Clutter Busting Coach

…clearing clutter from your mind, body and space

stress

Stress Less for the Holidays: Take Care of Yourself

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During this holiday season, remember to take care of yourself to ease stress. Holidays come on top of all our other tasks so make sure you have time for yourself. Put yourself first so you have the energy for others and other things.

If you have a plan you can incorporate self care into your schedule to help find balance. Also, as you plan for the remainder of the holiday season remember to:

  • Let go of unrealistic expectations
  • Don’t over obligate yourself
  • Put your own name on your list
  • Ask for help and take it
  • Take time to for a leisure activity such as a movie or reading a book
  • Continue to exercise and eat healthy
  • Look outside yourself and make contact with those less fortunate

Clutter Busting: For the Holidays

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With the holidays fast approaching are you looking forward to them in anticipation or dread? Do you look around the house and wonder how you are ever going to do all the stuff you need to do for your family to have a great holiday season and for you not to be stressed out?

It comes down to attitude and action. Over the next few weeks I will address a variety of topics designed for clutter busting for the holidays.

Are you a pack rat? Do you procrastinate? Are you sentimental about your stuff? Do you not have time?

Clutter busting for the holidays really starts with your mental clutter.

As a first step to clutter busting for the holidays visualize the holiday you want this year. Do you want a large family party or a quiet time at home? Do you want to deck the halls, the stairs, every room and the exterior of the house or is a tree enough?

Once you understand what you want, you can start to look at your beliefs about the holidays and determine which ones still serve you and which you need to discard… or which are mental clutter.

Once you have a clear picture of the holiday you desire, you can then move toward the holidays with anticipation and not fear. This will also set the foundation for the plans and actions that will move you toward a stress free holiday.

Ease Stress – Five Tips You can Use

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Everyone is faced with daily stressors and as the holiday season approaches stress can become extreme when combined with daily pressures.

You can handle stress- big and small-by following these tips:
• Avoiding problems (stressors) can make them seem bigger than they are because you can start to imagine the worst case scenario. Many times the worst never happens. When you start to fret stop worry in its tracks. Ask yourself what is the worst thing that could happen, then how likely it will happen. Many problems seem insurmountable, but realistically looking at the problem, identifying potential outcomes and actions can ease stress.

• Make a plan and determine an alternative or Plan B. Sometimes having a backup plan can prevent frustration if the first plan doesn’t work out.

• Tackle problems one step at a time. Take any project or task and break it down into small steps.

• Embrace the fear. When you start feeling stressed become aware of how your body feels so that these sensations become familiar and don’t feed your worry.

• “Vaccinate” yourself against stress. Push yourself to deal with small stressors to build confidence for handling the bigger ones.

“Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.” ~ Henry Ford

Last Minute Must-Haves

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In the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I thought I would provide a short list of must-haves that we might tend to forget:

  • Extension cords
  • Matches (to light candles)
  • Assorted batteries for toys and gadget gifts
  • Small presents for unexpected guests or hostess gifts
  • Replacement bulbs for lights
  • Club soda for spills
  • Extra ice

Having these items on hand can help take the stress out of the holidays.

Five Quick Clutter Cures

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Yes, I know that Thanksgiving is just around the corner and that you have been busy planning and preparing. So I am thinking that some of the clutter might have reappeared in your day-to-day life.

Here are five easy and quick clutter cures that can calm the pre-holiday chaos right now:

  1. take all the paper and items that have accumulated on your one counter “hot spot”  and sort and pile them. File or put them away later, but just clearing the decks can reduce some of the stress.
  2. pick up all the things that do not belong in your family room and put them where they belong.
  3. clean your purse or wallet.
  4. collect all your notes on all the little pieces of paper and re-write on your master list (on one larger sheet of paper).
  5. clear off your bedside tables and remove items that do not belong in your bedroom.

Just doing one or more of these quick fixes can restore some harmony into your life today.So pick one thing and do it now!