Reduce Your Stress!

​​If you are a person who tends to walk around feeling stressed-out over all the things you have going on, there are some steps you can take to bring back some peace.

First, stop carrying everything around in your head.  Each morning start by putting all the things you are thinking about on paper, or down electronically. Do a brain clearing to get all your to do’s, ideas, worries and anything else you have been carrying out of your brain.  Take the stress you’ve been feeling and give your brain a rest!  The more you hold on to the greater the stress you will feel. Once on paper, put everything into categories and most importantly prioritize those things.  The most important should get done while the least important may never get done because we have a limited amount of time and energy.

During the day as you are focused on a project and something pops in your head, jot it down to get to later.  Keep the focus on what you are doing and complete your task.  Every time you stop to do “a quick action” you lose valuable time when you go to refocus that adds up to hours lost by the end of the day.

​Second, don’t let procrastinating allow tasks to go undone.  It’s easy to think you can get to it later.  Your brain doesn’t always get the message and deep down that job is bubbling under the surface causing stress that just won’t go away until the project is completed. Schedule that project and if it really is important make it a priority.  Next, look at what it is about the project that makes you want to put it off.  What emotions are you feeling as you think about the job?  Fear is a huge reason for not wanting to do something.  Facing the real reason for holding back on diving in can take some of its negative power away. Breaking down a large project into smaller parts can make all the difference in reducing the emotion surrounding it.

Third, remember this is your life. If you are taking on too much it may be time to let somethings go or push to a time that is more appropriate.  That isn’t procrastinating when you know there is a better way to set up your life.  I have a saying I put on the front of my computer, “live it so you love it”. If life isn’t fun and exciting for me, I’m going to make a change. This is the only life I get, I am determined to love it! Look at the way you are living your life, are you getting joy out of what you do? If not, take a second look:

• Make a change in what you do
• How you look at what you do
• Even just the way you do it

Sometimes attitude makes all the difference.

​Life really is just too short to live it feeling stressed all the time. Take simple actions first then move to bigger steps if those don’t work.  You are the one steering your own ship, make it a beautiful peaceful sail with excitement as the swells come and go. Just don’t take on water and keep it there, or it won’t sail to your favorite destinations nearly as well.

​​Author: Kathleen Dorson

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