Too Much of a Good Thing

I have a little secret to tell... I haven’t been practicing what I preach! I talk about balance and being kind to yourself and not biting off more than you can chew - but this month I overdid it.

I have to say that I don’t like being too busy, but for some stupid reason I thought it would be a good idea to take two classes on top of my already very full life. The classes are fabulous, but I like — no, need — to  have time to write blog posts, have a social life, play with my kids (okay that’s the one thing that I wouldn’t let suffer), etc.

I didn’t even overdo it with anything that I dislike — I just piled on too many things that were fun - telling myself, “I think I can, I think I can....”

I now loathe that little blue engine that could and everything he stands for. My kids have this book and I took a quick peek at it after this popped into my head and I have to say — what a bunch of rubbish!!!

Biting off more that you can chew is not a message that I want to share with my kids. Realistically, is it really a good idea for a little engine lacking in horsepower to pull a big load up a gigantic hill when he could kill himself and everyone he’s pulling if he fails?

I think not.

While it is important to believe that you can accomplish your wildest dreams and go for it, I don’t think it’s wise to teach our kids to take on idiotic challenges. You do need to know your limits (we are human after all) and be smart about the risks that you take on.

I should know better (I’m a psychologist and my husband teaches people how to use tech to make their lives and their businesses run smoothly and automatically — check out techquilibrium.com) and I’m taking steps to clear my schedule and remedy the situation.

I temporarily forgot the first rule of stress management — DO LESS! Even too much of a good thing can be exhausting no matter how tempting it can be to squeeze just one more thing in.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, take a good hard look at what you can cut out to make your life easier. Just because you might be able to do something in the short term doesn’t mean that it is a good idea to keep doing it indefinitely.

If you work 40 hours a week, commute 5 hours (and that’s on the low side for most people), spend 30 hours a week keeping your house together (that’s the average amount of time spent cleaning, running errands, paying bills, etc), hopefully 5 hours a week exercising, and if you have kids forget about the rest of your leisure time — you are going to crash and burn.

Take steps now to cut out what drains you (or sometimes who drains you) and simplify your life. If you can’t cut back at work, you’re going to have to cut back on housework either by hiring someone, getting rid of stuff so you don’t have to spend time organizing and cleaning it, or working out other creative solutions (e.g., I love my roomba!).

Be ruthless. If you are feeling overwhelmed you owe it to yourself and to those who have to live with you to do less!