Are you TOO Busy?

Many of us suffer from burnout or overload. We are SO BUSY! The question we need to ask ourselves is do we have a choice about our schedules. Most of us we automatically say no, but I want you to dig deeper.

Diane (not her real name) tells me that she has no choice in her schedule because she has to take her children to school each day, drive her youngest to dance lessons on Monday's, then two of her children to piano lessons on Tuesday, her oldest to guitar lessons and her youngest to voice lessons on Wednesday, her middle so to basketball on Thursdays and on the weekends for games. She also is room mother for two of her 5 children, is on the PTA committee and teaches Sunday School..

I just grew weary typing it all!

She was unable to identify anything that she could change about her schedule. She felt hopeless.

So we took it one thing at a time. First of all I asked, are your children involved in too many activities? If you are feeling overwhelmed by your schedule, chances are they are too. Turns out, it was her idea for piano and voice and none of the children were thrilled about those activities. Did she have to be room mother for two children at once? Maybe she could do one this year and one the next or (GASP) none at all. Did she have to be on the PTA committee (something she herself admittedly dislike) or could she just be a paying member and not take on every activity the school does.

When we are the middle of our life it is difficult to see he choices we have. I am not discounting how difficult it is to make some of the hard choices to free up your time AND to lessen your stress.

I had to make some of those choices myself. I never allow myself to be on more than two Board of Directors at once. I have been on a total of four and I believe in and support every one of charities that I have belong to. It was hard for me to step down. Very hard. I have learned to say no, but that wisdom came at a very high cost. If I had not I am not sure my physical or mental health would have survived.

SO..your prompt today is to write down all of the "things" that make your life busy and then to honestly evaluate them and see what you can let go of. Write down what you think could happen if you continue to be too busy..This make take a while. You may need to set the journal down and come back to it later. The important thing is that you do it.

Life is so much clearer on paper.

Have a Stress Free day!

Sending Love,
Susan