Here we are at week 13 in my 15-week self-experiment using Lucinda Bassett’s Attacking Anxiety and Depression program.
Wow, it feels like I’ve been writing this series forever, but it’s really a good thing that this work is 15 weeks long. If you’ve been a worrier, stressed out, and feeling anxious (and even depressed) for most of your life then you know that it’s going to take a little bit of time to make some changes and gain some balance in your life. Well, actually that’s not always the case – change can happen much much quicker but it depends on what you’re ready for.
This entire topic though, plays right into that stinkin’ thinkin’ that can get you moving towards the frig faster than you could imagine, which is why this is such a good topic to address: getting yourself in balance, removing that constant, chronic stress from your life, and living a life of joy and ease!
Week 13
Week 13 in the Attacking Anxiety and Depression program is about bringing balance into your life by letting more of that stress and anxiety go, which actually goes hand in hand with time management. Here’s an example: have you ever felt overwhelmed and stressed because you have too much on your plate?
No, not on your dinner plate, lol, you know what I mean – having too much on your scheduling plate. 😉 And a big key to reducing stress is reducing that overwhelm, which time management skills can help you with.
Time Management and Life Balance
Several things are covered in week 13 that relate to time management and two that really stood out to me were:
- Planning
- Asking for help
Both of these apply to not only stress management but also to weight loss. For example, in regards to planning, in order to be successful at weight loss you’ve got to plan. You need to plan:
- Your meals
- Your workouts
- Your portions
- Your water (no fun drinking most of your water before bedtime!)
- Your Thoughts (stinkin’ thinkin’ will bring ya down faster than anything)
Actually the time you invest into planning will give you back so much more in return and also give you the “side benefit” of reduced stress. That’s a good reason to let go of any excuses you come up with to put time into advanced planning!
What’s so great is at all of these topics go hand in hand – you might think that your main goal is weight loss and fitness but when you get off the processed foods you will be reducing your stress right there with just that one step. Remember week 5 of this series? Getting off of refined sugar and caffeine will work wonders in reducing your stress and anxiety. So if your main goal is reducing stress and anxiety, you’ll actually be positively affecting your health and fitness and the same time! See how everything intertwines?
Then there’s also the topic of….
Asking For Help
Are you good at asking for help or do you try to “do it all on your own”? If you’re trying to do it all on your own then I’m going to guess that you are feeling a little overwhelmed if you’ve got a few things going on in your life (and I’m sure that you do!).
Asking for help is something that can be hard but when you can allow others to help you you can take a lot of stress and pressure off of yourself. What’s funny too, is that right now, there are people who want to help you! These could be people who you hire or your loved ones. I bet you can think of at least one person right now who would love to help you (your spouse, a sibling, your friend, a business associate) and are just waiting for you to ask.
When you can strike a balance between being self-sufficient and allowing others into your life to help you make things just a little easier you will notice a shift in your level of stress. It’s also an act of self-love to allow others to assist you in life, but they often won’t unless you ask and allow them in.
What I Learned
What did I learn? I learned that the time management skills I am in the process of developing are really helping me to stay on track and reduce stress in all areas of my life. Actually, something super simple that I’ve been doing is asking myself if the activity or task on my list is going to take me closer to where I want to be or if it’s taking me further from my goals.
If it’s something that I think I should do but it’s really not going to help me accomplish my end goal(s) then I take that task off my list. It’s surprising when you do this just how many tasks that you think you should be doing really aren’t even necessary and are more so “busy work”.
If this is the first installment in my 15-week series that you’ve read you can read my introduction to learn why I decided to do this experiment with the Attacking Anxiety and Depression program and more about how it applies to the topic of weight loss. You will also find a list of links there to all posts in this series.
Time management is everything. I know this from having been an athlete all my life. If I don’t get up first thing in the morning and go for my run, come the end of the day I suddenly realize that I don’t want to do it; I have all of the excuses in the world. But if you have an action plan- something written in writing, then it is much easier to stay disciplined.
I think time management is the key to a lot of things in our life and wish that I’d been taught these skills in school. For the last couple of years I’ve been on an endless quest to find a TM method that works for me to help manage my work and home life. Only now do I feel I’m getting somewhere.
Clares last blog post..Melt away belly fat
Hi Jolynn,
Great series! I absolutely agree about planning ahead. I personally am a batcher. I batch everything, from email writing to food preparation. For example, on Sundays I make my breakfasts for the week. I also batch baking chicken breast, so I have it ready to add to any meal through the week.
I used to be a “do it all myself” kind of girl, but I have relaxed a lot and now find that asking others or even outsourcing some business related tasks really is not as big of a deal as I was making it out to be (in my head).
I look forward to reading the rest of the series!
Sheila
http://www.livewell360.com
Sheila | Live Well 360°s last blog post..Shepherds Pie
Good written article I would say about the same. Since I am managing my time I am much more organized and have only little stress.
It helps you keep on track and do the things you plan and want to do. Planning is the key to relaxed and happy life and people that do not plan will have problems organizing their everyday activities.
Totally agree,always have a plan when doing everything not only diet and weight loss. It can definitely help you to success easier!
Ashlees last blog post..Fight Menopause with Food!
Time management is a huge issue for me. Seriously, I try to sit down and write out my diet plan and workouts for the week on a Sunday. If I don’t do that I almost certainly fall off the fitness wagon. Planning is key.
Robs last blog post..How to Eat Out AND Stay Healthy – 10 Expert Tips