Have you ever had those weeks, heck months where you just go, go, go?

You’ve got a million things to do. Besides working or running a business you’ve got the laundry to do, dinner to cook, family obligations. Your brain keeps going, you’re having trouble sleeping, and you have tension in your neck and shoulders. You feel like you’re starting to burnout…Gah! You need a vacation!

Realistically though, you know if you fly away to the beach and enjoy a week in the sand you’ll just be back to the same stressed out feelings.

We all know that chronic stress can lead to a host of health problems:

So what is it that you’re missing?

You forget to add YOU to your schedule.

I’m not talking about just adding things on your calendar when an obligation comes up (which can end up eventually causing stress). I’m talking about actually planning out what you’d like to accomplish in a week. Things that move your life/business/work forward and self-care things you should do so you don’t burn out.

So let’s start there.

Figure out what you want to work on each week that will get you closer to your goals and then write them in your calendar. 

The key is not to add so much that you start getting that icky stressed out feeling when you look at your week ahead.

I know it’s hard not to add a huge list of tasks that you think you can get done, but keep in mind it usually takes longer than you think to do things.

At the end of the week, you want to feel a sense of accomplishment, not failure.

Over time you’ll get to know how long things take and it will get easier to map out your stuff.

Although vacations are nice, you may not be able to go live on that tropical beach, so don’t forget to add YOU into your schedule.

Adding YOU into your schedule is KEY to managing your stress and avoiding burn out.

Here Are 6 Tips To Help You Do That

Have dedicated work hours

If you’re an entrepreneur and don’t have set work hours, changing this will change your life.

Without set work hours you may find yourself ALWAYS working which is a path to burn out.  So choose your hours. It doesn’t matter when. If you’re a morning person, maybe you start at 7 and work until 3. Or 8 to 4 with various breaks throughout the day. 

Maybe you want to take a few hours in the day to go to yoga class. Either way, set a realistic number of hours to work each day.

Be sure to have set stop time so when you have downtime you can feel fully present in whatever you’re doing.

Schedule time to move your body

Starting the day with 30 minutes of strength training or a HIIT exercise (high-intensity interval training).  Both are a great way to reduces stress, improve your sleep, improve your mood and wake up your brain so you can focus on getting more done in less time.

Don't like either of those. No problem.  The important think is to move your body, so find something you like to do and go for it. 

EAT

Don’t starve yourself thinking you’re doing yourself a favor by getting something done first or that ‘this task’ is more important than fueling your body. By the time you do go to eat, you’ll be ready to munch on the nearest bag of chips or cookies.

Start your day with a good breakfast, schedule time for lunch and eat it away from your desk to give your brain a rest and your body a time to enjoy and digest the food you’re eating

Have a Stress Management Practice

Meditating, journaling, gratitude journaling, tapping, breathing exercises, yoga, hike, pick a few OR something else that works for you. Then make sure you schedule it. For me, it can be a combination, but I do something daily.

Hiking is one of my favorite things to destress, raise my energy.

Learn to say NO

This is a tough one, especially for women who feel that they have to do everything people ask of them. It seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to say yes all the time.

Take a moment to think about what you’re agreeing to and if it doesn’t work for you suggest another time or a compromise (have someone help you do what’s being asked) or just politely decline. The world won’t end, and people won’t dislike you if you don’t always say yes.

Ditch the sugar

Huh? How did the 2 scoops of sugar in your coffee make this list?

Unfortunately, sugar contributes to stress, anxiety not to mention causes foggy brain and makes you tired. Okay, really that’s just a short list of what high amounts of sugar in your diet can do to you.

But kicking the sugar can help you be more focused which means you get more done in less time; which in turn leaves you with more time for YOU in your schedule.

Don’t let life pass you by with your head stuck in the day-to-day hustle. Take time to appreciate the world around you and breathe.

And be sure to include YOU in your days.