Are Your Habits Stressing You Out? You Bet!

A really interesting article came across my desk this morning from The Chopra Center. It was written by Emily Holland who is a health coach and freelance writer who focuses on psychology and optimal living.

The article 8 Routine Habits That May Be Stressing You Out focused on those daily habits that heighten stress levels that are less obvious than the ones we know are not good for us such as over consuming caffeine, eating large quantities of processed foods and over scheduling ourselves for fear of missing out. Her article caused me to reflect as to why I was feeling a higher level of stress lately than I usually do.

I didn't spend too much time doing this before I realized that only one of the eight she listed was not running my life. Here’s my self-inventory:

1. Constantly running through to-do lists – I recently cleaned my office of desktop paperwork (almost all of it) in an effort to get organized. All it did was stress me out in a different manner. All the things I found that needed to be done in those piles were now on my really, really long to-do list. I’ve gone back to writing down every morning my Top 5 to dos for the day and only review the really, really long list once a week. I find it is amazing how many things don't really need to get done at all.
2. Binge-watching TV – I felt so guilty on this one as I just did a bit of a Netflix binge last night using the excuse that the engine on my five day old new car smoked and had to be towed back to the dealership. Well, I thought it was a good excuse. It did cause me to have a bad night’s sleep, but I think it was still a good excuse to Netflix. (Has that become a verb yet?)
3. Procrastinating – Emily nailed it. My procrastinating is due to my fear of failure and my overestimating how long something will take, so I don’t do it. I’m slowly changing this to tackle my most challenging tasks in the morning.
4. Being late – Not my problem. Those that know me know I am always early or on time. I think being late is one of the most disrespectful things we can do to another human being. I know several people whose lateness stresses me out!
5. Running on Autopilot – Life has been pretty hectic for the past three months, so I am committing to connecting and engaging with others as I take me off of cruise control.
6. Over-stimulation – I have been traveling a lot and this is not a schedule I normally have. I am off the road for a bit, so I can return to being in a more familiar environment.
7. Lack of Routine – Yes! I have become a person of routine and I love my routines. I feel I have direction and know what I can depend on everyday. Routines bring me a feeling of security and being grounded.
8. Surrounding Company (Those that trigger stress) – I recently joined an organization that I have let stress me due to my inability to connect with many of the members who want to connect with me. This leaves me feeling guilty and anxious. I am letting this one go.

I want to thank #EmilyHolland for giving me this inventory to run through when I feel my stress level is free floating. It helps me bring the unconscious to my conscious. Take your own inventory. What routine habits are stressing you out?