3 Things Smart, Caring Women Do That Make Their Life MORE Stressful

If you’re anything like me, you have a lot of different responsibilities in life. And it's challenging to juggle the many “jobs” we hold, such as: mom, business owner, wife, partner, volunteer, friend, and many other titles.

Sometimes it can all feel a little overwhelming. Life is busy and full, which is great, but that can also lead to a lot of stress (or even feelings of not being in control). 

As women, we can easily fall into the trap of choosing behaviors that create the very stress that we try to avoid. But, it doesn't have to be that way.

It's time to override the way that we've been conditioned to live our lives and (finally!) give ourselves permission to ask more often for what we want, and to do whatever it takes to make sure we create that life.

Will it be easy? No. Will you be tested? Yes. But you have what it takes. 

In fact, if you take the time to observe smart, savvy, and successful women, as I have over the past few years — women who take "busy" to a whole new level —and ask them about their dos and don'ts for getting it all done, you'll notice a pattern to their success and empowerment. They each started out on a difficult journey, but learned how to transform their challenges into opportunities.

I've personally interviewed many successful and amazing women about their journey to living a life of their dreams (and making a HUGE, positive impact in the world along the way). What I've found is there are three big traps these women make sure to avoid at all cost, given what they've learned.

The three traps to avoid in becoming a successful woman are: 

1. Trying to do it all alone.

Women are at our best when we collaborate with each other. The more we can come together for a common purpose, the greater the difference we can make together. Each woman's journey is different, and learning from each other by openly sharing our knowledge and wisdom is the key to helping each other grow to be the best we can be. 

Competitiveness and constantly worrying about someone being better than you is not going to serve you in the long term, nor anyone else. Instead focus on positive collaboration and how you and the women you know can help each other move forward. 

2. Not asking for help.

As women, we already feel pressured to prove ourselves. But, if you want to make things happen and really live the life of your dreams, you must ask for help and accept support when it's given, instead of going crazy from stress.

Successful women, who are living their dream lives, know they don't have all the answers and they're OK with not knowing everything. Instead, they surround themselves with other like-minded people who contribute to a collective brain-trust and share the resources that have helped them. Truly effective women also believe that they deserve to receive help and support, which is why they make sure they invest in a number of mentors who've trekked the path they're trekking.  

3. Not taking care of yourself. 

Women should strive for their bests, but not at the cost of their own health. 

If you want to look back on your life without regrets, knowing that you did the best you could, you need to look after yourself and contribute to yourself first. There should be no excuse for forgetting to look after yourself and not giving yourself a time out.

Never underestimate the importance of personal quiet time to self-reflect and check-in with yourself. Self-reflection will give you clarity. And feeling guilty isn't the reason to put yourself last.

The more energy, time and care you give to yourself the more you can give to others. It's as simple as that. In reality, you'll never have enough time to "do it all." You have to create time by scheduling self-care in your calendar, as the many successful women I've talked to have done.

You're in charge of creating the life you most want to live. 

So, if you feel exhausted or overwhelmed most days, or you feel like you just aren’t making the kind of impact you'd like to make, and you're ready to actively avoid making the same mistakes over and over, then I invite you to surround yourself with women who want the same thing as you. 

Suzi Petrozzi is a wellness psychologist + women's empowerment coach. She teaches professional women who are at a crossroads how to get clear on what they want, take charge of their life and make it happen!  To subscribe to Suzi's blogs visit her website at www.suzipetrozzi.com. 

In addition, Suzi is hosting a FREE online event called The 2016 Empowered Woman Virtual Summit: Get Clear, Take Charge and Make it Happen! during which she will interview powerful, world-changing female leaders who will share their personal stories of success and the specific strategies they use to take charge of their lives and create amazing work in the world.  If you're ready to step it up and take charge of your life, claim your spot now.  

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