruptions in stride, no matter how badly you need that caffeine boost!
Also, don’t forget that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
If you know you’re going to be in a hurry in the morning, it doesn’t hurt to check the water and beans in the coffee machine, or to clean out the grounds dreg drawer the night before when you have a bit more time. And when you get the “descale” message, don’t let it go to long thinking you’ll do it over the weekend too many times - or you’ll eventually get to the point where it just stops working. 😱
And of course, please realize that this is NOT just about your espresso machine…
Where else in your life are little things (or big things) that bother you that don’t need to? Or that you can do a little planning and prophylaxis around to avoid unwelcome surprises when you might be running on a tighter schedule? And of course, what can you do about that schedule?
How does this resonate with your experience? I'd love to hear your insights in the comments. And if you'd like extra support in learning resilience tools for when things get chaotic, please reach out. I'm here to help you master work-life balance and personal empowerment.
To book a call:
Weight loss or emotional eating: releaseemotionaleating.com
Stress/overwhelm/work-life/relationship issues: endselfsabotagenow.com
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