1. Make time for ME each day. This mostly means exercising. Exercising is one thing I do just for me, where I focus on myself, and leave everything else at home. I havent gotten this one down yet, mostly because I hardly have enough energy to accomplish my daily tasks, let alone run a few miles or hang out with Jillian Michaels for an hour. I do believe that exercise gives you energy when you are consistent, it is a vicious cycle though. If I dont have the energy to do it in the first place, I have a hard time remembering that I will feel good, energized and happy...full of endorphins after I exercise. I'll nail this one down, it is just going to take me a little longer.
2. Stick to my planner. I bought a new, grey, adorable planner on Saturday. Let me tell you, this baby is my life. I had one before Saturday, but it was all covered with palm trees, and hard to read, and the writing space wasnt quite big enough...so I found something better. I carry this little book around with me everywhere I go. I consult it at LEAST 15 times a day. I have my day written down as everything should happen in order. I also have a "TO-DO" section at the bottom. There is no feeling more gratifying, satisfying, pleasing, or empowering as looking at my planner at the end of my day and seeing everything with a nice clean black line through it, crossing it off. Mission freaking accomplished.
3. Not allowing time to pass being idle. I do not have time to sit for ten minutes and think about where I am going to go running, or to wander around trying to decide where to grab lunch. I have to have these decisions made before hand. I have found myself several times sitting, thinking, THINKING about what I have to do next. Not doing it; thinking about it. What good does this do me? None. How annoying is that? Super. Because then the time for doing said task, passes. And what did I do? I thought about how badly I needed to do this thing, and now I havent done it, and wont have time to do it for the rest of the day, but dont you worry, I really know I mean at this point I REALLY understand how badly I need to do it. Because I have been sitting there, thinking about it this whole time. This has to stop. No more I tell you. It is completely counter-productive, and there is no room for it in my life any longer.
4. Adequate Rest. I am a baby. Seriously. Some people can function well enough on a few hours of sleep for several nights in a row. They are able to do their day, tired, but still functioning. I admire these people. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. I need my sleep, or I am a completely useless, grumpy, counter-productive, beast. So I make time to sleep, or everything else may as well be cancelled. I cant do it. And so, sleep is not something I sacrifice when I have too much to do. Sleep is essential. I never allow myself to think that it is not. My close friends and family appreciate this.
5. Yoga. I am a huge fan of the stuff. It is life changing, and amazing. I wish I could do yoga all day, every single day. However, I do my best to fit my yoga in to my schedule. It doesnt happen every day, but my goal is three times per week. This gives me time to shut everything else out of my mind, and focus on breathing in and out. It is truly amazing what yoga can do for your soul. Im not kidding, whatever you are struggling with, I believe yoga can help. Try it, you wont be disappointed.
6. Adequate Nutrition. When I am stressed I crave french fries. Lots and lots of french fries. Its a comfort thing. It is also unhealthy, and I do not indulge this weakness. I fuel my body with proper nutrients. I try to be mindful every day as to what I am putting in to my body. How can I expect my body and my brain to function the way I need them to, if I am only putting unhealthy, indulgent things in to it? I eat some kind of chocolate every single day, and this is something I include in my adequate nutrition. Its not a lot, but some form of chocolate is consumed daily by this girl, and it is the best part of my day. (probably.)
7. Prioritizing. Things that are most important, like God, my family, close friends, and my health get priority over school work and hours at my job. I always make sure that I find time to do things that are most important, because when this semester is over, the things that are most important to me, still need to be there. It is my job to make sure that happens. So things can fall through the cracks, but those things will not be what is most important to me, because that simply does not make any sense.
I have a few other things I do to keep my life balanced (as much as I can) but it is late, and I am tired. So I will stick to #4, and go to bed.
Getting control over my life has been difficult. Realizing how to fit everything in to my day, and making my schedule work how I want it and need it to has been a really amazing lesson to learn. So here I am, doing a crazy semester at school, and living by a mantra that has seriously changed everything for me. It is the following: "I choose not to feel overwhelmed or discouraged, but to feel empowered". Instead of feeling like I am going to die because I cant breathe as a result of my overwhelming schedule and daunting list of things to-do, I feel empowered. Because I am strong enough to do it all, so long as I am realistic and honest with myself, and I keep my priorities straight. So my advice to you is, feel empowered. That my friends, makes all the difference.
Namaste.
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