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Are you struggling to balance too many commitments with a never ending to-do list? (Raising my hand with you)
Maybe you're feeling that that stress is in an all time high. and you're paddling through the Sea of Overwhelm with a leaky boat.
Well today, I've got 10 stress-reducing tips to help you through!
Episodes Mentioned:
244. BTS of My Industry Educators' Retreat
236. Life For Real Series: Miscommunications, Mental Load, and Meltdown Moments, with Couples Therapist Dr. Tracy D
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Maybe you're feeling that that stress is in an all time high. and you're paddling through the Sea of Overwhelm with a leaky boat.
Well today, I've got 10 stress-reducing tips to help you through!
Episodes Mentioned:
244. BTS of My Industry Educators' Retreat
236. Life For Real Series: Miscommunications, Mental Load, and Meltdown Moments, with Couples Therapist Dr. Tracy D
---
Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.
Weddings for Real on Social Media:
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Hosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.
Hosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.
The Next Chapter VIP Experience: January 12, 2025 in Cary NC - https://www.megangillikin.com/2026-next-chapter-vip-experience
Creators and Guests
What is For Real: Life, Leadership, & Unlearning?
For Real is a top 1% podcast for high-achievers who look successful on paper but feel like they’re one group text away from burning it all down. Hosted by Megan Gillikin - serial entrepreneur, business coach, keynote speaker, and recovering people pleaser - this show explores burnout, boundaries, identity shifts, and the brave act of unlearning who you thought you had to be.
With unfiltered conversations, “I thought it was just me” moments, and just enough humor to keep it from feeling like group therapy, For Real is your permission slip to evolve.
Formerly Weddings for Real - and glow-ups look good on us.
You're listening to episode two forty seven of the Weddings For Real podcast. In today's episode, I'm inviting you to join me as I share 10 high value strategies for navigating busy season stress and everyday life overwhelm. And my friend, this episode is for you if you're struggling to balance too many commitments and you're trying to prioritize where your energy needs to go with a never ending to do list. And maybe you're feeling that that stress is at an all time high and you're paddling through the sea of overwhelm with a leaky boat. But rest assured, I've got you with these 10 strategies, and I know that you're gonna find that several of them are the life raft you need right now.
Speaker 1:So with that, let's dive into today's episode. Hey there. I'm Megan Gilligan. This podcast is for fellow wedding pros that know what it really takes to thrive as a professional in the wedding industry because it's not what they show you in the movies. Spoiler alert, it takes more than a wave of a wand or toss of confetti to take someone's special day from big idea to big success.
Speaker 1:As for me, I recently sold my luxury wedding planning business, and now I'm a business coach, international speaker, online educator, number one cheerleader of wedding pros, and a mom of three. This podcast is a wedding professional's safe space to laugh and dish about the glitz, the not so glam, and all things weddings for real. Welcome to episode two forty seven of the podcast. Let's do a quick pulse check. Regardless of whether you're tuning into this now during the hustle of the October busy season or some other chaotic period of time in your life, these tips are designed with you, the listener, in mind.
Speaker 1:And these strategies are my go to lifelines as a multitasking entrepreneur. And while our challenges and the hats that we wear may differ, the universal principles apply. So what we're going to do is we're going to tackle some ways to inject some much needed calm and clarity into your busy, perhaps hectic life. And there's one thing that I know you and I can truly agree on. Working in this industry is not a piece of cake, despite what your friends and family may think about how glamorized it all appears from the outside.
Speaker 1:You're not just attending parties. You're managing a roller coaster of emotions, unexpected twists, and too many to count no room for error scenarios, all while you try to exceed sky high client expectations. So what I've done to make this episode incredibly digestible is I've organized these 10 tips into specific buckets to make them super actionable for you. And you'll find that of these 10 tips, six of them are zero cost to implement. So here's the three categories you're going to hear about.
Speaker 1:Number one, everyday time management and goal planning organization tips. Number two, relationships and team delegation tips. And number three, professional development and mental health tips. We're going to tackle time management and goal planning organization tips first, and I want to kick it off with my first go to strategy for managing stress. And the good news is this couldn't be simpler and you can start using it right away.
Speaker 1:What I'm talking about is the humble notes app on your phone. IPhone users, you already have this baked into your phone and Android users, you can grab something like Google Keep, which does the same job. Now stick with me here. Here's how I want you to think about using the notes app on your phone. The magic lies in two steps.
Speaker 1:Number one, categorizing your notes with clear titles and pinning them to the top of the app. And the way that you pin a note is you just long press on it until you see a menu bar pop up with a pin note as an option. Here's how I use my pinned notes. I lean on them to jot down those spur of the moment ideas, whether I just got out of the shower or I'm stuck at a traffic light or I'm sitting in carpool line to pick up my kids. The Notes app is where I first go as a holding place to catch those squirrel brain ideas and things I need to remember to do throughout each day.
