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(Part 1/3) How Much is Too Much? Un-overwhelm Yourself!

© Shellie Hurrle

In the hectic, stressful lives of most parents, there is little time left over for ourselves. There is always somebody somewhere who needs us to do something NOW! Talking to many parents recently, I've discovered that the majority of them are already feeling inundated with their children's sports, after-school activities, and volunteer work. This is understandable--many of them work full-time jobs, too.

In my case, not knowing how to say no occasionally led to resentment and exhaustion. I lashed out at those that meant the most to me--my family and friends--because I had bitten off more than I could chew. In retrospect, I realized that my needs (and my family's) were frequently placed on the back burner because of other obligations. I've worked on prioritizing my activities; being human, however, it's a constant struggle to not stretch myself too thin.

Let me emphasize that volunteer work and your children's activities are very important and should not be overlooked. However, they should not jeopardize your own personal growth. Volumes have been written on methods for self-improvement; for now, I'd like to concentrate on making time for oneself. Without that, what good are self-help issues? (Which I do plan to cover in the near future.)

There will be three segments to this important topic. This month, I will share one of my current situations and touch on some solutions I have found. Please then send me your experience, insights, and tips for dealing with "too much." I'll include your feedback in November's column and go into more detail on what I have learned. We'll conclude in December with a discussion of childhood stress. (Yes, children get overwhelmed too!)

My Latest Stress...The Battle of the Ball

Both of my grade school sons signed up for football this fall-unfortunately, they were on different teams. (Twice as much money, twice as many practices, twice as many games--you get the picture.) Our vacation was cut short in August because daily practices began (sometimes even on Saturdays and Sundays). The team's disorganization was a source of stress for the first few weeks. The correct equipment was difficult to obtain and we were only given a day or two's notice for pictures, which then took two hours to take (on one of our days "off" from practice). Then my oldest son's practices were changed and we were only given a day's notice. (Both sons' schedules have since changed again.) When we received the schedule for my youngest son's games, we were informed we needed to volunteer to work the concession stand before his game one Saturday. Meanwhile, my other son's game is across town at nearly the same time. What would happen if our children didn't have two parents with two vehicles? (Luckily our daughter is almost five now and is a little more tolerant of being dragged all over the place.)

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