LIFE: How to deal with a full plate of it

SO much to do, never enough time to do it all! Ah!

No. Truth is, we always make time for the things we want to. But it can become overwhelming when so many people or responsibilities are trying to take a piece of you all at once.

I work full-time, go to school part-time, and I have family, friends and a boyfriend of almost 3 years who all mean the world to me and whom I love to hang out with - and I feel like although I don't always balance it all, I do a good job at keeping my sanity.

So, of course I decided to put together a list of things that have helped me manage it all to the best of my ability:

1. Meditation or yoga, or both
Yes, it's kind of cliché, but it works. I'm no guru, but I can tell you one thing - there's nothing like taking a little time to focus on your mind, to take a moment to collect your thoughts, and to work at easing any craziness that may be going on up there. I like to meditate on my way home from work while sitting in traffic. I just breathe and take time to not think about my problems or to-do list.

Yoga is new to me, and I'm loving it. I just YouTube some beginner's yoga videos and choose ones specifically about relaxing or stress relief, like this beginners series from PsycheTruth. I display it on my TV, and bam - instant yoga. It's done wonders for my anxiety and stress, like seriously. It doesn't even need to be a long session; 20-30 minutes is what I do, but even a quick 10-15 minute session helps.

2. Plan ahead and keep a schedule
"Fail to plan, and you plan to fail." More clichéness, but so very true. So, at the start of my school semester, I always write down every single assignment, test or paper that I'll be doing throughout the term. I make a schedule of the days I'll be doing work for each class.

I also strategically plan out my family time, boyfriend time, and friend time. I basically make my plans at least 2 or more weeks in advance. Sometimes I even book an entire month of plans in advance. I always schedule time to do homework or write a paper down to the very minute I will work on it, and then around that I'll decide what days I will spend with my family, what days I'll spend with my boyfriend, and what days I'll have my girls' night. I also make sure to schedule some time for myself in which I like to catch up on TV shows (like Once Upon a Time and New Girl).

3. Prioritize and learn how to say NO!
This is maybe the most important part. Sometimes, you may feel like everyone is tugging at you from all directions. That can be so stressful, and that's when you need to take a step back and prioritize the situation. Decide what or who is most important at the time, what needs your attention most, and what or who can wait.

After prioritizing, you need to get the hang of saying 'no' when you need to. You can't please everyone all the time, and you can't have time to do everything at once. It's OKAY to say no to that dinner party with the girls, or to tell your boyfriend you won't be able to see him that day because you have a paper due. If they love you, they will understand. Anyone who doesn't respect your schedule and time, can go fly a kite. Real people will always be around, even if they have to wait, and will always be supportive of you.



I really hope some of these tips will help you if you ever feel overwhelmed as I often have. It's an on-going process for me, and I work every single day towards controlling my stress and managing my time effectively, so I can enjoy everyone and everything in my life.


Do you have any life management tips that have helped you? Please share! I'm always looking for new methods of managing my madness.



<3, VA