Categories
Mindset/Strenghts Resilience

Overwhelm And A Hectic Life Are Key Sources Of Stress For Many

We all have our fair share of stresses in life, but some of them are within our control to change. Being overwhelmed and living an overly hectic life are known to be two of the key stresses for most people, and, what luck, they’re both in your control!

In this article, we’re going to discuss how these two things are skyrocketing your stress level and what you can do about it.

What being overwhelmed and living a hectic life are doing to you

Living a hectic life that causes you to be overwhelmed regularly forces you to stay in a constant state of stress. You just go and go with little to no break. This is not good for the human body.

You need to take a break, allowing you to calm your mind and body, starting anew with fresh energy. Keeping yourself in a constant state of busy is horrendous for your stress level, which, in turn, is bad for your health.

If your life seems too hectic, it’s time you do something about it and start delegating. This will help you to reduce your stress and feel less overwhelmed.

What to do about it

While there are some hectic and overwhelming things that are out of your control, there are a few things you can do to help calm things down and reduce your stress. 

First, get your priorities in order. Make a list of everything you have to do in descending order of importance. When you’re done, see what you can cut out or maybe delegate to someone else.

Next, get better organized. Organization can greatly reduce your stress. Keep a well-detailed calendar; divide your day up into what you have to do and the time you’ve allotted in which to get it done. This will help you to feel less overwhelmed.

Lastly, ask for help. You’d be amazed how much your loved ones want to help you; it’s far time you let them. Start delegating tasks and try to make your life less hectic.

Delegating can help make all the difference

It can be hard to let certain things go, but sometimes, when it comes to your health, you just have to. Delegating can help you minimize the hectic areas of your life, helping you to have reduced stress and preventing you from feeling so overwhelmed.

Delegating means allowing others to do some of the work for you so you have time to do other important things. To help with your stress, you can delegate chores to others in your household, have someone else drive your kids to their extracurriculars, or even just let someone else handle some of the responsibilities in your life so you can take that weight off your shoulders.

Why you should bother

The biggest reason you should bother trying to minimize your stress is because stress kills. Stress can cause heart attacks, strokes, and several other bad conditions. 

Minimizing your stress can help you think clearer, sleep better, and be healthier. It can help lessen your anxiety, as well. So why, given an easy way to lessen your stress, would you not try it? It could mean a life and death difference for you.

We all deal with stress each and every day of our lives, but that stress builds up and could cause some serious health problems. Being overwhelmed and living a hectic life are two of the biggest stresses in a lot of people’s lives. They can be managed, however, with some practice. 

We hope this article has managed to help guide you through reducing your stress by delegating in order to live a less hectic life and be less overwhelmed.

If you are dealing with overwhelm that is getting on top of you, I’d love to help! Book you free clarity call here

Categories
Chaos / Upheaval Fresh Start Mindset/Strenghts

What Can We Learn From Chaos and Crisis?

I still marvel at the incredible opportunities that are hiding inside chaos and crisis, although I was unable to see that at the incredibly emotionally painful time of my separation and divorce.

The most positive things I learned was to view a crisis as an opportunity, where lessons can be learned. It is an opening for change and improvement, and to view a situation through different eyes. 

As I began to pick up the pieces of my life and place them one by one into a new normal,  I increasingly sensed a strong desire to use the lessons I had learned to try and help others experiencing challenges and heartache. 
This led me down a completely new career path, from teaching – to gaining qualifications as a coach and counsellor. I will never forget one of my counselling clients – a special young woman I will call Amanda for privacy reasons. 

Amanda taught me about resilience, pain and purpose. Let me tell you about the incredible struggles she overcame…

Amanda was referred to me by her doctor as she was struggling with depression, bulimia, suicidal thoughts and addiction. We would meet each week, and for the first couple of months, Amanda would sit cross legged on the floor in my office, cuddling one of my teddy bears, sobbing her heart out as she talked about her life. 

close-up photography of brown teddy bear

My heart ached for her – her life had not been easy, she saw no reason to go on and her lifestyle was threatening her mental and physical health. 

But….. Amanda still had the tiniest flicker of fight left in her, so we developed strategies together to fuel the tiny flame inside of her. Each week I would be overjoyed to see the triumphant small positive changes Amanda was making.

After one year, Amanda had reinvented herself! After three years, she contacted me to invite me to her graduation…. and to meet the handsome man beside her who was now her fiance. 

This courageous young woman taught me about courage, and that there is always an opportunity in adversity, there is always a way through the storms in life and that we are stronger than we think. Sometimes we just need the support of others to get us through the storms. 

That is why my passion is walking alongside you to empower you on your journey and find the calm in the storms of life. 

What is a “storm” in life that you have overcome? What did it teach you about yourself?   I’d love to hear from you- please share below. 

I would love to help you if you are experiencing a ” storm in your life” or if you have weathered the storm but now needing some help to find the “real you” who may have got lost in the storm. I would love to chat, why not book a free clarity call with me now:)
 

Categories
Relationships

How To Use Humour To Resolve Conflict In Your Relationship

The conflict has been brewing all day. The combatants are at crisis point, and it feels like the entire office is holding their collective breath waiting to see what happens next. At this point, they’re ready for bloodshed, or at the very least, some very strong words.

 

The last thing they expect is for one of the key players in the conflict to open their mouth and… make a joke?

 

Maybe it doesn’t feel like a resolution to the conflict, but actually, laughter goes far beyond being the clichéd ‘best medicine.’  How? First of all, laughter takes the tension out of the situation, which exactly is what’s needed to regain perspective, build stronger bonds, and yes, sometimes smooth over the differences.

 

How then do you effectively use humor to resolve conflicts?

 

1. Make sure that both parties are ‘in on the joke.’

By keeping humor wholesome – not at the expense of the other person, you’re focusing on inviting them to laugh with you, rather than laughing at them. How will you know if you’re doing it right? Humor is tricky, and so your best indicator of getting it right is to gauge the other person’s reactions. If they’re not laughing, chances are they don’t find it funny. Stop!

 

2. Check to make sure that you’re using humor as a defensive weapon rather than as a positive tool.

If you’re using humor to mask emotions that you’d rather not deal with right now, then it’s time to put a flag on the play. Stop immediately and ask yourself what it is that you’re not dealing with and why.

 

3. Work on that sense of humor.

Every good comedian knows how to read their audience. The same goes for using humor with another person, especially in a situation that’s already a conflict. Watch the nonverbal cues. What language are you using? Keep the tone positive and light, and mean it. That means don’t use jokes as a means of cruelty. Lastly, consider what you might use as an inside joke. Inside jokes not only keep the situation light but create a deeper intimacy with whom you conflict.

 

4. Most importantly, be Playful!

A little bit of silly fun is a good thing. Not sure how to tap into that kind of fun and crazy side? Explore humor in other ways so that you always have a repertoire to fall back on. Watch things you find funny on TV or in movies. Listen to jokes. Read the funnies. Find that side of you that likes to play and encourage it with creativity and fun.

 

And no matter what, cut yourself some slack. It takes practice to be funny. Keep at it, and you’ll find your natural sense of humor, and be able to tap into it when you need to. That conflict won’t know what hit it!