This is Artie, he is more hyper than he can handle. We call this the Heebee Geebees! He has so much energy and excitement he doesn’t know what to do. In this shot he is playing on top of an empty box which is the best cat toy ever! He will expend his energy by running around the living room, jumping in and out of the box, and attacking his brother and wrestling him to the ground. We sit back and watch, and laugh, and hope that the Heebee Geebees will end soon. We know when it ends as he ends up asleep somewhere in the house ready for a very long nap.
I can relate to Artie. I too get the Heebee Geebees. I feel pent up and full of energy and just need to let it all out. As a human I don’t get to play in the living room and attack my siblings; I have to find more productive ways to expend my energy. These are the times when I find myself doing things I may not always like to do – cleaning, putting things away, or clearing out the ugly spaces and drawers. I have to do something so I usually choose a ‘productive’ activity as I have to get the task done and get rid of the Heebee Geebees. Sort of killing two birds with one stone.
When I don’t have tasks to accomplish I work to channel my energy into more creative outlets. I work in the studio or finish a creative project. The energy is there, which means I may not be motivated but the energy supersedes the lack of motivation. I have enough pent up energy to get over the hump of not being motivated, and before I know it I am doing the task AND motivated. I think the getting started is the hardest part.
I also have to be self aware enough to know that those around me may not have the energy to keep up with me. They may not have the Heebee Geebees and may become annoyed as I run around doing things at a time when they do not have the energy to do them as well. If you are like me, you know the symptoms of felling pent up and needing to expend. You know when or what makes you feel this way, and you have habits or methods for using up your excess energy in productive ways. It also means you know when to bring others along in the fun, or when to let them sit and watch you do what you have to do.
No one can take the cat that runs around all the time. And no one wants the cat that does nothing all the time. So like owning a cat, we learn to understand the moods and energy levels of those in our lives – family, friends, coworkers. We read them like we do our cat. We know what’s coming and we know what it will look like when it’s over. And we – like most people – may choose to have fun during the Heebee Geebees or we may simply sit back and watch. Either way, it is good to know when and how and who to include in your own version of the Heebee Geebees.
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