As women, we tend to live very busy lives. We don’t often stop to think about what is really important to us — and why we are doing the things we are doing. We are so busy running on our hamster wheels that we don’t have time to stop and enjoy those things that really matter to us.
In this article, we are going to discuss what happens as we live under this continual stress of busyness. We’ll also discuss the ways that we can break this cycle.
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Busyness has been defined as the state or condition of having a great deal to do. Busyness is actually a state of stress. When our bodies are under constant stress, hormones are being released that affect our health. Doctors have discovered that there is a direct correlation between stress and certain diseases. This includes weak immune systems, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
This was actually part of my own story. Ten years ago, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I had a very stressful childhood and, on top of that, I was a Type A personality. I was constantly pushing myself to do more and achieve more each day. Eventually my body broke down from all the stress. I became so sick with chronic pain that there were days I couldn’t even get off the couch. I eventually found a wellness chiropractor who helped me change my diet and lifestyle, and my journey to health and wellness began. I am now a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, and I host a podcast called Fibromyalgia Real Solutions. I also coach and help others to get their lives back as well.
Related Post: HOW TO USE LAUGHTER YOGA TO REDUCE STRESS
As we are hopefully coming out of COVID, we need to figure out a way to slow down and not go back to our old routines. In my recent podcast interview with Jen Robinson, publisher of Peaceful Living Wellness online magazine, we discuss ways to break the cycle of busyness and help women lead happier, healthier and more peaceful lives.
Jen is a burnout specialist. In her studies, she’s discovered that before any change can really happen, women must first want to change. It sounds simple, but many women are addicted to their busy lifestyles. Once a woman is really ready to change, Jen starts by helping these women discover what their true values are. They can then start making small adjustments in their lives to line up with those values. The goal is to help these women discover how to live easier, more peaceful and more joyful lives.
The first step is figuring out what activities to take out of their busy schedules that don’t align with their actual values. What Jen discovered is that much of what women do is based on what others think of them — and how they perceive people to be judging them. For instance, they may want to be ‘super moms’ so they feel they need to attend every baseball or soccer game their child is in. Part of what they need to learn is how to set healthy boundaries. This begins to empower them. Cutting back in some areas, such as perhaps attending every other game their child is in, actually gives them more time to de-stress and helps them to be better moms.
Women in the workplace can also do things to impress other people rather than setting boundaries for themselves. They may be working longer hours and working harder so that they appear to be the most productive person in their company. That’s an important thing to do, but there are ways to do that that are more efficient and also include taking care of themselves. Researchers have actually found that people putting in 90 hour work weeks are actually less productive than those working 35-40 hour weeks.
Eventually, people who put in long work weeks without taking care of themselves start to burn out. Burnout is an emotional, mental, and physical state.
Some individuals get into a cycle where, after the onset of burnout, they start to feel worse due to their declining health. It’s a cycle that is hard to break. This is the point where people need to make drastic changes in their lives.
The question we all need to ask ourselves is “what do I need to do to take care of myself?”. It’s really about self-care and helping women figure out how to rest and de-stress. It’s also about creating community. Right now, depression and anxiety are at record high levels. Suicide rates are also at record highs and experts believe that much of this can be attributed to a lack of human connection. This is especially true this past year. People were stuck at home — some with no human contact — for almost a year. Online groups, such as Jen’s Peaceful Living Wellness community, have really helped women connect. It can be a place where women connect, find encouragement and also find accountability. It’s important to find others who are on the same journey to wholeness and wellness who can support each other.
Listen to this episode if you want to learn more about this topic.
