Got Overwhelm?

Everyone I know is overwhelmed. There’s no end in sight to all of the chores that need to be done: the chauffeuring of kids, monitoring of homework, the backlog of email, appointments, project deadlines and the seemingly ceaseless ringing of the cell phone. This week alone I’ve witnessed a range of emotion from muttering and grumbling to tears, anger and despair. Why is this happening?
It’s a combination of factors.
We are leading cluttered lives, that includes both cluttered homes and cluttered schedules. There is so much information coming at us at all times that we are left in a state of information overload.
Here are a few tricks to lesson daily stress.
* Break projects down into manageable bits.
* Know your own limits and keep a barometer reading on how much more you can handle. Don‘t be afraid to say no.
* Avoid multitasking. Author Martha Beck said this in O magazine: “When your brain assigns equal importance to several things at once, your attention jams. You are attentionally blind to everything.”
* Limit distractions. Turn off the TV, the cell phone and the email alert so that you can concentrate on what you’re doing.
* Watch your diet and increase your exercise level. Dr. Christine Northrup says that even ten minutes of exercise a day can reduce stress. Avoiding a morning cup of caffeine and white foods can help you sleep better at night. And we all know that everything looks better after a good night’s sleep!