Tag Archive for: how to be less stressed

Stop Letting Your List Make You Feel Guilty

Over the years I’ve spoken to a wide variety of people about their lists, some who always cross every item off their lists and some struggling to make lists at all. But there is one thing we all seem to have in common when it comes to lists – guilt over not getting it all done.

Even when it’s a small item I haven’t crossed off my list I feel compelled to find some reason why. I couldn’t get milk because I left a meeting late or I didn’t go for a run because it was too cold this morning.

The excuses we make always find something else other than ourselves at fault.

It’s not because we are necessarily trying to shift the blame, but because our brains like stories. We understand concepts and ideas better when they are presented in narrative form. So when we miss an item on our list we want to have a ‘story’ as to why it’s still there.

These stories can sometimes have positive effects on our lives, just by believing you’re a more lucky or more confident person you can make it so. But the stories we tell ourselves can also hold us back. We might avoid trying something new or taking on a difficult challenge because we believe we aren’t good enough or smart enough.

Once you release that it’s mostly in your head you can start to break out of these negative behaviour patterns. Read more

6 Ways to Reduce Holiday Stress

the sexy santa assistants were there to take a...

As you know — I’ve been shopping for the holidays since August…so I won’t be doing any last-minute runs to the mall to buy gifts before Christmas. It’s my trick for reducing holiday stress. I also make lists and lists of everything that needs to get done so I don’t leave anything out. Gifts to wrap, calls to make, cards to buy, etc. List making will help you calm down and get everything accomplished for sure.

For some other easy ways to reduce stress in this crazy holiday season I turned to the experts at Chicken Soup for the Soul. The publisher Amy Newmark compiled these tips for us:

6 Ways to Reduce Holiday Stress

by Amy Newmark

The holiday madness is upon us. Are you feeling a little stressed out? Adding all that holiday prep to your already busy schedule may be putting you over the top. So if you are engaging in “Extreme Multitasking” these days, here are a few tips from the folks at Chicken Soup for the Soul that may make the rest of December go a little easier. Read more

My Email Inbox Is Overwhelming

Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot : FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I get a ridiculous amount of mail to my personal email account everyday. It’s not that I’m that popular — I just like to sign up for newsletters, deals, advertisements, alerts, etc. I think I need to scale back because it’s getting a little much to handle.

Every morning — I sort through no less than 10-15 emails that I’ve gotten early in the morning or the night before while I slept.  I delete most of them without ever opening them.  These are the coupon codes and “secret” sales for online and brick and mortar stores. I feel like I should keep subscribing to these because you “never know” when you might want a coupon. But really — it’s just crowding up my email box and slowing me down. Read more

Ways to Use Lists

It’s always interesting to find out how other list makers do it…make lists, I mean.  What works for one person might not work for someone else.  I think it takes some trial and error to figure out what works best for you and will make you most productive.  Here is a guest blog from Darla Arni — she’s a speaker and author: Read more

The “Hit Time” Method for Getting More Done

In TV news we use the term “hit time” a lot.  It means the time that your story will be “hitting the air.”  We will say “what time is your hit?” or “this hits in 10 minutes,” or “are you going to make your hit?” Using strict deadlines in the news business works — the newscast will carry on with or without you.  So you better be prepared and make your hit time.  I’ve carried over the idea of hit times into my daily life.

Using the “Hit Time” Method

When I get dressed in the morning I have several “hit times” where I know if I’m not doing a certain thing at that time — I will be late.  For instance — if I’m not out of the shower by 7:15am — I won’t be able to do my hair, makeup, eat breakfast, read the newspaper and check my email.  I like doing all those things (and yoga) before I leave in the morning.  I know by this “hit time” what I have time to do and what I can’t do so I can still make it to work at a reasonable time.  Read more