Speaker 1:Now, trust me, I know that there's a sea of fancy apps, paid and unpaid, that promise to organize your life. And if you're using one and you love it, then feel free to use my strategy and implement within the app. But for some of you, you just don't need one more app or one more place to store information, and that's okay too. So for me, I've got seven notes pinned within the notes app on my phone, all categorized to keep me sane. Now, before I organize them this way, it was a hot mess express.
Speaker 1:My notes app was just a jumble of randomness. Links, phone numbers, confirmation codes, random things that I would wake up and write in a different note in the middle of the night. But now they're categorized to hold different things that come up throughout each day. I want to give you some inspiration for your own categories. So here's a glimpse at my seven pinned notes.
Speaker 1:Number one, brain dump things I need to remember. This is my catchall bucket where I dump reminders from callbacks to bill follow ups. I review this regularly to either check things off or move them to a more fitting category. Pin note number two is explore. This one's for books, podcasts, or email nuggets that catch my eye that I want to delve into later but don't have time for right then.
Speaker 1:Number three, future business ideas to bring to life. This one is my favorite. It's my personal treasure trove of business ideas and some make it to my quarterly goals, more on that later, and other sit tight until their time comes. Pin note number four is book notes. For me, this is where I'm jotting down ideas for a book I plan to write.
Speaker 1:Previously, I was using my book notes as a place to put standout points I'd heard or read in someone else's book. Pin note number five, health, wellness, nutrition. This is my catchall for all things well-being. Recipes, tips, links, things I want to try to incorporate into my lifestyle. Pin note number six, Reels ideas.
Speaker 1:So when I find myself scrolling on Instagram, if I see a Reel that has been created that I think I can take and implement into my business, I copy the link, drop it in my Reels ideas, and then when I get to a time when I can record it, I have it right there. And then finally, pin note number seven is called Coffee Chat with Jay. Jason is my husband. We do a weekly coffee chat where we talk about what's coming up on our calendars, how we can show up for each other, and anything we wanted to share in general about business or life. So this is where I collect those things that I want to bring up for our Friday morning coffee chat.
Speaker 1:So that's the way I have my categories laid out, but I want you to think about how you could organize the notes within your phone to help leave some of the overwhelm and the never ending decisions and things that pop into your brain throughout the day. Doing something like this allows you to focus your energy on more important high value things because you know you've held space for all of the little things that pop up during the day. Alright. Next up is tip number two. This one's all about conquering your daily to do list.
Speaker 1:And yes, this is another way to dial down the stress of your life right now. Whether you're into digital list or the classic pen and paper method, you do you. My personal blend is my digital notes are for big picture stuff as well as my calendar, and I do a daily written list for specific to dos and a general brain dump. So here's the drill. I want you to take a blank sheet of paper, or if you're doing this digitally, that's fine too, and write down the following three categories: personal, business, and delegate.
Speaker 1:And if you're flying solo without a team, that's no problem. The delegate section can be for tasks you can seek help with from friends, spouses, or business partners. But with these three categories, your personal, business, and delegate, this is where you brain dump all the things each day that have come to mind that you need to tackle within that day or the next few days. For me, it helps me so much to separate out my business brain dump to dos and my personal brain dump to dos. Once you have all of those outlined, I want you to consider starring the tasks that you're planning to accomplish that day.
Speaker 1:And then your next step is to time block those around your existing appointments on your calendar. Doing it this way allows you to sift through your to dos and prioritize effectively. You're not just jotting down tasks, you're strategizing each day. And having a clear, organized game plan is like stress busting gold. And here's a quick disclaimer.
Speaker 1:As with all of the tips that I'll be giving in today's episode, I want you to take them and customize them to you, your brain, your day, your business, and make them work for you. You do not need to fit into the mold of what I'm sharing here, but take the nuggets that resonate and then take action on them. Moving on to tip number three, we're still in our time management category, revolves around a lifesaver that I know you need, but you likely often ignore, and that's white space on your calendar. Yes, this my friend is a permission slip to block out days in the future to safeguard against your tendency to overcommit. Now, how do I know that you have a tendency to overcommit?
Speaker 1:Well, because I do it too. Whether it's a day of rest that you need or a few hours for a big project you can't squeeze in right now, but you know you want to bring to life, reserving these days in the future is like giving future you a high five. And why is this a stress reducer? Well, the act of intentionally setting aside time for yourself or those projects ensures that you're not in constant go mode all the time, which is gonna leave you feeling less frazzled and more focused. It's kinda like a buffer zone that not only gives you the time to breathe, but also boost your productivity by providing room for focused work and also some relaxation.
