Too much going on? Simplify your life
By Lisa Roberts
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Life is good. Or is it? We work hard, we play hard and we have more stuff. But we're stressed out, swimming in debt and spending more time working than with family and friends.
And we know we're doing it. According to a survey released by the Center for a New American Dream in Takoma Park, Md., most Americans think that society's priorities are too focused on work and money, and not enough on family and community.
That knowledge, though, isn't enough to squelch our often-frantic lifestyles. "I think it's a real overload among many people," says Alan Keck of the Center for Positive Psychology in Altamonte Springs, Fla. "We have a subculture of people who are overworking, epitomized by (the saying) 'get rich or die trying.' "
Indeed, the daily grind of balancing work, family, pleasure and downtime can bring an array of stress-related maladies, including high blood pressure, heart attacks, depression, anxiety and immune-system deficiencies. Too much stress also can affect interpersonal relationships, as well as slow mental processes and make it hard to concentrate — real detriments in the workplace.
Maybe it's time to take steps toward simplifying your life.
To identify your core values, ask yourself what is really important to you, says Mark Ellwood, owner of Pace Productivity Inc. of Toronto. "Then determine if you're spending your time and money in keeping with those values." Is your priority getting ahead at work, or is it being home with your children after school? Are the things you want necessary to your life? Will they advance your happiness and that of your family?
Employees often complain they have no control over deadlines and meetings, but that's not necessarily true, Hansen says. "Most Americans have been brought up with this work ethic that it's rude to say no to people. Find out where that line is in the sand, and draw the line. Do you want kudos and the next promotion, or do you want to go to your kid's soccer game?"
Negotiate solutions, he says. "Ask if it's necessary that (the work) has to be done today. Ask, 'Hey, can't we just do it by e-mail rather than in a meeting?' "
Most of all, plan. "When people plan ahead, then they get excited," she says. "If you don't plan time in your schedule, you're kind of fantasizing about time you don't have."
