Waves come in sets, and surfers wait for the lull between them. There’s almost always a lull.

Hard things tend to arrive in clusters rather than evenly, which is why some weeks feel like being held under. The pattern runs the other way too: the pile-up ends, a gap opens, and it usually opens sooner than it feels like it will from underneath. Knowing a lull is coming changes what you do while you wait for it.

When several things land at once, stop trying to clear all of them and just keep your head above water. Pick the one with a real deadline and leave the rest where they are. When the gap comes, rest in it instead of filling it straight away.