Dear Lynn -
I've been under so much stress lately. I've been inundated with too many projects at work as well as family responsibilities. I'm juggling too many things in my life and not doing any of them well. My intuition seems to have gone underground. I feel anxious and worried all the time. Do you have any fresh approaches and advice to deal with these issues? - Peter N.
Dear Peter:
I can relate to what you're saying! I confess that several years ago I might have won the title of "Multi-Tasking Queen." Before I had my "aha" moment about this bad habit, you could find me talking on the phone while trying to write a blog, jotting notes for my grocery list, and glancing at the text messages coming in on my phone. It took a few months of frequent migraines and stomach upset to realize I might be a little stressed!
Here are the top four habits I implemented that have really helped break the cycle:
Schedule Down Time
Every month I would block out several days or parts of a day that was non-work. When the day arrived, I would ask my intuition, "What do I need today?" Sometimes the answer was to sleep more. Often it was to go for a walk, meditate, do some writing in my journal, check out a museum, read a book or get together with a friend. I'm convinced that if I hadn't blocked these times out in my calendar, I wouldn't have made time for them. They added immeasurably to my peace of mind.
Plan Things You're Excited About
I noticed that the clients who were the happiest were always excited about some upcoming event, occasion or project. It could be a class they signed up for that had something to do with a non-work related interest, a get-together with their adult children, or a family outing with the younger ones. Vacations topped the list, of course. However, I was struck by the variety of overnights close to home, or a short trip to an attraction nearby. My husband and I created a list of fun things to do and at least once a week we chose an item and went off on an adventure. Interestingly, some of the ones that were the most memorable were the least expensive.
Find a Meditation Practice That Works for You and Do It!
I struggled with meditation for a long time. I began to seriously question whether it was really helping me when I just couldn't seem to get more than a few seconds of that acclaimed blissful state everyone wrote about. Meditation more often left me agitated and decidedly not peaceful. My experience changed when I decided to put on headsets and listen to music while meditating. I found my blissful groove while doing that. I'm not sure what the "experts" would say. However, my own inner expert - my intuition - says if it works, do it! Experiment a little. Check out some different options for yourself. I've found that I have a much calmer approach to life and its normal ups and downs after implementing this practice. Now I look forward to my meditation time as a quiet oasis in a busy day.
I've saved the best for last.
The final idea is...