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 Is Your Life Running You Ragged?

By Sherry Rauh

 

Almost everyone feels overwhelmed on occasion, but how do you know if your life is chronically out of balance? Prominent personal coach Laura Berman Fortgang tells WebMD, "You know it's time to make a change when misery and stress outweigh joy on a daily basis for two weeks or more."

Fortgang, who is the author of Living Your Best Life and NOW WHAT? 90 Days to a New Life Direction, recommends evaluating the state of your life with the following quiz.

True or false:
  1. I have more than enough time to do what I want to do.
  2. I am on a health regimen that helps me feel energized.
  3. I look forward to every day.
  4. There are no people in my life (at home or at work) who drain me.
  5. I love my home (location, contents, the feel, the style).
  6. I have no clutter in my home and/or office.
  7. I live a life pursuing what I want instead of what I should do.
  8. My work is satisfying and rewarding.
  9. I take at least two weeklong vacations a year.
  10. I do not work on weekends.
  11. I get plenty of sleep.
  12. I have plenty of quality time with my children and/or the people who matter to me.
  13. I have at least one hobby or pastime outside of my work and family activities.
  14. I eat foods that make me feel energized instead of sluggish.
  15. I have the space to take at least 15 minutes of silence a day.
  16. I have friends that are easy to be with and a joy to spend time with.
  17. I carry no heavy emotional burdens or addictive behaviors
Give yourself one point for every time you said "true." If you answered "true" more often than "false" (a score of at least 9), you are probably living a well-balanced life. If you scored 8 or less, your lifestyle may need some fine-tuning.


SOURCES: Kate Wiley, dietetic intern. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The American Psychological Association. Public Policy, Work, and Families: The Report of the APA Presidential Initiative on Work and Families, 2004. Laura Berman Fortgang, personal coach; author, Living Your Best Life and NOW WHAT? 90 Days to a New Life Direction. Stevan Hobfoll, PhD, distinguished professor of psychology, Kent State University; co-author, Work Won't Love You Back: The Dual Career Couple's Survival Guide.