Recently, I listened to a magazine editor being interviewed about her perspective on having fun without drinking.

While she acknowledged that unwinding with a glass of wine is a great way to relax after a stressful day, it’s important, she noted; to take a look at what’s underneath it all that’s actually causing the stress.

Insightful, right? I thought so.

It got me thinking about the things that can be stressful in life. There are obvious areas like relationships, health, work and finances. But, when I investigated further, I realized that the every day challenges I personally face don’t stress me out like they once did.

It’s been a process, but today my life is very low stress. Largely, this is due to my letting go of the old idea that I need to fill every minute. In turn, this gives me the awareness and willingness to say no to over-commitment when it comes knocking. As a result, life has gotten A LOT more relaxed.

The self-imposed urgency I placed on myself was the main underlying cause of any number of stressors and worries. And, I simply won’t live that way anymore.

There are those of us, however, who have perhaps slacked for sometime and their journey is perhaps to step it up.

What is your story?

Do you have the personality that you actually get more stressed out being still? I get it! That was me for a lot of years. So, I kept in perpetual motion…but, in my case, it burned me out and left me very unhappy.

And guess what? No matter how much I did, there was always more to do!

Whatever your personality type, the key is to know when you’ve done enough. It’s a question I’ve posed before, and am reminded what a gem it is.

Again. “How do you know when you’ve done enough?”

• Do you have a good connection with your internal gauge?
• Do you stop only when people stop asking or when you collapse?
• When things get calm do you get uneasy and raise the level of activity?
• Do the responsibilities you take on promote joy and true satisfaction in your life?

There are no wrong answers here. It’s simply a matter of being true to who you are and how you best operate.

I’m simply here to remind you that you have a choice.

I look forward to hearing from you in the comments below.

In the meantime, have a beautiful day, and remember that I am definitely in your corner…

Love,
Thais