Goals. Plans. Responsibilities. Family. Work. Relationships. Deadlines. Appointments. Meetings. With everything you must maintain and balance, it’s easy to become consumed. It’s no wonder that you feel stressed, overwhelmed, and discouraged.
Those feelings kill your productivity, which leads to more stress—and the vicious cycle continues.
Establishing a healthy balance allows you to feel grounded leading to less stress, increased productivity, and improve your overall happiness.
Strategies to Help You Stay Grounded:
Live in the Present
If you find yourself longing for the good ole’ days or considering all the things you’d have done differently in the past or worrying about what may or may not happen in the future, you’re missing out on the right now. You miss out on opportunities, connections, and the joy that the present moment can bring. You can’t change yesterday, and you can’t predict tomorrow. However, you can control what you do at this moment. Appreciate today. Enjoy the opportunities and people who are in your life right now. Make the most of what this moment has to offer.
Being present also keeps your mind clear so you can effectively manage any unexpected roadblocks you may run into.
Set Aside Distractions and Be Intentional
With distractions pulling you in so many different directions, stress increases and productivity suffers. You have so much to do, and it’s difficult to give everything all the time and energy it deserves. You’re spread too thin resulting in feeling burnt out. Here’s the deal. It’s only possible to focus on one thing at a time. You can’t give 100% of your attention to more than one thing at a time.
Instead of taking on multiple tasks at once, organize your day so you can give your full attention to the task at hand, one at a time. Be intentional about how you plan your day. Knowing that you’ve scheduled a time to truly focus on tasks allows you to be more productive during that time. Not only will this help keep stress at bay, but it will also improve your productivity, relationships, and overall happiness. When you feel more in control of your day, you feel more grounded and balanced.
Eat Healthy and Exercise
Research repeatedly shows that eating healthy, unprocessed foods and regularly exercising not only helps keep you healthy, but also increases your energy levels, focus, and productivity. The highs and lows that caffeine and sugar create make it more difficult to manage energy and we become less effective. Taking the time to plan and prepare healthy meals and snacks stifles the temptation to resort to these unhealthy options. Additionally, exercise helps control stress and increases your productivity. Even a quick walk can boost your energy levels, make it easier to focus, and improve your overall mood. So, what are you waiting for? Put on your tennis shoes, get outside, breath in that fresh air, and give your energy, mood, and productivity a boost!
Take Time for You
Give yourself some attention. If you’ve flown on an airplane you’ve likely heard the flight attendant tell you that in the case of an emergency, put your mask on then help others in need of assistance. This is true in our daily lives. If you aren’t taking time for yourself, you won’t have enough to give to others. Regularly schedule the time to do something you enjoy. During the time you take for yourself, you’re able to check in with yourself to reflect on the things that are important to you. You reset and refocus which improves your productivity and happiness.
In the case of an emergency that shows up as an attack of anxiety, overwhelm, panic or confusion, SLOW DOWN. Take 5 deep breaths, inhaling for 3 seconds, holding for 3 seconds then exhaling for another 3. Write down what must get done. When it’s in your head, it’s always worse than reality. Choose one action to take. If needed, call in reinforcements for help.
I go into detail about this in Chapter 12 of my book, Why Not Now: Create the Success and Happiness You Deserve. Please check it out. Or, if you’d like to discuss what strategies will support you right now, let’s talk! Email me at lauren@coachwithlauren.com.
I just tried that breathing exercise and it really helped! Thanks for sharing !
My pleasure! Glad it helped.