A while back I shared on this blog how I put my master’s degree on hold because I was exhausted from my full-time job and taking evening and weekend classes at university.

I felt stressed and overwhelmed everyday–even on the weekends. I didn’t prioritize scheduling in time to simply relax.

What I needed the most from that place of stress and overwhelm from meeting deadlines was balance. I needed a time in my day and week when I was not expected to turn in anything, when the world didn’t expect anything from me.

So I decided to stop taking the classes. This decision was probably one of the hardest I had to make because everyone around me seemed to support the idea that I should continue taking them.

When I checked in with myself and was honest about how I was feeling, I started to make the word balance a priority. As a result, I felt less stressed throughout the week.

Make Balance a Priority

The first step to stop feeling stressed is to make balance a priority. How can your life use balance? For example, are you working too hard and too much and not scheduling time to relax? Or are you not scheduling in time do do the things that you love?

Next, schedule in time to relax or to do the activities that you love. What activities do you enjoy doing in your free time? What hobbies or interests light you up and bring you happiness? How can you make more time in the day, week, or month for them?