#008: OVERCOMING OVER-SCHEDULING

 
OVERCOMING OVER-SCHEDULING
EPISODE #008:
 

 
Being a mother is an attitude, not a biological relation.
–Robert A. Heinlein

WHAT ARE THE DANGERS AND SIDE-EFECTS OF OVER-SCHEDULING?

Mental stress and pervasive anxiety
Lasting feelings of fatigue and being worn down
Feeling always just a little bit behind and never good enough
Hyper-focus on performance versus being present and alive
Health and metabolic disruption caused by stress eating or unhealthy eating
Insufficient and interrupted sleep
Disconnected – and rushed – relationships
Diminished quality time with family and friends
Living for the weekend but feeling like they fly by
Feeling overwhelmed with life and pressured to do more

 
"Parents need to teach their kids to balance human doing with human being, kids need to know they're not defined by what they do, she said. They need time to play, experiment, rest and figure out who they are." -clinical psychologist Paula Bloom.
 

 
"As parents, we've got to get over our anxiety that we're not doing enough. Creating a sense of safety, helping kids have confidence to try certain things, those are the things that matter." – Paula Bloom
 

Ivin Rosenfeld, M.D., a child psychiatrist and author of The Over-Scheduled Child: Avoiding the Hyper-Parenting Trap, believes that enrolling children – and ourselves – in too many activities is a nationwide problem. “Overscheduling our children is not only a widespread phenomenon, it’s how we parent today. Parent feel remiss that they’re not being good parents if their kids aren’t in all kinds of activities. Children are under pressure to achieve, to be competitive.”

WAYS TO RECLAIM YOUR DAY:

Focus on “enjoying” the day, not “doing” the day.

Have a to-do list, but keep it small.

Build in “white time”

Learn how