Prime the Sluice

I saw a TikTok - it was years ago so the content has since evaporated from my brain - but I remember that at the beginning of the day, they had a sluice that had to be primed with a bucket of water. Once that was done, the water system flowed freely.

Stay with me, but if you find some elements of life a challenge, that maybe others breeze through, then you need to start priming your sluice.

Now I haven’t gone mad, I don’t expect you to throw a bucket of water over yourself, instead find ways to help yourself out ahead of time.

I am notoriously not a morning person, so my request is that you not speak to me until I have been awake for at least two hours so I can defrost in peace being deployed regularly. As life happens whether we want it to or not, I have learned that sometimes mornings require more availability from me. 

This is where I prime my sluice.

Before I go to bed, I make the conditions for morning me PERFECT. I reduce all potential stressors, anything that would cause my mood to dip, or even push me back into bed. I do the dishwasher, prepare all the elements of my breakfast, get the coffee machine ready, and ensure any medication I need is ready and waiting for me. 

In this way, I prime the sluice and remove any sticking points that at 4 pm are a breeze but at 7.32 am feel like a personal attack on my synapses. 

This is something that I employ at any period of transition in my routine, which is something I struggle with. I am basically prepping for myself, and it may seem very rigid for some, but to me, it is the way I know works best for me. 

So if you’re struggling with day-to-day tasks - find whatever ways you can to prep for your future self, and prime your sluice.