As you can see by his picture, my mutt lives a very stress-free life. It’s because he doesn’t have too many commitments and he allows time every day for fun and relaxation. Me on the other hand, well, I’m full of stress (even though it’s not always apparent to others). One way I reduce stress is by eliminating commitments and not planning too much for one day. I only commit to two or three things a day. Of course, this is harder than it sounds, considering most of the commitments are things I want to get done for myself! I’m talking about working out, getting a haircut, cleaning my apartment, vacuuming my car, writing blog posts, stuff like that.
It works well to choose two or three things that will get done. The others can happen if they happen, but life will go on if they don’t. I am a list maker and will easily come up with a list of 10 or 20 things I want to get done. Well, all that list does is stress me out more. So, on top of my long list, I make shorter lists for each day.
I often have a hard time making decisions, because I’ll want to make someone else happy instead of myself. Well, I’ve learned the easy way to make a choice is to ask myself which result will make me feel better? For example, I won’t schedule a lunch with some old friends, help another friend move, clean out my car, buy groceries and do laundry all in one day. The groceries can wait another day. The friends will be in town again.
Working out is another good example. I have to stop and ask myself, will a long run make me feel good about myself today? Or will it make me more stressed because I can’t reasonably fit it into my schedule? Well, in that case, it’s probably better to skip the workout for that day, or go for a short walk instead. In the past, I would work out every single day no matter what. Now I realize the benefits of exercise are lost if I’m stressing out over balancing it into my schedule.
Think about all the commitments you have, and what can be eliminated. Think about everything related to work, hobbies, friends, yourself, church, clubs, blogging, etc. Some things can be cut out of your life completely. Maybe you dread going to the school board meeting every month. Well, why are you doing it? Look for ways to simplify your day by committing to less, and you will cut back on stress.
Just ask your dog. He’s probably been living by this standard all his life.
I guess I am lucky, most of my commitments are centered around my dogs … lol
I agree though, cutting back does help with the stress level!
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Well, although I am almost your polar opposite when it comes to prioritizing (I MUST work out or I won’t be happy, period, and few things are more important to me than lunch with great friends), I completely agree with using our dogs to teach us about life. Jenny has definitely taught me time management and she’s shown me that no matter how busy I am, you always have time for what’s important – walking your dog for example.
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I don’t tend to have many commitments in the first place, so I very rarely get stressed out. “What is this life, if full of care…”
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Great post – I’ve recently cut down on my commitments and it feels great! I have to remind myself that I can’t do EVERYTHING and need some time to just chill.
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Home committments i can cut down to a minimum, family committments the same, work is not so easy but I am getting better at it … I should have Chels life, eat sleep and run…lol
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i can relate to this post..got my hands full with blogging right now..lol..
nice doggie u got there..
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As I read it, you seem to be a very relaxed person. Just like that Mutty in closed eyes that seems meditating. I don’t think you can have a dog like that if you yourself is not a calm person.
Very healthy dog.
Isn’t that dog a Sweetheart!!!?
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yes, we can all learn from dogs. They’ve got it right
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I’ve realized I need space around the events in my life so I too only commit to 2 or 3 things a day.
My dogs have me beat when it comes to stress free living.
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