Clutter Busting Coach

…clearing clutter from your mind, body and space

clutterbusting

Journaling

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In a previous post, I mentioned that I journal most mornings.

Journaling for me allows me to identify my feelings, help me to let go of unrealistic expectations, see my successes, as well as improve gratitude and awareness.

Journaling can be one of the ways to deal with any overwhelming emotion and is a healthy way to express yourself. Journaling can be a helpful tool in managing your mental health by managing your anxiety, reducing stress or helping you cope with depression.

Journaling can assist with managing these symptoms and improve your mood by:

  • Helping you prioritize problems, fears, and concerns
  • Recognizing triggers and identifying ways to manage them.
  • Providing an opportunity for positive self-talk and identifying negative thoughts and behaviors.

When you have a problem and you’re stressed, keeping a journal can help you identify what’s causing that stress or anxiety. Once you’ve identified your stressors, you can work on a plan to address the issues and reduce your stress.

Note that journaling is just one aspect of a healthy lifestyle and that you may benefit from seeking and/or need professional help.

How do you start journaling: [Read more…] about Journaling

Decision Making

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When I taught a stress management program, I shared some tips about decision making which included the following statement:

When I am calm and relaxed, I will make the best decision.

Sometimes we get overwhelmed when we need to make a decision. We feel the pressure especially if we are being asked to deliver a conclusion immediately. Many times though we don’t need to decide immediately. It is only a sense of urgency. Some decisions such as an emergency do need us to decide now, but many do not. Once it has been determined that do have time to make our best choice, we can release the pressure accumulated by taking a deep breath and then schedule time later in the day or week to contemplate our choices.

Steps to help us make decisions:

  • Gather the facts and information
  • Schedule time to review
  • Make a decision and move on

When we allow ourselves time to decide we can reduce stress and make the best possible decision with the information we have.

Quiet Contemplation

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I mentioned in my previous post about taking time for contemplation daily. Do you take time for yourself daily as part of self-care? Do you make time for stillness or quietness?

The definition of contemplation in the Cambridge English Dictionary is:

noun

serious and quiet thought for a period of time:

She was staring out over the lake, lost in contemplation.

The nuns have an hour for silent contemplation every morning

The website happiness.com lists several benefits of silence or quiet contemplation and shares examples of how to incorporate the practice.

If not already practicing, consider starting today and reaping the benefits yourself. I know that my daily practice has led to increased creativity, improved clarity and improved blood pressure measurements.

 

 

 

 

To Be Nine Month Check In

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Wow! Where has nine months gone? I am not sure, but it has gone by quickly.

They say that life happens while you are planning it and, this year, just like others, I started out with the intention of focusing on my word, yet life gets in the way.

Interesting because my word this year is “be.”

While I wouldn’t say that I was 100% successful, I am pleased with what I have accomplished so far with that intention. I believe that I have meditated 297 out of 302 days this year (but who is counting?). I have not done quiet so well with journaling so I will score myself a 90%. Yet I have taken time in the morning most days for contemplation and prayer. I have also spent time in nature and doing creative things. So, I have moved toward my goal significantly.

Where I need to focus now is still working on the roles that I play and determining which ones continue to support me.

Making a Leap of Faith

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You can accomplish anything you set out to do with a leap of faith.

Do you feel that your goals are unattainable? Are you nine months into the year and still stuck and not achieving your goals? Are you standing on the precipice of your potential looking into an abyss of your ambition? Do you resist the urge to jump, paralyzed by the gap between where you are and the life of your dreams?

Taking a leap into the unknown, even if it will get you to where you want to go, can be difficult and can feel like you are losing control.

Embracing uncertainty requires you to trust that taking that leap into the unknown, will garner you the reward that you seek. Believing in your success and envisioning the result, can start you toward achieving your goals. Attitude is everything and stepping out of your comfort zone will jettison you into a new phase of your life. While you may fear what seems to be the inevitable failure, consider that you may find yourself flying. Yet a successful leap of faith requires your attention and focus on your ultimate destinations. Understand that the leap across the vacuum of uncertainty may challenge you in unexpected ways but you will make it across the chasm if you trust yourself.

Build a bridge of knowledge to dampen your resistance. The more you know about the leap you are about to take and the benefits that you will obtain, the smaller the gap between here and there will appear to be. Your courageous leap of faith can lead you into uncharted territory, enabling you to build a new more exciting life.

Experience the exhilaration of taking a leap into your future.