Stressed, Anxious, Overwhelmed? 4 Mistakes I Made In My Day That Was Stealing My Joy

My battle with schedules and time management left me stressed, anxious, and feeling like a failure.

Don't get me wrong, organization and schedules are incredible assets when they work, but when we get overwhelmed, our progress grinds to a halt.

I realized I was self-imposing stress on my life. Not everything can or should be managed. When I accepted this, a weight was lifted.

Once I identified the 4 areas I was creating pressure on myself, I took 4 counter steps to alleviate the stress and began enjoying my days again.

1. Saying yes when I should say no

I remind myself that I am not Wonderwoman, and it ok to say no. It is not the end of the world for any of us.

I now expect interruptions, and I start my project sooner and set an earlier deadline. I am a stickler for any deadline, even self-imposed.

Now I schedule time for "non-essential, yet essential" tasks: phone calls with friends, a cup of tea, or reading time is now given space in my day.

I give myself time off. I accept that I deserve a day of no commitments, and I prioritize getting a good night's sleep.