Running on Empty? May 21, 2012My BusinessOff

Eighty-five percent of working women also shoulder the majority of at-home responsibilities, according to the Boston Consulting Group.

One in four say they experience an “unreasonable” amount of stress.

With morning presentations, client lunches, kid’s soccer games etc., you’re lucky to find a precious minute of “me” time. Too many of us end up running on empty.

To kick off National Small Business Week, Little PINK Book asks: how can we keep the tank full?

“Running on empty means barely having the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual capacity to make it through the day, and not having the reserves to respond well to unexpected circumstances,” says Elizabeth Saunders, time coach 

and founder of Schedule Makeover.

Not only that, but too much stress can raise women’s risk for heart attacks, panic attacks, memory loss and other health problems. Skipping meals and sleeping less due to stress also negatively affect health.

When you’re running on empty, “Instead of actively living life you end up going through the motions in a numb state and wondering why you feel alone and disconnected,” says Saunders.

Since a common stressor is taking on too much, experts recommend using a planner to keep projects and appointments in line and trying your best not to take on anything that will overfill your schedule.

Others add examining the people around you (are they supportive?), your mindset (is it mostly positive?) and your fears (what are you afraid of?) will help.

Consider delegating tasks to other workers or taking breaks between big projects so you can catch up – at work and at home.

Bonus PINK Link: Still feel stretched too thin? It may be time for a workaholic rescue.

and tell us your trick to keep from running on empty.

By Christy Rogers

“Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency.”
Natalie Goldberg

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