| I'm sure you'll agree that your life feeds into and | | | | take you? |
| receives nourishment from everything inside and | | | | Nothing wrong with busy except when there is no time |
| outside of you. What you do matters, how you interact | | | | for you, to nourish and replenish and restore. And the |
| with people matters, how you feel about your life and | | | | balance you seek in life influences the balance you |
| environment matters. It's all part of one cohesive | | | | seek with food. You need to get your house in order, |
| system of life. | | | | all of it. |
| You are not separate or isolated from yourself or | | | | Practice saying "no" and begin the mental assessment |
| from the world around you. And without realizing it, you | | | | of aligning your activities with your personal boundaries. |
| have taken on too much and crowded out simplicity. | | | | And if you don't have personal boundaries, you need |
| That's a standing invitation to overwhelm and it will | | | | to establish them. You need to help yourself by making |
| drive you to overeat, abandon sensible choices, and | | | | smart choices within the framework of your personal |
| crash your diet. You won't lose weight until you stand | | | | boundary guidelines. Ask yourself a few guidance |
| up for your rights, define and decline what does not | | | | counselor questions: |
| work for you. | | | | *Do you have limits on what you do, when you do it |
| Why? Because it's vital to harmonious living to | | | | and for whom you do it? |
| disengage from all clutter. Not only physical clutter, but | | | | *Or are you always available to everyone even when |
| the mental clutter that clogs and bogs us down. A neat | | | | it's at your personal expense such as using up your |
| way to get instantly rebalanced is to treat yourself to | | | | time or keeping you from what's important to you? |
| something fun. Interrupt your clutter pattern and do | | | | *Have you learned how to say no and not feel guilty? |
| something completely unexpected or unplanned just | | | | This includes family, too. |
| for you. | | | | *Do people ask more of you than they should? |
| Do it today, right now. Doesn't matter what, just put a | | | | *Do you allow non-critical interruptions to disrupt you? |
| fun item on your agenda and do it just for you, all by | | | | *Are you disruptive to other people? |
| yourself. Turn off your phone, disengage, wind down, | | | | Evaluate your choice of time allocation by asking |
| take a break and create a pattern interrupt. Go for a | | | | yourself "is this something I can let go? Can it be |
| long walk, take in a movie, get a massage, read a | | | | handled another way or by another person? Why do I |
| good book alone in a quiet place for an hour or two, | | | | have to get involved in this? Do I want to spend my |
| listen to your favorite music, get your nails done at an | | | | precious time on this? Is it worth it? Do I have other |
| exclusive upscale salon or spa, find something to give | | | | options? Is it critical, must do? Or is it non critical, can |
| yourself for no reason except to have a break from | | | | do it another time stuff? Am I willing to delegate or let it |
| stress and from the usual too much to do for | | | | go completely? |
| everyone but yourself. Try sending yourself flowers. It | | | | Our lives and our time are indistinguishable and cannot |
| really feels wonderful and you are absolutely worth it. | | | | be replaced, replenished, restored, bought or bartered. |
| Don't hesitate to express love for yourself. | | | | Once it is gone, each moment, minute, hour, day, it's |
| When your life is crowded with activities and make | | | | history. Make your time count for you. |
| busy lists, it's easy to feel constantly overwhelmed. | | | | Analyze your activities and your "busyness". Is it |
| Funny thing about overwhelm, it short-circuits your | | | | yours? Does it add to your life in meaningful ways that |
| ability to enjoy life and relax. It affects stress levels | | | | validate you and fulfill you? |
| and stress craves release. Guess how release often | | | | Or is it noise and clutter, filling you with trivial |
| happens? | | | | unimportant things. Things you don't need because it's |
| We run around spewing our energy into the kids, into | | | | diversionary and keeping you from living what's really |
| the job, into the house, into the chores, the social | | | | important and what matters to you. Learn to value |
| activities, professional activities and never ending do | | | | your time and value your use of time because it's a |
| this, do that, go here and get that, a whirlwind of | | | | reflection of how you value yourself. You are your |
| perpetual activity. Where does it lead? Where does it | | | | most treasured asset. |