Are You Stressed out and Overloaded?

If you are feeling a little stressed and feel like you don't have time for yourself, you are not alone! Our society today is at an all-time high in levels of stress, anxiety, and overload.

Take a moment and take the HubPages quiz in the side bar. This quick, four-question, unofficial quiz might help you determine if you are headed for stress and burnout or if you are already there. So stop reading right now and take the quiz!

Did you take it? How was your score? If you scored 85-100%, good job! You have managed to keep your life in control. Keep up the good work! If you score was 75% or below, however, you might want to take a close look at your life and priorities. Does your life reflect those priorities?

If you feel like your life is overloaded and spinning out of control, you can read more about Maintaining Balance at this link for some helpful tips suggestions.

The Imbalance of Insomnia

Getting a good night's rest is key in maintaining a balanced lifestyle. But what if you can't sleep? Insomnia affects up to 1/3 of adults in Western countries, women more than men. Insomnia is a subjective disorder and is usually long term.  What causes insomnia and what can you do if you suffer from it?

There are many different types of causes
Circadian rhythm disorders are sleep disorders in which there is a mismatch between circadian rhythms and the required sleep-wake cycle. Parasomnias are unusual episodes or behaviors occurring during sleep. Many of them affect children which they usually outgrow.

It is important to treat insomnia because it causes decreased quality of life; is associated with impaired functioning in many areas; and leads to increased risk for depression, anxiety, and possibly cardiovascular disorders. The goal of course, is to lessen the anguish of living with insomnia and always being tired.

If you or someone you know suffers from Insomnia, click on this link to read more about Insomnia: Scientist Information and Treatment.

How Does Cell Phone Addiction Cause Imbalance?

We all love the latest and greatest gadgets! Cell phones now have more capabilities than ever before. No longer used simply to make a phone call, they’ve now become mobile devices that connect us to our e-mail, the internet, and FaceBook. Smart phones give us access to the world and make us accessible 24 hours a day.

Even though the purpose of the latest cell phone technology is to communicate more effectively, our cell phone addictions have actually impaired communication in our personal lives. Our dependence on our mobile devices causes us to disconnect from the people around us. This over-use of technology can cause our lives to become unbalanced and spin out of control. How can we keep our gadgets in perspective? What can you do to keep balance in your life? Read: Cell Phone Addiction Can Impair Communication for more information and for steps that you can take to regain control.

Balancing Boundaries Between Work and Home

Personal boundaries in our lives today are rarely clear cut lines separating one activity from another. Instead our work blends into our home life and our personal life blurs into our professional life. When we get to the point where we don’t know whether we are coming or going, it’s time to realign those boundaries. We must regain control of our own schedules before our lives spin out of control.

Can you relate: Have you found your work blending into your home life? Do you find yourself thinking or worrying about what’s going on at home while you’re at work? If you’re feeling overloaded and stressed and it’s causing bitterness and resentment at home, there are some things that you can do. Regain control of your life by setting clear personal boundaries.

1. Make a list of your priorities. What's really important to you? Does your schedule reflect your priorities? 
2. Develop better time management skills. Utilize your work time wisely. Schedule time to spend with your family. Make a plan and stick to it.
3. Learn to disengage. Leave work at the office. Get a good night's rest. Start exercising or take up a hobby that doesn't have anything to do with work.

All of these steps are easier said than done. Learning to balance the boundaries between work and home takes time and intentionality. Read Personal Boundaries: Keeping Work at Work for more details and information on how you can maintain balance in your boundaries today.

How Chronic Illness can Increase Stress and Anxiety

Living with a chronic illness is tough for anyone, an adult or child, as you juggle medications, doctor appointments, and your regular routine in the home is no longer regular. On top of all that, you are also dealing with stress, anxiety and body image changes.  When you have a chronic illness it's unusual for anyone to help you deal with the anxiety, stress or possible body image changes that are occurring as result. 
                                                                                                                                    

When an adolescent becomes ill things are even more complicated. Adolescence alone is a stressful developmental process, even for physically healthy teens, so chronic illness occurring during adolescence further complicates their development. 

If you have a chronic illness and can relate to this type of stress, click here for more information and suggestions to help you overcome the anxiety: Stress, Anxiety, Body Image Changes with Chronic Illnesses

Don't delay. You're not alone.

Top 5 Tips to Reduce Stress

Are you stressed and overloaded? Could you use some more time in your day? Do you want more peace in your life? In today’s society stress is a common problem. If you're feeling like this, you are not alone.

Our lives are so busy and so jam-packed with work, activities, appointments, meetings, schedules, and responsibilities, we often don’t have time for ourselves. If you are feeling overloaded and stressed, if your schedule is out of control and your calendar is overbooked, try these 5 simple tips to reduce the stress in your life:

1. Learn to say no. We don't have to agree to do everything that everyone expects from us. You have the right to determine your own activities and responsibilities. If someone else can do it... let them.
2. Simplify. Get rid of unnecessary activities and clutter. Too much stuff can be just as stressful as too much running around.
3. Watch your tongue. Think about your words before you let them out of your mouth. Read your e-mails and texts before you hit “send”. Believe me, this can help prevent a lot of stress!
4. Treasure silence and solitude. Turn off the noise. Take a hike in the mountains without your i-pod. Fill your soul with the peaceful sounds of quiet. 
5. Make sure you take some time for yourself. We will be more capable of taking care of others when we remember to take care of ourselves as well. Be sure to schedule time away from the children, either by yourself or with your spouse.

To reduce the stress and regain control, why not put these steps into practice. For more information read, Balanced Living: Tips for Stress Reduction and learn how planning ahead, starting and ending your day right, and a few other stress reducing tips, could help you be on your way to a less stressed, more productive, more enjoyable life.