Hello Friends!
Are You Stressed Out?
On a scale from 1 to 10, how stressed are you? I’m guessing most of you would say 11 right? Oh yea, we’re just going to 10, so 10. It’s a fact, stress is a killer. It has been medically proven that stress is directly related to heart disease, obesity, depression and Alzheimer’s, just to name a few; either contributing to the onset of such conditions or worsening them.
We live in a very stressful world filled with responsibilities, obligations and schedules. Everyday there are a million things we have to think about and attend to. Work, kids, home, family, friends, church, pets, community…they all demand our time. Just the emails, texts, phone calls, meetings and bills are enough to drown you.
Simple living
With all of these life issues where do you fit in living? I mean really LIVING. Are you living the life you want to? Are you doing what you feel you were meant to do? If you answered no, why not? Why aren’t you living the way you want to? Of course, everyone’s situation is different and some things cannot be changed, at least not for a while, but a lot of things can.
SIMPLICITY is the key!
If you’ve been on the Home page https://wp.me/P9ZVBe-N you know that the underlying message of my blog is to simplify your life. We cannot do what we were meant to do if we are suppressed in a convoluted world of stress that society tells us is normal. We were not made to live that way and if we continue to do so we will suffer in many ways.
Reduce The Stress-Just Say No!
The first step to simplifying your life is to eliminate as much stress as possible. Easier said than done you say? Well at first, yes it is, but you have to get serious about it. You have to make a plan and stick to it. Life is never going to be perfect and we will always have a certain amount of anxiety, but there are some things you can do to reduce the amount of stress you bear.
The first step in sifting through all of your responsibilities is to ask yourself “Do I HAVE to do this or do I WANT to do this?” Separating your needs and wants is crucial when going simple. The truth is we bring the majority of stress on ourselves–mostly because we can’t say no–no to sitting on a committee, no to extra work, no to buying the latest phone, no to the kids, etc.
Freedom
Make A List And Prioritize
Think about your everyday life and make a list of everything you are doing. What do you feel the most stressed about? Is it bills and finances, work, kid’s schedules, a relationship, housework, lack of time to do what needs to be done? Maybe it’s other factors such as health, emotional or personal issues. The stressers will be different for everyone. Make a list of everything in your life that is seriously stressing you out. Put them in order from most stressful to least stressful. Look at the list carefully and think about ways you can change, re-arrange, remove, avoid, reduce or eliminate what is causing you anxiety.
De-stress with a backyard sunset
For me it was several things; one was not having enough time to do what had to be done VS doing what I wanted to do. For 11 years I worked 2 or 3 jobs mostly out of necessity, although part of it was my fault because I was always traveling; going on an adventure somewhere, and that required a little extra income . Traveling and writing is my passion however, and that was never going to change. I worked extra jobs so that I could do both, but my first priority was to get my house paid off. You may have to work extra hard for a period of time until you can get to the place you want to be, but it will be well worth it!
The Point Of Realization
Through the course of this super fast-paced lifestyle, something had to give. I always enjoyed my house and loved doing home and garden projects, decorating, landscaping, etc. I couldn’t wait to get it paid off, but about a year after I did, I just became exhausted with it all and no longer had the interest in it I once had. Without that debt I could breathe easier, but there were a lot of repairs and unfinished projects that had to be completed and my interest was just gone.
I experienced complete burn-out with everything in my life. I had a meltdown of sorts; to the point that I couldn’t think straight, couldn’t focus, couldn’t get motivated. I even found myself taking the wrong turn while driving—a lot! My mind had been overloaded for so long, that it was breaking down and I was experiencing some physical problems too. I was tired and my nerves were shot!
Take a nap outside
The pace had to be slowed down and my life had to change. I needed to be free from most everything. It was then I realized the problem! I’ve always been a free spirit, and over the last several years it had become stifled. I had become so stressed and bogged down that I was suffocating. Freedom was now my priority; my path to healing.
Make A Plan, Simplify Your Life
I became preoccupied with an alternative lifestyle—the one I was meant to live; one that would allow me to “get back to the basics of life” (everything’s a song with me).
Nature calms the mind
This would require eliminating or reducing the stress that was killing me. So, I made a plan to simplify my life and visualized how I wanted it to be. Within a couple years I made some big changes:
Relationship–As much as it hurt me to know someone else would not be happy, I dissolved a toxic relationship that was definitely not working and was never going to. You cannot stay in something you know is not right.
Work— I got myself down to just one job (all anyone should have!) which greatly reduced my workload. Less hours and much more flexibility instantly gave me more time and freedom. I was so relieved not to be under that pressure, I didn’t really miss the money from the other job (which was very little anyway).
Relax with a great view and a good book
Community— I resigned from all committees, clubs, organizations and activities that no longer brought me joy. I have done way more than my part for many years and even though I care deeply, I am just not able anymore. It’s time for the old dog to step down and the young pups to step up!
Home–I began to streamline everything at home by cleaning house—literally! Room by room, I went through all my possessions, getting rid of everything I did not need or use, separating items into donate, sell and keep categories. I also made a plan of what to do with things I was keeping but would have to let go of eventually when I become a full time nomad (post coming soon). I committed to getting the necessary repairs fixed and completing projects in progress at my house, but that was it. I made it a point to make everything in and around my home as low maintenance as possible.
Peace is priceless
Faith–I am a believer and have always had a lot of faith, but with everything that was going on in my life, I put God on the back burner, and that was the biggest problem. I made a conscious decision to put Him first and there is where He will remain. He will take care of the rest. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
The Plan Is Working!
All of these actions greatly reduced my stress. Is my life perfect? No. Do I still have stress? Yes, but nowhere near what I did before! Now I can concentrate on my blog and other projects that had been put on hold, getting healthier, and of course–more adventure! Most importantly I have taken back my peace of mind and discovered true freedom.
As I said before, everyone’s situation is different. Some changes may be easy, while others will be more difficult. More often than not, we end up at a boiling point before we realize it and then wonder how we got there. I just want people to recognize why they are stressed and offer suggestions that may be helpful–such as getting in touch with nature and simple living–both of which can be practiced and enjoyed while camping! Don’t have a meltdown like I did. Make your de-stress plan and stick to it! Maybe some of these ideas will help you find freedom too. Find out my acronym for LIVING on the About page. https://wp.me/P9ZVBe-r
No stress here!
There will be more info later on the subject of stress, the snares of society and tips on simple living. Coming soon–Ways To Overcome 10 Big Life Stressers.
Until next time, remember….Don’t Wait To Live!
See ya down the road…
Catrina