How to Balance Your Busy Lifestyle + Prevent an Expectation Hangover
I often get asked how I handle doing so many different things at once and how I don’t loose my mind or fall on my face from the amount of directions I’m spinning in - any time I see family I haven’t seen in a while, one of the first questions they ask me is, “so, what are you up to this time?” or “what else are you doing now?” I honestly never really had an answer, until I thought about it this morning.
I’m a Holistic Health and Wellness Coach + “influencer” (not my title of choice - I’d like to find a new one for this) for everyday athletes, a Gymnastics coach, part-time ILoveKickboxing instructor, kids ministry volunteer, dōTERRA wellness advocate, ACTA wear ambassador, occasional Yogi Model ((just for fun :P)), and on top of all that I run six different social media channels and manage my own business marketing and newsletters…Let’s just say, I’m super multi-passionate. That’s my explanation and I’m sticking to it!
On the other hand, from the wise words of Chandler Bing, “Can I be anymore insane?!” - probably.
Expectation
is a limiting belief that can keep you feeling stuck, confused, or fearful of continuing your mission.
To be honest, it isn’t AT ALL easy trying to balance all of these things at once but there are some things I’d love to share with you if you’re feeling the pressure of trying to keep up with your own busy AF lifestyle.
These are tools that I’ve used to keep myself calm, pull myself back into reality when I feel overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, DOUBTFUL (ugh) - all the things that come from having expectations, and quiet down the chatter going on upstairs so I can just focus on what’s the most important.
Because here’s the thing, there’s a lot of expectation that comes from a heavy load of titles/positions/status, whether it comes from the external environment or your internal environment. Either way, it is a limiting belief that can keep you feeling stuck, confused, or fearful of continuing your life’s ultimate mission.
Continue reading below for my best tips on how to balance your busy AF lifestyle + prevent an expectation hangover ;)
HOW TO BALANCE YOUR BUSY AF LIFESTYLE
Use a Calendar/Planner/Task Organizer to map out your week - knowing your schedule is a powerful way to keep track of your time, daily tasks, to-do’s, & work but be mindful of any “white space”.
Use your white space wisely - don’t crowd your white space with more “things to do” but rather use it as time to self-reflect, build a self-care practice, meditate, find movement, write or be creative, read a book, etc. White space is for you to find the time to do more things you love that make you feel good to balance your work/play life.
Focus on one thing at a time - although you may be juggling many different things at once, when your in the middle of one thing, you need to put 100% of your focus into that. Multitasking doesn’t serve anyone (even though we’d like to think we’re good at it and it works). In most cases, multitasking keeps your mind in more than one place at once, which eventually will cause overwhelm. Single-pointed focus is always key to managing your busy lifestyle.
Keep lines of communication open at all times - this doesn’t sound like it makes sense, but communication is a huge factor in staying balanced. If you don’t communicate your needs, concerns or even your schedule with loved ones, partners, or even at your jobs, you can feel a lot of pressure and even feel less appreciated for the time and effort you put into each facet of your life. There’s nothing worse then someone asking you to do something for them when you know you don’t have the space in your schedule for it!
HOW TO PREVENT AN EXPECTATION HANGOVER
Foster a beginner mindset - try to see every day, every situation, every circumstance with a beginner mindset, like it’s happening for the first time. Rather than expecting something to go a certain way, you are opening yourself up to receive whatever it has to offer you. This can often lead to more joy, self-discovery, and a better outlook on life, in general.
Focus on the process - my favorite saying is, “progress over perfection.” As an athlete I was constantly told, “practice makes perfect,” but the reality is there is no perfect. When we stop striving for perfect and rather shift our mindset to strive for progress we are able to grow and develop and learn from our experiences, rather than focusing on what the end result will be.
Follow your intuition - your gut is considered your second brain, but I truly believe it’s way more powerful than that. Trust your instincts to guide you and let nature run its course. You might be surprised at the outcome.
