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Lately I feel like the two words above are the summation of my whole life. There’s so many things happening in my life and at my home right now, that I feel stretched to the brim. I’ve had almost no time to read books, relax, bake anything new, or talk to my friends over the phone. I’ve also been using most of my commute time to listen to calming music instead of the usual gamut of podcasts. All of this is because my mind is FULL, and I can’t take anything new in!
Do you feel the same way?
Spring is a time of pivots and changes. A lot of us are making major decisions right now and so it is not uncommon for you and even your friends and family to feel the pains of being overworked.
What can you do about this all?
- Step back and breathe
Nobody can accomplish everything in a day. Maybe you’re superwoman and you can. Honestly though, is it even worth it? If you can sneak out for a bike ride around the lake, or take an hour to read your favorite book, you won’t be as behind as you think you would. Go on. Take that time to relax.
- Prioritize
This is from the book Your 168! Every morning when you look at your planner and see a 100 things to do, pick the top 3 most important things to accomplish and try to do only those. Don’t be tempted to do the little things. We all get tempted to do the little things first because it helps build a sense of accomplishment. However, do the most important things first. Always!
- Take the time to journal or meditate
Maybe you have another form of self-reflection? If you do, great, share it with me! The ones I have seen work most often are journaling and meditation. I have been very negligent about journaling everyday this past year- no wonder I felt overworked! I pivoted this past week because I realized I needed to problem solve and think through some of my experiences. After journaling for a few days, I slowly started to feel better.
- Do something every day for YOU
Another fun tip from Your 168. By the way, if you are a NDBC member and want the book, please reach out to me, I can ship it to you! Our sponsors, Geistlich, generously handed us a few copies last month!!!
Something fun and for YOU doesn’t have to be journaling, yoga or even a bike ride around the lake. Fun needs to be something you love, that doesn’t necessarily help you achieve some kind of goal, even an exercise goal. It could be watching the sunset with a glass of wine, dancing to your 90s jam, or playing the guitar. If you don’t have a hobby, pick one up. Remember you don’t need to excel at it, you just need to enjoy it.
Hope this helps.