Last week I hustled from my day job over to the loft to teach class, then had a troupe meeting and aerial rehearsal directly after. The next day I had a workout scheduled, then another rehearsal the next day, and the day after that a local circus event.
To say my life is packed is an understatement. After class most nights and being away from my phone for about two hours I come back to multiple emails, multiple texts and multiple requests.
I’m so lucky to have this wave of clients and shows, but it’s a lot to work on all at once, so I’m been doing a few things every week to keep myself and my mind from getting overwhelmed.
1 // Take time to turn off, unplug and read every night. I just finished The Girl Who Played With Fire.
2 // No answering emails after 7pm or during the weekend unless it’s an emergency…still struggle to adhere to this one, but it’s a huge stress reliever. I’d even start to turn off my phone some nights ::gasp!::
3 // Plan one night off during the week to do nothing
4 // Prioritize my to-do list and don’t stress if a few small things don’t get done
5 // Get my ass in bed by midnight – this is a big help when juggling so many things!
All of these really point to not working after my 9to5 so my mind can disconnect and recharge for my to-do list for the next day.
Do you have any rules for yourself or things you do/don’t do to keep from getting overwhelmed and stressed?
Psst! Did you enter to win a gift certificate to Sugar + Bean Crochet? Hop to it >>>
Photo via WeHeartIt
Comments (17)
I am totally on the same page; a lot of weeks I’m working every day and never take time to breathe. My work keeps me some nights till 3 or 4am while other days I have to be up by 7am so my sleep schedule is completely off. Probably one of the best decisions I’ve made so far, this year, was to take last Sunday and Monday off. I haven’t had a day of rest in so long. I didn’t get on the computer, and I wen’t outside and played card games with friends instead. It was a great weekend. This is my number one way to relieve stress. It helps to refocus and revive before you burn out with all the stress and activities. Hope since you wrote this your stress level has gone down!
It amazes me how much you have on your plate, so I can imagine that you feel overwhelmed on a daily, if not hourly basis :)
It’s always helpful to remind myself that most things on my iPhone can wait, and to take time to set it down and walk away. Sometimes I get too consumed with work and responding to emails and clients that I forget that there’s an adorable man who loves me on the couch right next to me. It helps to set technology aside for a while and focus on the relationship that helps get me through the stressful moments.
I’m in grad school, doing freelance work, and working part time at the school. All together, it’s a lot. Somehow, though, I have to make time to run and to do fun (see: non school) reading. Sometimes when I’m making that time I have this nagging sense that I shouldn’t be setting aside time for these things, that I have too much other stuff to get to, but ultimately, I know that it’s what I need to do for the sake of my sanity.
Oh, yes. I just started grad school, and I’m balancing part time work. It’s insane. I allow myself to take a nice hot bath each night during which I am not allowed to do anything school or work related. I usually read. I also strictly adhere to cleaning Mondays. I get up, work out, start a load of laundry, and then clean the house.
I also try not to watch television after 9pm. It settles my mind, so I can get to sleep easier. I try to meditate every night, but in reality I only make it about three nights a week. lol
sillygrrl Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 5:11 pm
I keep thinking about taking a meditation class because I cannot sit still and ignore my to-do list for long. Three nights out of the week is pretty good!
i too am learning how to better manage my to-do list so im not freaking out. making it a priority to add fun time to my to-do list sounds mundane but i need that sometime. i like the no emails after 7- ive been leaving my phone in a separate room while i eat dinner and unwind and it really helps. this is really great, thanks for sharing.
sillygrrl Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 4:00 pm
I know, sounds goofy to schedule fun time, but if you have to, you have to. I’ve actually been turning my phone off a few nights a week. Really helps to know it’s not going to interrupt me.
Wow. You are one busy lady! I need to work out a better system for keep my projects organized. Blegh.
sillygrrl Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 4:03 pm
I like using WunderList and Weave on my iPhone or TeuxDeux online :)
I recently, started going back to school. And ever since then, my life feels like it’s constantly on the go! Between parenting, working, school, and trying to find time for workouts/homework, I found myself getting really tired, and really stressed.
I don’t have too many rules, although from your list, I feel like maybe I should. I do try and keep Saturday’s free, and I bought a planner which has helped me to visually see my schedule. That way I don’t over do it on some days.
sillygrrl Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Planner is an absolute must when juggling so much. I would forget everything or be more stressed if I didn’t write it down. Trying to keep weekends free too, but now I’m looking at finishing two sites on Sun..oops >_<
Lately i’ve been focusing like crazy on my career & building my portfolio, a lot of the time I end up working on the weekends too. It’s absolutely draining me! I try not to do any work on Sundays and just have an unwind/catch up day. Yesterday it hit me how much time i’ve actually been spending on the computer lately and I banned myself from my laptop and checked out some books from the library. That definitely helped my work-a-holicness & gave my brain a rest!
sillygrrl Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
Books are a good idea. I find I can only keep myself from working when I’m focused on something else. Definitely recommend Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Hunger Games if you haven’t read them yet.
I am struggling with this right now too! I’m working on a big project, but I’ve been TRYING to have at least one weekend day. So far I haven’t had a full day off yet this month! That’s not to say that I’m working all day everyday (though I’ve had at least a week of those too), but I spend a lot of time waiting to hear back from this client and being “on call” where I’m not really free to do anything. And then I end up working “after hours” like last night where I worked from 7-midnight.
Once this project is complete, managing it will be easier. But I’ve got to get some “rules” in place. And office hours. And then stick to them. Which is the hardest part, because when I know there is something to do, my brain won’t leave me alone until I do it!
sillygrrl Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 4:08 pm
Same thing here – need to get myself on a schedule and stick with it. Problem is, I actually enjoy working so if I have free time I just grab my laptop and start up again.
My boyfriend and I keep Thursday nights clear to just slob on the sofa and watch TV together. January’s a very quiet month for us so it’s not as important right now, but at certain times of year knowing that we’ll have one evening in our home, not doing anything demanding is a huge stress relief.
I’ve also started only checking Facebook on my phone because then I can’t loiter over it and waste my precious time sitting on the internet when I could be doing something else.
Also, multitasking the chores – putting the launcdry away whilst waiting for the food to cook, that kind of thing – so they don’t take up too much of my time. Not that I can claim our home is in any way clean or tidy, mind you…
sillygrrl Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 4:10 pm
I’ve turned off a lot of notifications on my phone so it’s not pulling me in when I’m trying to unplug. I like the idea of having one permanent night to chill every week.