Dr. Rippe's Blog

One reason for feeling stressed may be that you have so much to do that you feel overwhelmed and always behind. If that's the case, choosing a few ways to simplify life may help. Here are some opportunities that may work for you.

• Set up a schedule for household chores. Make a list of necessary household chores, such as laundry, bathroom and kitchen cleaning, vacuuming, lawn mowing. Decide how frequently these need to be done. Space out less important tasks. Make a schedule and share the chores among the family. Everybody can lend a hand. Even if you are a household of one, making a schedule can help you feel in control and save time.
• How many commitments do you have? Which are really important to you? Which do you value? It may be time to opt out of some commitments which don't make a difference to you or in which you don't feel you make a difference.
• Texts, tweets, emails, and posts--are all your communication media interrupting throughout the day and eating up time. Consider setting several times a day (two or three or what works for you) to check in for some or all of your media and keep the rest of your time uncluttered.
• Simplify your wardrobe.  Do you (or family members) have clothes you rarely or never wear? Consider sorting through closets and drawers to cut down and simplify. Giving the clothes you've culled to charity may provide additional satisfaction.

How do you cope with the various stresses of daily life? The techniques you use to cope with stress can contribute to balance and a sense of well-being or they can undermine it. For example, let's say you are facing some important deadlines at work and the pressure is mounting. For relief, do you tend to indulge in comfort food or to overeat or do you take a brief timeout to take a walk or exercise? It's usually a lot more tempting and easier to go for the comfort food rather than the walk. But physical activity actually helps us deal with anxiety and relax where overeating just contributes to the problem (particularly if you feel guilty about it). 

Or perhaps you cope with mounting pressure by taking some down time to take care of yourself. That can be a terrific idea as long as you don't confuse personal time with procrastination. Putting tasks and deadlines off simply creates more stress.

Taking a little time to think analytically about how you cope with pressure and stress--which of your techniques are positive and which negative--can help you stay in control.

This Independence Day weekend, many Americans will taking a little time off with family to celebrate the many freedoms we enjoy. One freedom that plays a critical role in personal well-being is the freedom to choose.

Why do some people always seem centered and in control of their lives no matter how tough their circumstances, while other people seem stymied by even minor difficulties? One answer may lie in the psychological concept of "locus of control." People who have an "internal" locus of control believe that their choices and actions in life can help shape their life or at least their response to what happens in life. People who have an "external" locus of control tend to believe that external forces control their lives and that such forces are mostly beyond their influence.

Believing that you have the ability to make choices to make your life what you want it to be is a powerful tool for well-being. Even if you feel overwhelmed by what's going on in your life, you can probably identify one or two things that you can choose to do. Perhaps that choice is to eat at least one piece of fruit each day or to take a 10 minute walk. Perhaps it is to stop for five or ten minutes just to talk with a friend, child or spouse. Or it may be choosing to let one old grudge or complaint go. The freedom of personal choice is a powerful tool that you can use to make your life what you want it to be--one step at a time.

Happy Independence Day!