Speaker 1:So your call to action here is to pull up your calendar, look ahead two, three weeks, a few months, and start carving out some white space right now. You don't have to decide what that white space will be used for it. That may come to you later, or perhaps you already know a few big picture projects that you want to pencil in the hours for now. Alright. Our final tip in the time management category is all about thinking ahead, but not too far ahead.
Speaker 1:This is where I encourage you to schedule quarterly big picture days for strategic planning. This is one of my favorite things to do because focusing on a quarter instead of an entire year keeps me engaged and less likely to stray from my goals. And these aren't just aspirational doodles. No, these are concrete plans that I commit to in writing. I'll tell you how I do it, and then I will give you some strategies for how you could tackle this.
Speaker 1:For me, it's an oversized Post it note right by my office door where I see it daily. I break down my quarterly goals into manageable monthly tasks so they're always top of mind and they're energizing to me, not daunting. This is a practice that I tackle within my inner circle coaching program for my students, and it's something I strongly advocate for. Now, why does this reduce stress? Well, planning your quarter in advance gives you that roadmap.
Speaker 1:You then have a clear path ahead, allowing you to navigate through all of those daily tasks that we talked about with a sense of purpose. And it also helps you know what's next. And more importantly, it encourages a routine check-in with your goals, making sure that you stay connected to them and they don't become a resolution that you commit to at the beginning of the year and you have no idea what it was or where you are with it by the time you get to the end of the year. Quarterly is so much easier to lean into and keep you on track. All right, now we're moving into our relationships and team category of the tips.
Speaker 1:Now, tip number five is all about leaning into the power of a supportive business bestie group. Now, shared insights on how to create your own circle of industry allies in episode two forty four, but I really want you to hear me on the value of a trusted peer group. Whether you're grappling with a client dilemma or you're seeking feedback on something you want to bring to life within your business, a reliable circle provides not only actionable advice, but also a safety net of emotional reassurance. It creates a space for real conversations, and it can also dramatically reduce some of those feelings of isolation and overwhelm knowing that you're not alone in the hard parts of business ownership. So if you don't currently have a group like this, or you have a group and you don't feel like it's serving you, I want you to think about prioritizing what this could look like for you, perhaps on one of those white space days that I just talked about.
Speaker 1:All right, this next tip is particularly relevant if you share your life or your workspace with someone else, whether it's a business partner, a roommate, or a significant other. This one's all about prioritizing your needs and advocating for yourself. And I wanna keep it real with you because this tip requires emotional energy and time, but it's so important for the sake of your well-being and the relationship that it applies to. And why is that? Because unaddressed needs and not advocating for yourself can add up to a huge mental load that adds to your stress level.
Speaker 1:And being able to articulate these needs and advocate for yourself and potentially make a plan for outsourcing tasks that both you and this other person truly don't have the capacity to manage can lighten that burden. And I'd like to highlight for a moment what this specifically looks like when it comes to a significant other. Being able to have these conversations as well as committing to time to strengthen your relationship can drastically reduce your stress levels. I can tell you personally that I've navigated seasons in my marriage that felt less like a romantic partnership that we both signed up for and more like co managing a hectic busy life. And being able to reestablish that connection and have those honest conversations with my partner made all the difference.
Speaker 1:So how do you tackle this effectively? Well, I encourage you to schedule a check-in with your partner, whether this is weekly or monthly. And during this time, I want you to be honest about what you need to reduce your stress or improve your well-being. Maybe you need a night off weekly to recharge, or perhaps you need to outsource certain tasks or you need to ask your partner to step up. This is a time to discuss it with them and tackle the conversation with collaboration versus accusations to find solutions that work for both of you.
Speaker 1:This act of proactive communication can diffuse tension and prevent misunderstandings, making it a huge stress reliever. And if you want more tips and strategies on this, I want you to check out a recent episode from the podcast during our Life For Real series earlier this year. It's episode two thirty six, and it's a deep dive on marriage, mental load, and miscommunications, and it's one of my favorite episodes. Now let's move on to team delegation and the power of weekly check ins for stress reduction. Tip number seven is knowing where you need designated gatekeepers within your business to help reduce stress.
Speaker 1:Having a designated gatekeeper in your business can be a game changer in reducing your stress levels. And what is a gatekeeper? This is someone that's got your back and is helping protect you from yourself as well as outside distractions and requests that can be a huge time suck and a big sidetrack to the growth of your business. They keep things organized but not rigid, and they're awesome at communication. This could be having someone manage your inbox or calendar, and this could be a virtual assistant or an OBM, but the critical role they play is in helping uphold your boundaries, provide great service to your clients, and help when life gets overwhelming.
