there isn't another post about stress is there?? see i'm stressing over wether or not there is a post about stress. i'm sick!!

actually i am told i'm very stressed. i don't sleep at night but i'm so exhausted that if i do finally fall asleep it can be anytime anywhere. i try to do everything at once...i juggle way too much, school full time, work full time, try to have a social life so i'm not an old lady at 21, and all i hear is "you need to do more" from my boss, my family, my friends....i can't take anymore!!!! so anyone feel this way all the time? and what do you do to help relieve it...i even bring my phone into the bathroom as i bathe just so i don't miss an important call...no privacy!!!! big deep breath, ahh i feel better

I totally feel ya! I think you, like me, tend to amke things stressful though.

I know I don't NEED to work fulltime, part time for my dad, part time on contract, and go to school nearly fulltime. I don't NEED to stay up and watch TV now or NEED to go to the concert, making me tired at work the enxt day, making me stressed by the time I make it to class.

But I kind of DO need that. Or did maybe. There was a while when I was feeling very unproductive, very lazy, and very...not worthwhile? So I busied myself. Started a project (this site), got a job, (well 2-3) and am just constnatly busy. So the downside of it is that I am constantly stressed. I rarely am just sitting, but running from point A to point B. But it was all by choice. Sure part of it was to meet expectations people have of me, but ultimately we need to realize we're the bottom line. What works for us HAS to work for them. What makes us happy HAS to make them happy.

I am preparing to soonish quit my job, take on another lcass or two and slow things down a bit. I realized I was nearing the snapping point...and no one wants to see me snap. ;-)

I can get stressed out very easily, but I've learned how to prioritize a little, and that has cut down on my stress level tremendously. You've got to ask yourself what is essential to your happiness and well-being and then put those things high on your list. Everything else is secondary.

In my case, I must work in order to have money to survive. Obviously that's a priority. After that, spending time with my friends and boyfriend, and going home to see my parents are the things that are most immediately important in my life. I've learned how to say no to things. I try to plan things so that I know what to expect, and I try not to let people talk me into doing things or going places that I don't have time for.

When it really comes down to it, you can live quite happily without doing everything, going everywhere, and pleasing everybody. When you think about it, very few events, tasks, and outings are absolutely necessary. It was hard to figure out what is essential to my happiness and then cut everything else out, but once I did, things were so much better.