Does life seem like one long, tough, tiring obstacle course? Do you always say "yes" when you are crying out to say "no"? Are you multitasking your life away? Join the crowd. Overload is the modern pandemic. We are drowning in work, commitments, information and debt. Overload is ruining our health and wrecking our relationships creating a nation of stressed, anxious, sick people - not just adults, but children too.
You may feel that overload and stress are an unavoidable part of modern life but, in fact, you do have a choice
You can beat overload and reclaim you sanity, your health and your life. There are 10 incredibly simple suggestions that are absolutely guaranteed to reduce your overload dramatically and pretty much instantly.
You can beat overload and reclaim you sanity, your health and your life. There are 10 incredibly simple suggestions that are absolutely guaranteed to reduce your overload dramatically and pretty much instantly.
They are tough, I warn you. You might not be ready to take all 10 on board. But if you try just one, it will help. Two would be great. The more you try, the better you will feel.
1. TURN OFF YOUR MOBILE
Yes, this tough. If you are constantly on the move and you have children, you will want their school or carers to be able to contact you, so have a dedicated mobile for that purpose and that purpose alone. Otherwise, check your messages and texts at set points during the day and respond to them during that time. As a matter of courtesy, turn your phone off when you meet people and when you get on the train, when you get home. Pretty soon you will find that people will stop relying on getting hold of you instantly. They might even think twice about trying to contact you "out of hours".
Yes, this tough. If you are constantly on the move and you have children, you will want their school or carers to be able to contact you, so have a dedicated mobile for that purpose and that purpose alone. Otherwise, check your messages and texts at set points during the day and respond to them during that time. As a matter of courtesy, turn your phone off when you meet people and when you get on the train, when you get home. Pretty soon you will find that people will stop relying on getting hold of you instantly. They might even think twice about trying to contact you "out of hours".
2. UNPLUG THE TV
I am not saying never watch TV. However, TV time could be spent in other, more creative ways that actively reduce overload, such as yoga or talking with your partner. The content of most television programmes encourages overload, anxiety, stress and status envy too. Who need it? Be discriminating in your viewing. Look through the listings once a week and decide - ahead of time start small by having designated "no TV" days and arrange to do other things instead.
I am not saying never watch TV. However, TV time could be spent in other, more creative ways that actively reduce overload, such as yoga or talking with your partner. The content of most television programmes encourages overload, anxiety, stress and status envy too. Who need it? Be discriminating in your viewing. Look through the listings once a week and decide - ahead of time start small by having designated "no TV" days and arrange to do other things instead.
3. TAKE A MEDIA EMBARGO
We all feel that somehow we ought to read the paper everyday. But do you really want to burden yourself with the worries of the world? Cut down on your news intake. Skim the headlines on the Internet, if you must, on a daily basis. Buy a good-quality news round up on a weekly or monthly basis to stay in touch with the important issues. Newspapers go in for scare-mongering on a large scale. If you peruse the newspapers regularly you should be aware that you will be inviting panic, worry and anxiety into your life on a daily basis.
We all feel that somehow we ought to read the paper everyday. But do you really want to burden yourself with the worries of the world? Cut down on your news intake. Skim the headlines on the Internet, if you must, on a daily basis. Buy a good-quality news round up on a weekly or monthly basis to stay in touch with the important issues. Newspapers go in for scare-mongering on a large scale. If you peruse the newspapers regularly you should be aware that you will be inviting panic, worry and anxiety into your life on a daily basis.
4. GO ON AN INTERNET DIET
Choose specific times of day for receiving and responding to email. Limit your online browsing. Cut down or break free from online groups. Always being online can affect your productivity (and create overload) as our brains can really only cope with one thing at a time. Research shows that texting and emailing throughout the working day can "fog" your brain as much as smoking cannabis, knocking 10 points off your IQ. It has been dubbed "infomania" and comes about when your mind is in an almost permanent state of readiness to react to our "always-on" technology instead of focusing on the task at hand.
Choose specific times of day for receiving and responding to email. Limit your online browsing. Cut down or break free from online groups. Always being online can affect your productivity (and create overload) as our brains can really only cope with one thing at a time. Research shows that texting and emailing throughout the working day can "fog" your brain as much as smoking cannabis, knocking 10 points off your IQ. It has been dubbed "infomania" and comes about when your mind is in an almost permanent state of readiness to react to our "always-on" technology instead of focusing on the task at hand.
