We are all overworked... over committed and overwhelmed. How did we let this happen? Maybe it's time to take a step back and try to create a little balance in your life.
For starters... you may want to consider a daily yoga & meditation practice. You don't have to spend an hour a day, but if you could schedule just 15 minutes a day of each, you'll find you are much more able to cope with a lot of the other day-to-day events in your life.
Learn how to say "NO". We are so afraid to disappoint people in our lives, yet we do not hesitate to dishonor ourselves. If you continue to over commit yourself, you may end up getting resentful to others or worse yet, you could end up making yourself ill from not taking enough time to just "be". It takes so much pressure off of you when you can be honest with yourself and others and just say no when you need to.
In that same vein, we often get involved in activities or commitments that we end up losing interest in. Sometimes these activities become a daily part of our life and we don't even consider dropping them from our lives. Consider how much time you are wasting by continuing these activities and what you could be doing with that time if you just stopped doing the things you are no longer enjoying!
Try making a daily list of things that need to get done. At the end of the day, notice which items may not have been crossed off your list. You may discover that you overwhelm yourself by placing so much importance on items that really aren't that important. Also, if you stray from the list of "must do" and add in some fun things, you'll feel like you are living your life instead of going through the grind.
Keeping your body & mind active is also very important. Fitting in a daily exercise routine will keep your body fit and increase your energy level. To keep your mind more active and fit, consider keeping a daily journal and read every day. You may even consider taking a class on a subject that is of interest to you. Research shows that our brains never stop developing and that there is so much brain mass that is untapped. And although the brain is not a muscle, it still needs to be exercised in order for it to stay healthy.
One more important thing to do to help bring more balance to your life is to spend quality time with family and friends. So much research shows that not only will this improve the quality of your life, but also help to lengthen your life. Being with those special people not only helps to keep us happy, relationships also help us to not feel lonely. Research has shown that loneliness will lead to a cognitive decline. So the next time you're invited out - take the time to do that for yourself.
Keeping your life in balance takes a little effort, but once you get into the groove... it will help you to be happier and healthier.
