Overwhelmed

A little stressed? Facing demand after demand? Its time to take command!

Many of us do things for everyone, it seems. Were good eggs, but the problem is that were prone to cracking! Here are some tips for keeping that shell intact:

Separate the big stuff from the little stuff and get tough! Learn to say no when you cant handle a new activity. Otherwise youll spread yourself too thin at home and at work and be good at precisely nothing.

Set priorities. Whats critical? Do you really have to take out the trash yourself every night? How about every other day, or, if you have a large family, sometime next year?

Avoid feeling guilty if you cant help someone. For instance, you dont have to baby-sit the neighbors 11 monsters every Saturday night just because the parents weep loudly on your front stoop.

At work, beware of project creep, in which eight hundred new tasks are introduced every 15 minutes. Focus on the real goal.

Consider making a list of people you have a difficult time saying no to. Practice in the mirror. Then simply say to them, Im sorry I have too many commitments. After that, you will want to go out and celebrate.

Give yourself enough time each day, even 15 minutes, to read, knit or otherwise maintain your sanity. Itll help if those monsters show up next weekend!