In a U.S. Department of Labor survey released late last year, adults ages 25 to 54 said they spent an average of four hours a day in leisure activities. If your leisure time doesn't even approach that on a weekly basis, chances are you're one of millions of exhausted, overcommitted women.

Trigger Happy
To stop overcommitting, you need to discover your triggers and learn how to break the habit.

You may say yes when you need to say no because you fear being perceived negatively, says Linda Tillman, PhD, an Atlanta psychologist who teaches assertiveness training. "Your self-esteem is on the line," she explains. At least that's your perception.

Old habits from childhood, such as your wish to please authority figures, can lead to overcommitting. "[Your child's] fourth grade teacher says, 'I want you to bring cookies.' You're overcommitted but say yes because you worry about displeasing the authority figure," Tillman says. It's like you are a fourth-grader again.

If you don't realize how full your schedule really is, you're likely to overcommit. When you add up the hours for paid work, charity work, school meetings, workouts, family responsibilities, homework sessions and other obligations, you may be amazed at how little free time you have, Tillman says.

If you don't know which areas of your life are most important to you, you can easily devote time to the wrong tasks, says Donald Wetmore, JD, director of the Productivity Institute in Stratford, Connecticut, who teaches time management. "Ask yourself what you want to accomplish in seven vital areas," he suggests. They are: health, family time, financial goals, intellectual pursuits, social time, spiritual goals and professional goals. Then allocate your time accordingly.