Your day is hectic. Everything is rushed. You are constantly jumping from one crisis to another. It seems as if there just isn’t enough time for all that has to get done.
At the end of each day, you feel drained. You don’t feel fully rested in the morning because you are stressing about the day ahead.
Even the weekends don’t offer much relief. Friday night you are exhausted. Saturday is spent running errands. On Sunday you start to anticipate Monday when the cycles start again. Consequently, your stress level starts to escalate before your new week begins.
Life is in high gear. There isn’t enough time in a day to accomplish all you need to. This thrusts you into crisis mode where you rush from one task to another. You may snap at those around you while your level of patience drops. As you fall farther behind, your frustration grows.
Feeling overwhelmed contributes to mental fatigue, which causes physical fatigue. When you feel burned out, everything is magnified. Small issues that would normally be of no concern, get blown out of proportion.
Life in the fast lane is a recipe for burnout. It puts you on a treadmill that goes just a little faster than you can keep up with. Although you are busy all the time, you don’t feel satisfied. Just when you are at a breaking point, some new crisis pops up that demands your attention.
What’s the solution? Slow down. Prioritize. Many situations viewed as urgent are only emergencies because of the way you treat them.
When you get stressed out, your nerves become frayed, causing you to hop around without any specific strategy. The more frantic you become, the more susceptible you are to stress.
There is much less urgency than you realize. Many of the situations you face each week will not lead to disastrous consequences if they are not immediately addressed. Your objective is to recognize that the world will not stop turning if you choose to put some tasks on the back burner.
Say no to non-priority activities you don’t want to do. It is ok to decline social invitations or to turn down requests to volunteer your time.
You are not in competition with nor do you have to impress anyone. Your schedule should not be based on what someone else does.
Downtime can eat into your day. With some forethought, commonly wasted time can be transformed into productive time. For example, while you are waiting for an appointment, you can make or return phone calls or catch up on some reading. You can listen to books on tape when you are in your car.
Don’t be a martyr. Taking time for yourself should be a priority. Engage in a variety of mental and physical activities. Have fun doing things you enjoy. You will be much more productive and efficient when you are rested with a clear mind.
Be productive. There is a big difference between activity and productivity. That is why some people accomplish much more than others. When you are active, you expend a lot of energy without any measurable results. Productivity entails measurable accomplishments.
Imagine your car being stuck in the mud. If you held the gas pedal down, the engine would race causing the wheels to spin. Although there would be a lot of activity, you wouldn’t get anywhere. The more productive you are, the more satisfied you will be.
Slow down. Most things are not a crisis. Take time to enjoy life. Spend time with family and friends. Take breaks and have some fun.
NOW AVAILABLE: “Dare to Live Without Limits,” the book. Visit www.BryanGolden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. E-mail Bryan at bryan@columnist.com or write him c/o this paper.