In an all too busy world we can find that our stress gets out of hand all too easily. Sometimes we don’t even realise we have taken on too much or become overwhelmed and stressed. It has crept up on us so slowly that being constantly in the flight or fight stage is our new normal.

Stress has dampened down our energy, passion and enthusiasm for our life. But with a little adjustment you can regain your life balance and reduce your stress.

How do you start to regain life balance?

If we are honest we come to realise that our busy life has lead to us not sleeping or eating properly. Sure we do sleep just not enough. Of course we eat and drink but probably not the right foods and drink. When we are sleep deprived and stressed we crave carbs and sugar. We may reach for alcohol too much thinking it will help us wind down. But we are only setting ourselves up for higher stress and shorter sleep periods as a result. We set up pretty negative cycle to be sure.

We need to remember that in order to avoid the burnout path we need to start looking after ourselves again even in small ways. So make sure to schedule in time to eat and sleep first. Yes some people are so busy that they fail to eat properly every day and their sleep suffers also.

So the first step is to make healthy eating and a good night’s sleep (between 7 – 9 hours a night) a priority. If that means stopping or not getting everything on your to do list done then so be it. You cannot go without sleep and food/water for very long without seriously damaging your health. At that point your to do list becomes a moot point. You can see amazing and quick results once you start to incorporate proper meals and a good night’s sleep into your day.

What can you do next?

Just say no!

I know it can be hard to say no if you are not use to doing it. But with time, patience and practice you will eventually learn to say no when you need to. Learn to stop, take a breath before you answer. Then ask for more time, you could say “I need to think about that, I’ll let you know.”

Remember no is a full sentence and full statement and you never owe no one an explanation. If someone pushes you, just keep repeating that you will think about it and get back them. Then you can phone or email them with your answer.

Review what you are really doing.

What are you spending your time on? Taking some time to realise where, and on what, we are spending our time can be quite enlightening. As I’ve said most of us become so busy because we take on more and more. But because this happens over a long period of time we don’t even realise how much we do every day.

Take some time to review all your activities. How long does each one actually take you to complete? Make sure you note down everything you really do, including some things you don’t normally schedule into your diary such as returning phone calls, emails, etc. Watch for over runs and make sure you note down the actual time your tasks take to complete.

You’d probably be surprised by the results. What have you taken on that is really the responsibility of another? Busy women tend to take on other’s responsibilities all too easily. Can you hand these back over to the person concerned?

What about the rest of your to do list? Are you still trying to do things that no longer fit in with your values, beliefs or goals? Isn’t it time you let these go?

Can you delegate sometimes? It doesn’t matter if it’s at work or home. If your to do list has expanded so much you cannot complete it then it’s time to delegate or delete items. We simply cannot do it all and not become overwhelmed and stressed.

Exercise.

Yes you do have time for exercise. A simple 10 minute walk during lunch or after dinner will be enough to get the ball rolling. It will help reduce your stress levels and aid your sleep also.

Other ways you could add some simple exercise:

Take the stairs instead of the lift in work.

Do one stretch for every hour you spend sitting watching TV or sitting at your desk. You could use a resistance band.

Get off one stop earlier and walk the remainder of the way to work.

While waiting for the kettle to boil do some squats, push-ups, lunges or jumping jacks.

Get the kids involved: take them for a walk, play games that have a physical element involved or make household chores into games. It will also burn off some of their energy and tire them out for bed.

Surround yourself with the right team.

Make sure you have the right team of supporters surrounding you. Positive people and the right information or tangible support can make all the different to your stress levels. These kinds of supports will raise your own positivity and save you time as well.

The opposite is true of negative people. They’ll drag your mental health down. Make sure you take things on for them and generally sap your energy and time. They are not called negative vampires for nothing. So now is the time to ditch these people or at the very least reduce your contact with them.

Meditate.

This is another one you can do even when you don’t think you have time to learn. A simple 3 minute breather is quick to learn and when practiced throughout the day it will help you de-stress on the go.

You can use my podcast to learn how to do a 3 minute breather. But it is really very simple, you count to 4 as you inhale and count to 6 as you exhale. No need to sit down for a 20 minute formal meditation when you don’t have the time. You can use this meditation throughout the course of the day or anytime you need to calm down.

With anything new like this though it is important to attach it to something you already do so it will stick as a new habit. So you could try 3 minutes before you get out of bed, 3 minutes again before you go to sleep. Or you could use it on the go throughout the day by attaching it to a trip to the bathroom. You might be busy but you still need to go!

Over time, and as you reduce your workload, you can also try to add some yoga or tai chi as a means of exercise but also to help you relax.

Let it all out.

Use a journal to get everything down on paper. You don’t have to do “dear diary” simple bullet points or key words will do. As long as you are getting everything out of your head at the end of the day you will reduce your stress and improve your sleep.

You can also use this method to help you when you are stuck with what to start next on your to do list or with a project. Simply write down everything you have to do then pick the next easiest thing to do or something you know will only take 5 minutes. Once you start you’ll find you can keep the momentum up.

Have a good laugh.

Take some time for a little comedy or have a good chat with family or a positive friend. Comedy and talking with someone you trust will allow you to relax thus reducing your stress. It’ll release some feel good hormones too boosting your mood. A win win really.

Work With Me.

Remember you are allowed to ask for support. No one is an island. If you need extra support then you can also work with me. We all struggle with stress and overwhelm from time to time. If you find this has become a problem for you and you’d like some support then schedule an appointment with me.