When life seems overwhelming, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to let go of what we are hanging on to. The problem is, sometimes we don’t realize we are hanging on. One sign to look for is an endless cycle of thoughts that get you nowhere other than where you began. Another is physical symptoms. Our bodies are always talking to us. Have you ever woken up with a stiff neck, yet there is no apparent reason for it? If you look a little deeper, often you will find you had a particularly stressful or challenging week. These signs are our minds and bodies telling us to ‘back off’. Instead of obsessing over the same problem over and over (which only makes things worse), try taking a walk, calling a friend, or doing something 'out of the box'. And always apply the 80/20 rule: spend 20% of the time figuring out what the problem is, and 80% on resolving it. Anything that is out of your control is best just tossed away. Ask yourself - what am I holding on to? What can I do TODAY to simplify?
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