The SLOW DOWN capital of the World!
Oh, I know you’ve heard this from me before….. but it’s just too easy to overschedule these days! In my case, it was a month of skiing with family and friends, the holidays AND the flood of 2019 as I arrived home mixed with just the right amount of mother coming in for a small procedure. I know that sounds negative (I feel like this sounds hideous – just being honest), but I also think that sometimes when we over schedule ourselves, we start to be a little irrational (read: cra-cra and gulping chocolate). And, we begin to lose proper perspective. Instead, our worlds revolve around what WE need to do, how overwhelmed we feel, and then all of this is made worse by feeling like we are in a vise and cannot get any of it done.
Between running around for work (ParTee re-launching and campaign creation), attempting the whole workout theme, and spending time with friends, family, my to-do list, my computer, flood of 2019 etc., my life feels like a Tilt-a-Whirl ride (remember these things …..spinning and slightly nauseous for hours when younger!) lately. And then…..there is social media – where it seems perfection is the “norm” – it just got to be a little too much for too long. Even taking a few days off and setting aside time for myself, I didn’t feel rested – I’m feeling like everyone with whom I speak is feeling the same way. Ok, enough ranting……let’s get down to the “meat” of this blog!
One of the things I am working on this year is to be better at acknowledging stress AND what causes it. Being more mindful of piling too much on – and knowing what that looks and feels like – has been a huge part of managing my life. One method I’m trying is to jot a clear “to do” list down (keep ya posted on that one…….). I’m hoping this will help me to identify the “tipping point” and I can see when I’ve just added the old “stick that broke the camel’s back”….. knowledge is power, right? I can share a few of the things I’ve noticed recently.
ZERO ZZZZZZZZZZZ’S
If you find you’ve been tired and listless lately, ask yourself if you’ve been getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night, the recommended amount. I realized not too long ago that I was only getting 5 to 6 (woooowwzaaa, I know) – and I wondered why I was tired all the time! I might get in bed around 10, but I’d stay up working or looking through Social Media for another few hours – which was destroying my sleeping time.
I often use my nights to finish up projects or any last minute to-dos, but after realizing I was short on sleep, I’ve made it a point to be in bed by a certain time each night and putting my phone on “do not disturb”…..it’s an actual setting on the iPhone. You can set a time frame and it will NOT ping you during that time:) I’ve also been putting my phone far enough from my bed that I cannot reach it once I’m snuggly under covers. Sad……but it works!
If you find you don’t have enough hours in your day to get things done and get the requisite amount of sleep, it’s definitely a sign you need to slow down. Come up with a way to do less – is that even possible???? Maybe be more realistic with what you can actually get done in a day (I definitely need to put that cape away). Maybe you don’t need to work out EVERY single day (that would cut into my eating addiction) – you know? Research indicates that having a bedtime “routine” is helpful. If 10 pm is your turn in time, begin getting relaxed and ready for bed by 9:30. Crucial to success is NOT having Netflix in your bedroom…..just saying.
WHERE DID I PUT THAT??????
When you’re overwhelmed and overworked, it’s perfectly normal to become more forgetful. If you think about it, it makes sense that you’d forget things more often when you have too many different things running through your mind every hour of every day. Multi-tasking is great when it comes to efficiency, but it can actually lead to forgetfulness. And while on the topic, it’s actually been proven that multitasking isn’t even possible – at least not if we want to do all the things we’re trying to do at once WELL. I still try to make it work……addiction to multi-tasking???? Maybe there is a support group for this, right?
If like me, you notice you’re a little spacey lately, which I have, it’s a sign to slow down and start focusing on just one thing at a time. When you give your full attention to one thing at a time, you’ll be able to retain more and will be less forgetful.
CRAB – O- SAURUS
When you’re constantly running with your hair on fire and have an overwhelming to-do list, it’s easy to become extra crabby about things that normally wouldn’t bug you. I know personally, when I get stressed I’m not as nice to people I’m close to – I feel like I’m shorter and just not in a the best mood (apologies to everyone). But more than being crabby, I feel like when I’ve got too much going on, I’ve got less time for other people in general. And I HATE that. Instead, all my thoughts and efforts become pretty self-centered. I’m just trying to “get through the day” rather than actually living an abundant, fulfilling, and joyful life. When I feel overwhelmed, I’m more self-focused, which is something I don’t want to define my life. It feels great to be productive, but it’s not worth sacrificing the most important things in life. Like having that glass of wine with a great pal or taking a class with a friend you don’t see often enough.
If you find yourself being crabby with the people you’re closest to – getting irritated with the smallest of things – convincing yourself you don’t have time for a quick phone call with your mom or coffee with an old friend, or centering every waking moment on only your needs, then it’s probably a sign you need to take it down a notch. Try writing out a to-do list and coming up with an actionable plan to get things done – and doing what you can to prioritize that list. Because there will always be more to do – and there will always be things that feel and seem urgent. But you don’t want the urgent things to overshadow the important things – right?
Making the list (remember the old “Brain Dump” blog?) and prioritizing it will help. Knowing you have everything written down and a plan in place to complete things will help you feel more in-control and enable you to slow down.
What do you do to slow it down? Do you use the Brain Dump thing? More sleep? Downtime techniques?
Have the BEST day and go SLOW!
