I am so guilty of stressing over things more than they need to be. It makes work and life daunting sometimes when I fall into my old ways, worry about things that aren’t that big a deal, and partake in creative avoidance. Are you with me?
Look into what is actually required before stressing out
I got a few certifications for work and in order to keep my certifications, I have to maintain them quarterly. Since the exams were ridiculously hard I expected the maintenance quizzes to be just as treacherous. Imagine being forced to take three shots and then thrown into a room with Rumpelstiltskin who proceeds to ask you riddles about your job – that is what the test felt like.
Since I was given plenty of fair warning to finish my maintenance – at least 4 or more months, I kept putting it off for four or more months, It was always gnawing at me and every time I would get a reminder email I swear my blood pressure would spike.
Finally, I force myself to go take the maintenance quiz and I was expecting the worst. Turns out it was so much easier than I thought and it only took 30 minutes for all three of my certifications. An easy 30 minutes that I spent months agonizing over because I had never done it before and didn’t really look into what was required before freaking out myself. *hard face palm*
Take a deep breath and map out what is required before wanting to run and hide.
Mel Robbins says to count down from 5
Mel came up with the 5 Second Rule and she is onto something. She says your brain will talk you out of what you know you should be doing because it wants to be comfortable. And well, usually the things we should be doing are uncomfortable. In order to get out of your head she recommends counting down from 5 – 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO to get you moving and I love it!
Do one thing at a time
When you are juggling too many projects at once it can be super stressful. I’m not saying you aren’t capable of juggling multiple projects, it can just wear you down faster and actually slow the process of finishing all of your projects. If you are able to focus on one at a time you will shock yourself at how much faster you can get through them. If you are anything like me you are probably rolling your eyes about now and thinking, “Yeah no, that doesn’t work for me because I get bored easily”. I get that – I have major ADHD and I tried so hard not to like this way of doing things for years. But I have to break it to ya, it works. I know you don’t want to but try it.
Redirect the nag that lives inside your head
Stop being a big ole’ bitch to yourself. The person that is the most critical of us is us – 99.99% of the time. And the doubt, guilt, and shame that come from our negative self-talk adds unneeded pressure and prevents you from getting the most out of your day and life. When you aren’t beating yourself up you hesitate less in productivity and decision making. Plus a nice side effect is feeling a bit happier.
Write it down
Sometimes you need to get out of your head by writing your idea or to-do down. Have a system where you put all of your ideas, to-dos, and projects in one place. Whether that is a paper planner or through a web app like Google Drive or Evernote – try and keep it all in one place.
Build action habits
If you can brush your teeth everyday you can automate your success. We brush our teeth without thinking about it much and with very little resistance. I’m never excited to brush my teeth but I do it. Our bodies take over and it just happens. And it is never even a question of, “Should I do this now?” No, it is a must and never gets skipped. If you develop healthy action habits for your personal and business life you can do the things that bring successful results without having to make a decision to do them or dread them. Remember it takes a very long time to create a habit – and that is okay. Be gentle with yourself on the journey because you are in this for the long haul.
When you are able to get out of your head and make even the tiniest of steps towards what you want, you feel less stressed and in control. There is a happy peace that comes from not stressing over projects, people, or to-dos on a list.
Remember to …
Actually know what is required before freaking out.
Count down to five to get going on your next thing.
Stop being a jerk to yourself.
Write tasks and ideas down in one spot so they aren’t floating around in your head.
Continue to build healthy habits that bring results – just like brushing your teeth.
Did you find this useful? Don’t keep it a secret. I would love it if you would share it with a friend, colleague or loved one. It is the biggest compliment you can give me.
Leave a Reply