We all have our fair share of stresses in life, yet some of them are within our control to change. The perpetual state of “busyness” is highly overrated. Those of us who have evolved have learned the truth about busyness and how it’s appearance is designed to make you look and feel more important on a subconscious level. However, busyness is an addiction that is gnawing away at the health of our nation. Being overwhelmed and living an overly hectic life are two of the key stressors for most people, and, guess what, they’re both within your control to change!

In this article, we’re going to discuss how constant overwhelm and a hectic lifestyle may be the two underlying factors that are skyrocketing your stress level and stealing your peace and what you can actually do about it.

Being overwhelmed and living a hectic life can destroy your health.

Living a hectic life that causes you to be overwhelmed regularly forces you to stay in a state of chronic stress. This puts your body in constant fight or flight mode. You just go and go with little to no break. This is not good for the human body and may be undermining your health in ways that can show up later in life. Too much stress can put a strain on our mental and physical health. Overtime this state of being can cause damage to the arteries and weaken your immune system. This stress state can cause low-grade inflammation throughout the body which can lead to all kinds of health problems from heart to brain dysfunction. 

What you can do about it:

First, you must discern whether or not this is describing your situation.

Ask yourself a few questions: 

• Do you feel like you have too much on your plate?
• Do you struggle with delegating tasks?
• Do even small tasks feel like too much?
• Are you tired most of the time?
• Do you have trouble getting to bed on time on a regular basis?
• Does taking a walk or exercising regularly feel like a luxury?

If you answered yes to most of these questions you could be struggling with overwhelm. If you keep going in this direction you might find yourself completely burnt out. 

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 your life down and reduce your stress. Here are a few strategies to try:

1. Prioritize: First, get your priorities in order. Everything is not important. The tasks that are important can be prioritized. 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.
2. Organize: Next, get better organized. Employing the fine art of 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.
3. Schedule: Don’t hate on a schedule. Even the free-hearted, multi-passionate entrepreneur can learn to leverage the art of scheduling to reduce stress and feel more in control of your life. Your schedule doesn’t have to be rigid, it can be flexible. You will be surprised how much more time you can create in your day when you start using a schedule. You may even find time to take the odd walk around the block or try out that new exercise class that you’ve been trying to fit in.
4. Delegate: Lastly, but not least, 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 make your life less hectic.

Delegating can help make all the difference:

I know 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, leading to 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 more important things. To help with your stress, you can delegate chores to others in your household. If possible, have someone else drive your kids to their extracurricular activities or helping with homework. Consider hiring a part-time assistant to help with work or business tasks. Decide to let someone else handle some of the responsibilities in your life so you can take some weight off your shoulders. If your life seems too hectic, it’s time you do something about it and start delegating. As a rule of thumb, outsource and delegate more than you think you should. This will help you to significantly reduce your stress and feel far less overwhelmed.

Why you should bother:

The biggest reason you should bother trying to minimize your stress is that stress kills. Ultimately, stress can cause heart attacks, strokes, and several other bad health conditions. In the short run, minimizing stress can increase the quality of your life and make you happier and more vibrant. It can enhance your physical, emotional, and mental health. Minimizing your stress can help you think clearer, sleep better, and be healthier. It can help lessen your anxiety, as well. It can improve your physical appearance and enhance your relationships. Shall I continue? You get the picture. 

So why, given an easy way to lessen your stress, would you not at least try it? It can be a smart lifestyle choice with far-reaching benefits.

We all deal with stress every day of our lives, but that stress builds up over time 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. As you can see, they can be managed, however, with some practice. 

I hope this article has managed to help guide you through reducing your stress by providing some strategies that can help you live a less hectic life and be less overwhelmed.

Be well + prosper,

Elaine xx