Are You Running on Empty? Here are 10 Signs to Watch For

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Your calendar. Your planner. Your daily lists. Your short term and long term schedule. These are all such important ingredients in living an organized and decluttered life.

If an organized and decluttered life is what you desire, here are some warning signs that you’re headed in the wrong direction.

Are you running on empty? Here’s 10 warning signs that you might be.

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1. You’ve got no blank space in your schedule, on your calendar, or in your mind

Blank space, white space, margin, or whatever you may call it, if you don’t have any, you most likely need to step back and reexamine things.

2. Any invitation whether to a wedding shower, a birthday party, or a simple coffee date with a friend only frustrates or overwhelms you

Invitations that are offered and extended that should be something you look forward to rather than something that only squeezes you tighter.

3. You’ve pulled away from people who used to make you happy

This could be family members, your spouse, your friends, or even your kids. If you have become more withdrawn from people who used to make you smile, this is not a good thing.

4. Speaking of smiling, you can’t remember the last time you did it

Smiling is a gift you give others, but it is also a gift you give yourself. If you’re not able to remember how to smile, you could very well be running on empty.

5. You’re tired, even when you get enough sleep

An overstuffed life will leave you forever feeling exhausted. Should you be feeling more rested than you do? If so, it’s how you’re choosing to spend your time that is exhausting you.

6. You don’t know how to say no

If you are along for the book club, you know exactly what I am talking about. If not and you need to learn about learning to say yes and learning to say no, check out this book, The Best Yes

7. You’ve become scatterbrained

You forget little things here and there or even just the basic things that you used to just do while on auto pilot.

8. You experience a frequent lack of appetite

The thought of food can sometimes be too much. Not maintaining healthy eating habits can be a warning signal of something much deeper than anything that has to do with food.

9. Inability to sleep

Does your constantly moving brain prevent you from sleeping? Do you toss and turn all night? An inability to sleep is a sign of an overwhelmed life.

10. Inappropriate reactions

Being overly responsive in a negative way. Little things that set you off or things that upset you that just shouldn’t.

If you find yourself in a few of these places, taking a step back could be a really good thing. Try doing some of these things to begin moving forward.

• Create a mission statement, set some goals, determine your priorities, and the roles that you need to fulfill.
• Get a system or a planner to help keep yourself on track. Check out my post on creating a planner that works.
• Reach out. Maybe you just need someone to talk to and to be real with, but ask someone you trust to help you make some positive changes.
• Take some time out for yourself every day. Even it it’s only 15 minutes.
• Address your physical needs. Get the right amount of sleep, eat a healthy diet, and get some exercise.
• Learn to give your best yes while delivering a gracious no when needed.
• Pursue something that inspires you. Maybe it’s reading something, taking a class, learning a new skill, or something different, but pursue something that brings you a sense of joy.
• Learn to journal. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but even if it feels awkward there is something so therapeutic about getting your feelings out. Oftentimes paper is a great place to do that.
• Give to others. Even if you are only getting some items together to donate, giving to others is an amazing feeling.
• Get help if needed. There is help out there, and there is nothing wrong with getting help if life has become too overwhelming for you. Sometimes it doesn’t take long to get yourself back on the right course.

In living a clutter free life, we sometimes have to do a little soul decluttering. If you are running on empty, now is the perfect time to assess and address what is keeping you from from being the woman you long to be.

This post is based on a chapter in Ruth Soukup’s book, 31 Days to a Clutter Free Life. Grab a copy and join in as we work through it together, or, grab a copy and work through it at your own pace in your own time.

Either way, you will have a clutter free life by the time you work through all 31 days!