Busy Schedules and Stress

There are days I want to quit everything I’m doing to avoid the stress I’m feeling.

Nowadays, I’m taking on way too much. I’m currently a mom of an eleven month old baby girl, I’m working my full-time job, I’m blogging part time, I’m going to school full-time for my Human Resources degree, I’m trying to keep up with house chores, starting house projects, attempting to fit in work outs, and I’m engaged so wedding planning is thrown into the mix as well.

There are seriously not enough hours in the day!

With great responsibility, comes stress.

I am constantly getting burnt out and I swear I’m permanently tired.

This never-ending cycle has had such a negative impact on me mentally and physically.

I think about quitting school or cutting back part-time, but the guilt of quitting makes me reconsider. I know I would feel awful if I were to stop everything I’m doing. If I were to quit school, I wouldn’t only be quitting on myself, but my family too. The hours spent into homework assignments could have been spent with my family. If I give up, those hours worked would be meaningless.

I can’t give up when I have gotten this far. I have came from being expelled from high school to being on high honors in college, while working full time and raising a child. I owe it to my family and myself to keep going. It helps to remind myself that the stress I’m experiencing is only temporary and everything I’m taking on is improving myself.

In order to keep going while maintaining my sanity, there were some habits I needed to change. I didn’t have the best stress habits growing up. I resorted to self-harm, drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol which made matters worse. Over the years, I’ve tried healthier coping habits that eventually stuck.

1. Plan Out Tasks

I used to look at the tasks I had to do all at once rather than one day at a time. I made the mistake of not breaking up my tasks for each day and resorted to getting as much done as possible, only to feel overwhelmed because I missed several tasks. I use a planner every day to break up what needs to be done before the week ends. It makes me feel more at peace knowing that by the end of the week I will have accomplished everything I needed to by dividing all of my tasks through each day.

2. Relax and Unwind I also have made the mistake of not relaxing at all. I can’t believe I’ve shrugged off the importance of self-care for so long. There are many go to methods to relax, but I found taking baths to be a huge stress reliever. I ignored self-care by skipping baths to unwind and chill out. I underestimated the power of lavender scented aromas and lit lavender candles. I will never get side tracked and skip a self-care day again. This has done wonders for me. Baths increase relaxation and aid in meditational practices. Self-care comes in many other forms such as yoga, spa days, journaling, pedicures, manicures, crafting, or working out. The self-care routines are endless!

3. Ask For Help I’ve always been known for being stubborn. Asking for help has not been my strong suit. I always try to take on more than I can handle. I have mom-guilt from being away from my daughter even if I’m running errands. It took me a few breakdowns to realize I should accept the help that has been offered to me. Asking for help has been my saving grace with getting housework, homework, and projects done. Usually a full day at a time helps me tremendously.

4. Home Projects

I’m always in need to be doing something. Whether organizing the house or creating a new project, I instantly feel better knowing I’m doing something to increase the functionality of my home or creating something neat for the house. I love to paint whenever I can, so Pinterest has always been my go to for fun ideas to create.

We all face struggles and stress. It’s beneficial to take the time for ourselves to maintain our sanity.

It’s important to not give up on any positive changes you are making in life. If things get tough, take a step back to recollect your progress and keep going! We grow into our best selves when life throws us challenges.

Life doesn’t present any obstacles that we can’t handle.