Do You Wake Up Feeling Overwhelmed?
By Sandy Schroeder
Sometimes we sign up for too many things. It seems simple at first, but one thing leads to another and soon every day verges on chaos as we try to make it all work.
I’ve done this a couple times in my life, and it wasn’t fun. It took a real effort to get back to a manageable routine, and lots of people were not happy, but I was. After facing up to the overload, and paring down the tasks, I actually looked forward to the next day.
If you think you might need to cut back, start looking at what you do.
List extra duties – Beyond work and family, what other claims are there on your time? You may volunteer, help friends a lot, or work in your community. You may also be booked at the gym, or signed up for other classes. Go over your list to see where you can cut back.
Screen social media – You may be using up a couple hours a day browsing and scrolling. Try to hold it down to a few times a week to create more free time.
Opt out of the media loop – Choose one time a day to check the news to reduce the time. Try to avoid bouncing from one form of media to another with similar news.
Let go of difficult people – When people constantly generate drama or make unrealistic demands, they can easily use up all of your free time. Dial them back or let them go completely.
Cut out extra stuff – It’s easy to accumulate extra things. Work your way through your home, pulling out things you don’t use or need. Box them up and donate them.
Spend more time outside than you do on email – Shutdown your phone and find a quiet walk outside with lots of trees and blue skies. Life always seems simpler and clearer when I head outside. At the same time, limiting email to a once or twice sweep could open your day up a lot.
Review your spending – Scan your bank statement to see where your dollars are going. Work on the ones that need paring and eliminate deductions for services you no longer use. If you don’t have one, set up a plan to automatically save a little each month. At the end of six months or a year, use that money for something you and your family need or really want.
As you review, erase and pitch stuff, you may feel a lot less overwhelmed. If not, keep going. We all deserve to just enjoy each day without the extra weight of worry or tension.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Goodyear, Ariz.