The Reason You Might Be Stressed
I can’t think of one person who isn’t going through something, can you?
There’s varying degrees of situations women are facing, but everyone’s got challenges. My parents remind me often how that’s just life, and they’re right.
But consider creating a hierarchy for your life that’ll keep you grounded when you’re confronted with obstacles. Having a strong foundation you can revisit keeps you centered when things get tough.
Seven is how many “building blocks” my husband and I use. We got our order from a marriage conference at our church. This suggested order offered me immediate clarity for why I was struggling. My life was out of order.
This “order” is personal. It’s one you create for yourself based on personal beliefs, values and life purposes.
So here’s our order:
God
Spouse
Children (we don’t have them yet, but this is where they’d fall)
Church
Family/Friends
Work
Hobbies
I was blown away by where work fell on this list. It’s nearly last.
Work was my number one priority for 18 years of my career. It often left me overwhelmed and stressed. I put an organization or company before myself, husband, family and friends.
I’ve worked countless weekends, holidays and evenings. I’ve missed activities and not been present for many of the ones I did attend.
It was hard to completely shut down a part of my brain that couldn’t seem to let go of work. I’d be in this constant state of coming up with ideas, strategizing, responding to emails/texts or preparing for meetings and presentations.
Coming down from work took days when I went on vacation, which made it hard to truly relax, and when I got to the airport or plane to head back home, I was back at it.
Looking back, that’s scary.
My entrenchment of work blinded me from the impact my jobs had on my personal health and life at times. My self-worth was intertwined with my work so I gripped it tightly. With full transparency, I admit I’m still working on disentangling these two, which have been connected for decades.
A few women I’ve shared my above hierarchy with inquired about where taking care of myself falls. For me, an aspect of my spirituality is taking care of this physical body I’ve been given. My self-care is intertwined with God.
It’s making sure I get enough sleep, schedule exercise and eat meals that are healthy. It’s taking time in the morning to get quiet. It’s being respectful of myself by being aware of any negative self-talk or thoughts. It’s setting boundaries and spending less time with those who aren’t positive.
How can I fulfill my purpose if I’m not first taking care of myself? I was being prepared in my past jobs for one of my purposes as a life coach, but I wasn’t fully walking in my purposes because I was out of order.
At some jobs, I didn’t have time to support anyone else or myself.
What categories and order will keep you grounded in your purpose and your life challenges? Your answers should be based on an alignment that reflects your personal journey and purpose.
If you’re struggling through life and stressed, it could be because you’re out of order.
Disclaimer: Operating in your personal “order” is likely to create discomfort and require daily intentionality. The order we’ve been taught, or the one society dictates, may counter what you require for true optimization.
Take a step back, what really matters? What’s really important to you? Are you prioritizing these things? Are they in proper order?
If not, ask yourself why?
If you need support creating a life with a hierarchy that’s going to keep you grounded and aligned with your true purpose, we should connect. I offer a 45-minute breakthrough call.
This call or video session, whichever you prefer, is an opportunity to see if you’re ready to get unstuck and pursue the life that’s calling you.
Or, if you know someone dealing with stress related to his or her career, share this with that person.