Have you been spreading yourself too thin?

It can be really tempting to take on extra tasks when we have a burst of energy. Sometimes we are so motivated, we feel hyped enough to tackle anything that comes our way. Multiple hangouts, personal goals, work assignments and regular responsibilities can pile up quickly if we are not careful. Often, we are inspired to act right away on multiple tasks, goals or commitments. The issue with this is that we give more and more of our energy until there is nothing left for ourselves. Here are some signs you may be spreading yourself too thin- and how to address them.

1. Saying YES all the time. It feels good to be the go-to person who has the bandwidth to help others and do an awesome job. But what is the price you're paying for taking on all these extra duties? Maybe you feel bad telling others no, or you genuinely want to spend time with your friends who always invite you out. Either way, you are signing yourself up for giving your time and emotional energy. Part of life is learning to prioritize which tasks and social engagements are worth our time and deciding how to best spend our energy. If you worry about conflict- try a dose of honesty. Others should respect the boundary of you not wanting to over extend yourself.
2. Wanting to do NOTHING. Have you ever gotten to the point of being so overwhelmed you think about crawling into bed and giving up on all your responsibilities? It probably sounded something like 'I don't really need this job' or 'I'm so done with this crap!'. Once you reach your breaking point, take a break before making any decisions out of frustration. It is perfectly fine to take a day to yourself to calm your mind and re-evaluate how you want to handle the situation. We often put more pressure on ourselves than others, so ask yourself whose expectations you are trying to live up to and why.
3. Feeling on edge and irritable. When we overextend ourselves, pleasantries fall by the wayside. Who has time to say things in a nice tone when there is work to be done?! We are also irritable when we are stressed from thinking of all the items on our to-do list. If you find yourself snapping at others or being frustrated with minor inconveniences- it may be a sign that your commitments are becoming too much. If you are feeling more cranky than usual see # 4.
4. Ignoring your self-care. If you have not made time to take care of yourself, these red flags are more likely to wear down on you. Self-care releases the tensions from our everyday life. If you neglect this part of your routine to make time for those other items on your to-do list your body will tell you something is off. There will be times when we neglect our self-care but if it becomes a pattern take the time to treat yo' self.

If these warning signs sounds all too familiar, do not worry. We crave being busy because we want to feel useful/ productive. It is very common for us to take on too much only to realize it after the fact. Those types of trial and error situations help us to learn what our limits are. From there, we can taper down our commitments so that we are not stretching ourselves to the limit constantly.

How do we find balance?

We can find harmony within our lives by reducing the amount of tasks we focus on at once. You may be one of those rare people who can multitask and thrive on constantly being busy- but for most people this is not sustainable. A prime example of this is how people start the New Year with a long list of goals they want to accomplish. This enthusiasm is great but the aim can be too spread out. Instead, try to limit your energy to your top 1-2 goals. This focused attention will help you to avoid the burnout that comes from giving a dimes-worth of energy to multiple goals at once.