Do you feel like you are always trying to keep up and not making any headway? It is a common experience in this fast paced, technology-focused world we live in. Step back and take the time to evaluate priorities. I can hear you say “How do I do that when I have too much to do?” Start with one hour a week.
Give Yourself Time To Prioritize
Devote one hour a week that you typically would do something that is not required. Get that one hour by not checking all of your social media accounts, not going through the volumes of email accumulated throughout the week that you haven’t had time to check or just not watching that show that you DVR’d and haven’t had time to watch. They’re still going to be there even if you give that hour up for evaluation.
Start by releasing the thought that you HAVE to do everything. Make a list of everything you really feel is THAT important that requires you to do it. Then review the list and ask yourself if this is really worth your time. Let’s say, you value your hourly rate in your work life at $50 an hour. Is it really worth the 2 hours for you to cut the grass – costing you $100 of your time – especially if you hate doing it or would it be better to find someone who would cut the grass at half that rate and give you those 2 hours back to do what you love? Invest in your time and well-being by adding that expense to help you be more productive in other ways.
Be Objective
Check your list and see if there is anything that really doesn’t make that big of a difference if you DIDN’T do it. Sometimes we place importance on things because we have always done it that way or it was the way you were raised. Be objective – would an outsider look at your list and shake their head and say why do you bother with that? If you can’t be objective, ask someone else who doesn’t have an investment in the outcome of the task see what their opinion is. If it’s not important, place it lower on your list or remove it entirely. The world isn’t going to end if you don’t get the basement cleaned out before your parents arrive.
If you live alone and don’t have anyone in your immediate circle of family or friends to help you, see if you can barter services with someone to help you with items that take up too much of your time. Offer your services in exchange for something that you don’t particularly want to do or that takes you much more time than someone who has the skills or resources to do it. For example, if you sew and can quickly make repairs for someone who can’t thread a needle offer your services for something they do well.
Create a More Mindful Life
Mindfulness is an important aspect to include in all areas of your life. Most of us rush through our days being overwhelmed with everything we have to do and then short-changing ourselves when it comes time to nourish our bodies. This is one of the items that needs to be a high priority on your list of things to do. Adequate time to rest our minds, nourish our bodies, and be grateful for the food we have to eat is an important aspect of creating a life of abundance. The simple act of eating in a mindful fashion will help calm the overwhelm of the day by giving your brain time to slow down, your body time to be nourished and your spirit to be appreciative for the food you have to eat.
Learning mindfulness is something we must practice in order to make it a habit and a way of life. Once we are able to do this without thinking then we will be able to balance out the other aspects of our lives with the same principles of mindfulness.
Learn how to put mindfulness into practice by signing up here to receive my free Mindful Eating e-mail series. It’s a step towards removing overwhelm in your life.
Where the mind goes, the body will follow…
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