Remember the Oompa-Loompas from Willy Wonka? Those little orange guys had a fun song for each one of the kids who went overboard. There are lots of times when maybe we’ve had a little too much of something—whether it’s food or time in the sun. And it can be hard to get a read on whether you’ve reached the point of no return. So we gathered some ways to help you know when to say “that’s enough.”
Dinner. Your brain is sort of on a time delay when it comes to registering food. It can take 20 minutes for it to realize you have a full stomach. So decide how much you’re going to eat and stick to that, then wait 20 minutes for your brain to catch up.
Sitting on a plane. Summer’s prime travel time. But if you’re going by plane, you shouldn’t sit for too long. Walk around the cabin once every 2 hours. This’ll help avoid blood clotting in your legs.
Salt. Picture a teaspoon—1 teaspoon. Now, fill it with a little pile of salt. That’s it. That’s all the salt you should have in a day to stay healthy and help avoid high blood pressure and heart disease. To cut back, cook with herbs and spices instead.
Clutter. When your living room is so messy that it keeps tugging at your mind, the mess needs addressing. If you don’t have time for major cleaning, just organize papers, books, and the worst of the mess in neat piles. It’ll ease your mind until you can really clean up.
Nap. There’s totally nothing wrong with taking a little mid-afternoon siesta if you can sneak it in at work or home. It’ll help you get through the rest of the day. The trick: Keep it between 10 and 20 minutes. Anything more and you’ll feel groggy.
Driving. Drowsy driving can be as bad as, if not sometimes worse than, driving after drinking. It’s a good idea to take a break every 2 hours, to avoid that fuzzy-headed feeling and the temptation to nod off. Walk, stretch, enjoy the world’s largest ball of twine—anything to take a break from the car and to keep the kids from touching each other.
TV. How long has that TV been on?! Hold your hand out in front of you with your index finger up. Move your hand slowly from side to side 20 times, letting your eyes follow it. If your eyes feel heavy, then they’re fatigued, and it’s time to turn off the Extreme Makeover marathon.
Stress. Everyday stresses like rushing through the house to get the kids ready for school on time and paying bills are one thing. The other kind of stress (when you feel your heart jumping, have stomach issues, or feel just plain wigged-out) can hurt your health. If that feeling lasts for a week or more, you should talk with a doctor.
Sunshine. You can get sun poisoning after spending as little as 30 minutes (unprotected) in the sun. So don’t fool yourself that you’re not going to be outside for very long. Take a few minutes to put on sunscreen—you’ll be glad you did. And when you’re outside, keep an eye on your skin. Sometimes you can’t spot red because it’s too bright outside. So here’s a little trick: Press the bottom of a glass or bottle down on your skin. If the skin whitens, you’re burning.
Comments from Members
These are excellent do's and do not's. Please keep adding.
Interesting food for thought. learned a few new things too.
I love 20 minute naps!
These are interesting, and most of us need reminded. Many countries in the world follow these ideas, but not the fast paced, ultra productive, multitasking Amercians :) Don't forget on the last idea, sunscreen has it's place if you burn easily or will be in the sun for a very long period of time. If you do always lather the suncreen don't forget to take extra vitamin D if you want to keep up the super summer energy.
errr...I nap for 4-6 hours at a time. Maybe that's not really a nap.
I totally agree with getting rid of clutter! It feels so good when you have a space completely cleared out.
I really ejoy new ideas for a healthier me, you and everyone.
I would add noise, be it the TV, radio, whatever. Background noise can cause stress that goes unnoticed until we turn it off and enjoy the peacefulness of quiet. When the kids are getting too roudy or cranky, I turn off everything adding to the noise level and they almost instantly settle and get along better.
Power naps are so refreshing.
I am cleaning and clearing out my bedroom because the clutter makes me anxious. It is harder than it sounds, though.
These are great ideas, but... Apparently I am burning while I sit here in a room with the lights off and blinds closed. I tried the bottle trick and my skin whitened. 
Oh - and I haven't been out in the sun since Friday when I was out briefly and didn't burn.
I would add, "being awake too long" to the list - naps won't make up for lack of nighttime sleep.
Also, at dinner use a smaller plate and fill it, your eyes see a whole plate of food so you trick yourself into thinking you ate a lot.. Put your fork down on the table after EVERY bite and completely chew it.. This takes more time so the 20 minute rule works better also if you are right handed use your left hand to eat.. That slows you down also.. Make your plate pretty and colorful.. Enjoy the surroundings..
DEBBIE FROM OHIO
ditto Marian... my skin always turns white if you press on it, so it's no help for me if I'm getting sunburned.
Enough is Enough... when you consistantly give of your time,attention ,feelings and resources to someone you love and then just never seem to get anything but grief in return
My car. If my car is a mess, its going to put me in a bad mood!!
My car. If my car is a mess, I will not be happy!!
I recently learned that I shouldn't nap after 3 pm, to avoid not being sleepy at bedtime. Also stop the caffeine after 3 pm. And those late night police dramas don't help me sleep either...
the one about clutter is so true, a cluttered house is a cluttered mind..........
Hi, Kim from Vocalpoint. Do you have other ideas to share on this topic about Enough is Enough? I love these ideas we found, but I am sure you have some too. Let us know 
. Love to read your ideas. Thanks...
If I had to make my own list I would add the computer. I can find myself spending hours reading my e-mails or goofing off on Facebook. I actually thought about using my timer to remind myself to turn it off.
I agree about the computer. It is such a time-vacuum. I get on just to check emails and one issue leads to another and WOW 3 hours has past.
I took a course to learn how to use the computer now I wish I could take another course on how to get off of it . I start at 12:30 p.m. and get off at 1:30 a.m. playing video games, e-mail and just doing nothing. I can't sleep at night because my head is filled with how am I going to beat the game. Thank You, Kathleen K. from PA.
lets not forget about the biggest one of them all- TIME (no shouting meant)- the one thing to to cut down on stress is to leave yourself about 10 min before all appointments (for us with 2 kids under 5 its more like we leave ourselves half an hour!) and lets not forget to unwind from our days to relax into night- lets just be honest how many of u would love more time? the question is then what else would we try to fit into that extra all important time that we gained?
Clutter is a stressor, when papers and books start cluttering my bed, I know its time to sit down and de-stress my mind, think what is the most important thing to get done, learning how to prioritize your problems makes them go away quicker.
