Article by Fabafterfifty
As women we have all reached our fifties with the ability to multi-task, and may well be considered by friends and family to be somewhere in the realms of ‘superwoman’. But in practising the art of multi-tasking , have we also lost the balance in our lives and left ourselves more perceptible to stress.
So, what can we do to help ourselves if our lives have become too stressful?
Balance – is essential- all work and no play is not good for anyone. Take a look at a typical week- do you allow time for ALL the important elements of your life such as work, family, friends, exercise, relaxation? How can you allocate your time differently to accommodate the things you really want to do?
Delegate – I have a friend who , until this year, had never sat down to eat Christmas Lunch- every year she has hosted the family celebration and waited on members of her extended family- this year she gave them all tasks, and was able to sit and enjoy the meal with them!
Values – Take a moment to think about the things that are the most important for you in your life. Often times when we find ourselves living by others values and not our own, creating stress in many ways. Don’t be afraid to say no! Don’t feel guilty if turn down requests for help from time to time.
Exercise -Exercise has the ability to relax both your mind and your body. One of the big advantages that exercise has is that it forces you to get out, and to maintain some balance. Take time to go out for a walk everyday at lunch time, join a fitness class or exercise to a DVD at home. Physical wellbeing has a huge impact on mental wellness
Plan ahead– we’ve all heard that expression “fail to plan, plan to fail” . There is an element of stress in unplanned situations. Unknowns cause us to worry, and to get stressed out about situations that we could be far less daunting if we take a little time to plan
Reward – Reward yourself. Too often we get into patterns where we work too much, sleep too little, and run our body into the ground. Take breaks daily, weekly, monthly. Get up during the day from your work, and take time for a walk. Take time for a bubble bath. Even ten minutes a day of doing ‘nothing’ has been proven to reduce stress levels and blood pressure!
Patti Winker
I used to multi-task when I had to, and I was good at it. Since I passed the 50 year old mark, I quit. I’m sure I would still be good at it if I had to, but I choose not to. It’s so freeing!
Thanks for this great post. Sometimes all women need is the go-ahead, the all-clear, in order to stop running themselves ragged. This is an excellent guide for any woman waiting for the green light to take care of numero uno first. Thanks!