Speaker 1:So as you look at continuing to grow and develop your team, I wanna make sure that whether you're a solopreneur looking to bring on your first team member or you have an established team, pay attention to make sure that that gatekeeper is in the right role to protect you and allow you to be the visionary and continue to grow your business. And if you don't have a team just yet, you can lean into automation tools or a detailed FAQ section on your website to act as a preliminary gatekeeper. It may not be as personal as a dedicated team member, but it's still gonna help filter out non ideal clients, free up your time, and reduce stress levels. We're moving into our third and final section of our strategies in today's episode. And this one is about professional development, mental health, and well-being.
Speaker 1:And tip eight is all about prioritizing your well-being through movement that you genuinely enjoy. For me, high intensity cardio is a hard pass. Instead, I like to opt for twenty to thirty minute morning walks. The pace is super chill and my focus is on being present and moving my body instead of hitting any lofty fitness goals. And the key takeaway here is to find a form of movement that makes you happy because that's what you're gonna stick with.
Speaker 1:And if you miss a day, it's okay. Give yourself some grace and just pick it back up the next day. And why does this reduce stress? Well, exercise and movement, even when casual releases endorphins, which is your brain's feel good neurotransmitters. Plus, doing something enjoyable for yourself first thing in the morning sets a really great tone for the rest of the day, making those bigger challenges easier to tackle.
Speaker 1:Tip number nine, I've definitely touched on on the podcast before, and this one does require a financial investment. But it's all about investing in a business coach for those big picture goals. Having that external voice can truly be transformative. It's like someone helping you lift the fog so you can navigate more clearly or someone holding out their hand as you're trudging through quicksand and helping you get out of your own way. And whether it's uncovering blind spots or spotlighting some of those new opportunities or maybe just being the nudge you need to get back on track, having a coach's perspective here is invaluable.
Speaker 1:And in my mind, it isn't just a luxury thing. It's a game changer for your business and your personal growth. I've had a coach since 2017, and let me tell you, the value of that outside perspective is immeasurable. And I'm so passionate about this because I know that I always want a coach in my corner, and this is how I show up as a coach to my members. I provide that external perspective, and then I help nudge them back into alignment when life's curveballs come their way.
Speaker 1:And they will because it's life. So if you've never hired a coach before or you haven't worked with a coach in a long period of time, I want you to know that the real magic happens when you're able to step back from the minutiae, get off the hustle hamster wheel, and focus on the big picture with a coach by your side. And let's face it, sometimes the greatest relief is simply knowing that someone has your back and is rooting for your success. All right, we've made it to our final tip, which is to prioritize your mental health through therapy and medication if needed. Here's what I want you to hear about this tip.
Speaker 1:Taking care of your mental health is not as simple as a checkbox and move on. It's not a one and done deal. It requires time and awareness of where you are and what you need. I've had my own struggles with high functioning anxiety for years, which both drives me and sometimes gets in my way. And in 2021, after years of not being heard by doctors, I was finally diagnosed with ADHD and medication became another tool in my toolbox, providing both relief and a roadmap for moving forward in life.
Speaker 1:So whether it's anxiety, depression, ADHD, or something else entirely, don't underestimate the power of professional guidance. Even if you feel like you're managing all right, there's something liberating about speaking openly with a trained professional, and it's a proactive approach to reducing stress and improving your overall well-being. So what I want you to hear is you don't have to go it along, and it doesn't mean you're not strong by reaching out and asking for help. All right, my friend, let's bring it all together. I get that life, especially in our industry, can feel like an intense roller coaster ride that you're also responsible for building while you're on the ride.
Speaker 1:But these tips are your safety net, helping you navigate stress and that all too familiar overwhelm. I hope you'll give these strategies a go and discover what works for you. Choose the ones that stand out and leave the rest for another time. Because at the end of the day, your well-being isn't just about you. It has deep ripple effects on your team, your clients, your loved ones, and everyone else in your orbit.
Speaker 1:I'd love to hear from you. Which of these strategies are you most excited to take action on? Or maybe there's a game changer you're already implementing. Shoot me a DM at weddings4real and let's keep this conversation going. If you found this episode helpful, please do me a favor and share it.
Speaker 1:You never know who needs to hear these tips today. Thank you so much for joining me in this episode. You've got this. I'm cheering for you. And if you need a bit more guidance or wanna dig deeper, you know where to find me.
Speaker 1:As always, this episode is edited and produced by EarFluence and is brought to you by my online membership for wedding planners, The Planner's Vault. Cheers to you in a less stressful and more rewarding journey ahead.