5. CUT OUT CAFFEINE
Why give up coffee? Because virtually every overloaded person relies on it - and yet it actually increases overload. Yes, a shot of espresso will make you more alert, more awake and more energised - but only for a short time. Then your energy levels will slump down lower than before and you will need another fix. Caffeine also places strain on the adrenal glands, it puts you on unnecessary "red alert" and so you are caught in a horrible twilight stress response zone. Drinking coffee in the morning can lead to increases in blood pressure, feeling of stress, and elevated stress hormone levels throughout the day and even into the evening. Try coffee substitute and herbal and special teas instead.
Why give up coffee? Because virtually every overloaded person relies on it - and yet it actually increases overload. Yes, a shot of espresso will make you more alert, more awake and more energised - but only for a short time. Then your energy levels will slump down lower than before and you will need another fix. Caffeine also places strain on the adrenal glands, it puts you on unnecessary "red alert" and so you are caught in a horrible twilight stress response zone. Drinking coffee in the morning can lead to increases in blood pressure, feeling of stress, and elevated stress hormone levels throughout the day and even into the evening. Try coffee substitute and herbal and special teas instead.
6. LIMIT YOUR CHOICES
I have found that limiting choices, across the board, make life much easier and less stressful. That doesn't mean I don't buy nice things - but I am able to choose from a smaller range of nice things. Above all, I have learned that it is time consuming and stressful always to have to find the "perfect" anything and that a "pretty good" something will do just fine. Learn to love constraints. Choose from a smaller arena or variety. Find brands that work for you and stick with them (unless they fail you). Buy from smaller shops or a smaller range of shops or websites. Cast your net small - look locally for solutions - whether it's a partner, a home or a computer. Control your expectations - recognizes that the "must-have" new bag or shoes or whatever won't change your life. Don't compare what you choose with what others have or want. Look for what gives meaning to your life, not somebody else's.
I have found that limiting choices, across the board, make life much easier and less stressful. That doesn't mean I don't buy nice things - but I am able to choose from a smaller range of nice things. Above all, I have learned that it is time consuming and stressful always to have to find the "perfect" anything and that a "pretty good" something will do just fine. Learn to love constraints. Choose from a smaller arena or variety. Find brands that work for you and stick with them (unless they fail you). Buy from smaller shops or a smaller range of shops or websites. Cast your net small - look locally for solutions - whether it's a partner, a home or a computer. Control your expectations - recognizes that the "must-have" new bag or shoes or whatever won't change your life. Don't compare what you choose with what others have or want. Look for what gives meaning to your life, not somebody else's.
7. CREATE FIRM BOUNDARIES
If you are working productively, it should not be necessary to bring loads of work home. If this is impossible, you simply have too much work and need to address that issue. Talk to the person responsible for overloading your schedule and discuss what you can, and can't do. If you are asked to take in something for which you know you don't have time, say firmly and politely; "No". Working beyond eight hours is usually counter-productive.
Another important boundary is that between the working week and the weekend. Most of us run as fast at the weekends as we do during the week. There is no pause button in modern life. Recognize that you will be able to do more, in the long run, if you sometimes do less.
If you are working productively, it should not be necessary to bring loads of work home. If this is impossible, you simply have too much work and need to address that issue. Talk to the person responsible for overloading your schedule and discuss what you can, and can't do. If you are asked to take in something for which you know you don't have time, say firmly and politely; "No". Working beyond eight hours is usually counter-productive.
Another important boundary is that between the working week and the weekend. Most of us run as fast at the weekends as we do during the week. There is no pause button in modern life. Recognize that you will be able to do more, in the long run, if you sometimes do less.
8. LET GO
The biggest change for the better you could make would be to drop the myth that doing it all is possible, or even desirable. Let go. Be honest about what you can - and can't - feasibly do. So many of us strive for permanent perfection. If we have a dinner party, it has to be exquisite; if we send a present it has to be the "perfect" present. No, it doesn't. Your friends want to have a fun evening - they aren't going to be marking your table decorations out of 10 and expecting five-star cuisine (and if they do, I would suggest you have the wrong friends). The old adage "it's the thought that counts," it true. I am not saying become sloppy or slapdash - it's important to give thought and attention to what you do. However, you need to know when something is "good enough" and be content to leave it there.
The biggest change for the better you could make would be to drop the myth that doing it all is possible, or even desirable. Let go. Be honest about what you can - and can't - feasibly do. So many of us strive for permanent perfection. If we have a dinner party, it has to be exquisite; if we send a present it has to be the "perfect" present. No, it doesn't. Your friends want to have a fun evening - they aren't going to be marking your table decorations out of 10 and expecting five-star cuisine (and if they do, I would suggest you have the wrong friends). The old adage "it's the thought that counts," it true. I am not saying become sloppy or slapdash - it's important to give thought and attention to what you do. However, you need to know when something is "good enough" and be content to leave it there.
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