Addicted to Being Over-Productive?
I was working 5-6 times a week, personal training on the side and I spent my other "free time" during evenings and weekends on growing my business. I was committed to something every waking hour of every day and truthfully it was exhausting. I was experiencing chronic anxiety and had a few panic attacks. I wasn't working out regularly or eating enough nutritious foods. I was running on caffeine and exhausting my adrenals with 3 coffees a day mixed with chronic stress that I had put onto myself. I really believed that this is "What it Took" to be successful, but I didn't feel good. I started feeling like everything was an obligation and I needed to make a change.
Why Do We Become Addicted to Being Over-Productive?
We live in a society that thrives on a sense of lack. We are bombarded with advertisements and social expectations to have MORE. Have more money, more free time, more connections, multiple businesses, more likes, more success ..but this doesn't mean MORE Happiness. So we run ourselves into the ground trying to be "more" every day until we end up being less. Less of our best selves, less of a friend, a partner, a parent or spouse. We focus on too many things at once and become over-productive zombies that forget what real self-care and self-love look and feel like. It not only effects our well-being, but the quality of what we produce and create. We run our inspiration and passion dry when we are pouring from a dehydrated coffee cup version of ourselves.
How do we Stop the Cycle?
Set your boundaries. This may take some trial and error to figure out what your "balance" looks like. I had to accept that my personal workload didn't have to match anyone else's. I chose to work 4 days a week at my day job and commit to less events for my business. I needed to include more time for myself as well as time with my friends and family. This allowed me to enjoy my social events more and not feel like I was "penciling people into my schedule". I also had to change my mindset about my health and wellness. It is a priority! Plain and Simple. I made many lifestyle changes and received guidance from a Naturopath to get to the root cause of some symptoms I was experiencing. It has been a year long process and I am always making minor changes and adjustments. For me, saying "No" to opportunities or admitting I've met my commitment threshold is the hardest part.
When you fall back into old patterns...
Some people or situations in our lives will make us believe we have to go back to our "over-productive" habits. If we can recognize this in others and ourselves, it is the first step to overcoming it. When you feel like a person or opportunity is pushing you down an over-productive path, re-evaluate where you are and how you are feeling mentally, physically and emotionally. There have been many times when I have been enticed to by the non-stop hustle lifestyle because of a person portraying it as a successful way to live. The truth is behind the spotlight they were also miserable or sacrificing their health, well-being or personal life to get there. Know what a "happy" and "successful" life feels like for you and settle for nothing less! This doesn't come without practice or letting a few people down from time to time, but in the long run you will appreciate the decisions you made to keep yourself in a healthy place. If you really do not know what this "balance" looks like, seek help from friends or from a professional (naturopath, life coach, therapist etc.) We all need an outside perspective from time to time, not to tell us what to do but remind us what is causing the stress in our lives and how it is impacting our well-being.
Hope you enjoyed today's topic! Wishing you a week full of success :)
Kelsey
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