Want a secret weapon to reduce your stress?

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Want a secret weapon for relieving stress? Get organized.

It’s pretty much common knowledge that clutter can drain your energy. A cluttered home – a cluttered mind. But clutter also drains your finances and schedule, which we refer to as the hidden cost of clutter. Not only does it affect your energy and pocketbook, it ultimately creates a chaotic life.

Putting in the effort to get organized by establishing healthy habits, (especially if the disorganization and clutter extends to multiple areas of your life) can help reduce stress tremendously. Just think how stressful it is when you’re scrambling at the last-minute looking for your things or you show up late for a meeting because you lost track of time.

Being organized on the other hand, can leave you feeling empowered. Facing the day prepared can actually minimize the strength and duration of your stress. The key is to reduce your triggers in the first place.
Getting organized doesn’t have to be overwhelming. There are a few habits you can learn right away, such as:

• Everything in its place and a place for everything. (And that place should make sense.)
• Keep like with like.
• Dedicate 20 minutes to a task each day.

To reduce your stress, consider how organized you need to be. While you may not need your books alphabetized or have every minute scheduled in your calendar, adopting a few good habits could go a long way.

In case you haven’t heard, I’m teaching a class on the 7 Habits Of Organized People. If you want to minimize your stress and learn some pretty cool strategies, put this class on your calendar! Although I won’t be addressing how to color coordinate your clothes or line up your shoes and handbags, I can promise that you will walk away with a closet full of valuable information.

Reduce your stress by CLICKING HERE!

Pen and Paper; The Benefits Of Writing It Out

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What are some key things you need to do but are putting on the back burner, procrastinating about or “ignoring”?

Research shows that if you get your mental list out of your head and put it down on paper you’re more likely to have significant progress.  Why?  Because “Writing entails using the hand and fingers to form letters … the sequential finger movements activate multiple regions of the brain associated with processing and remembering information.” (The Benefits Of Writing With Good Old Fashioned Pen and Paper – Huff Post Article)

Additional benefits by writing out your thoughts on paper is that:

  • It fires up the brain in different ways.
  • It slows you down.  In a good way.
  • It limits distractions.
  • It sparks creativity.

So if you would like to reduce your mental clutter and take action on the things that keep gnawing at you to get done,

TRY THIS:

  • Brain Dump!  Write  a list of all the things you need to do but are ignoring.  Get it all out of your head.
  • Remember:  Writing it out signals your sub-conscious to follow-through.
  • Keep your list visible and glance at it often.
  • Cross off items as they get done.
  • Start a new list.

You can also rewrite your list after you brain dump by chunking it into categories and/or prioritizing it if it makes you feel more organized in your head.

Feeling Overwhelmed? Try This.

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We all feel overwhelmed at times.  And overwhelm is no stranger to lack of follow through.

Don’t beat yourself up and don’t put so much pressure on yourself if you are having difficulty right now completing something.

The mind on overwhelm is complicated.  It’s going to signal you to feel an array of emotions which can leave you feeling anywhere from anxious to exhausted.

But there are things you can do to control the chaos and be productive again.

Here’s how:

First, you need to capture it.Take the ‘overwhelm’ out of your head and put it on paper, where you can distance yourself from it a bit.  Just brain dump everything that is gnawing at you that you would like to get done.

Then I want you to sort it all out.  We refer to this as “Chunking.”  Think of it as categorizing your tasks and to-dos with headings and then sub-headings (keeping like with like).

Here’s an example:

MY LIST

ERRANDS (Category)                                         CALLS (Category)
Post Office (Sub)                                                  Make Eye Dr. Appt. (Sub)
Dry Cleaners (Sub)                                              Dinner Reservations (Sub)
Bank (Sub)                                                             Home repair estimates (Sub)

Next, choose the category that you want to take care of immediately.  Don’t overthink it.

And finally, take Action.  Either do it immediately, schedule it into your calendar, delegate the task, but take action right there and then.

By doing this simple exercise your mind will reward you by feeling uplifted and more positive.

Remember, break things down as much as possible whenever you feel it’s getting too big for your mind to handle.  It’s how you find simplicity in the complicated.

3 Strategies That Can Help You Get Organized

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3 Strategies That Can Help You Get Organized

There are three strategies that can make your organizing efforts more successful. 

It begins with taking a look at organizing from a psychological, social and tactical aspect. 

Here’s a quick intro to get you started:

Psychological
It’s extremely important that mentally you start out with a positive outlook and you maintain that throughout.  Feeding your mind healthy thoughts is good for the brain and helps sustain your motivation.  Using your mind to envision your outcome is also important by staying focused on the “outcome.”

Social
We are humans and we’re not designed to do things alone.  Having a support system is critical to your well-being.  A mentor, friend, coach, peer, someone that you can openly and honestly talk to and receive feedback and pointers from is the key to following through.

Tactical
Having an organizing plan that you can execute with confidence can make a huge difference with how you manage your time. Make sure you understand how to declutter, sort and organize in the most efficient manner.

All three strategies play an important role separately and collectively. Through the process of getting organized you may find yourself bouncing from one to the other for strength. endurance and stability.  ​

Remember, organizing can be something you just “do” or it can be a lifestyle.  It all depends upon how you choose to look at it.

Stop The Insanity

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Are you familiar with this quote from Einstein?

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

Well, I recently learned that the accurate quote, according to Quote Investigator, is…

“Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results.”

Now, I’m not here to steal Einstein’s thunder, (I actually have a “thing” for the MAN) but I found it pretty interesting that there is quite a distinction between the two quotes.

Did you happen to catch it?

Repeating the same mistakes is insanity.

NOT doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Here’s why.

If you do something over and over again, such as exercising, and you are looking for a different result with your body appearance or emotional health, how is that insane?  It’s not.  It’s logical and practical that you will see a different result.

But if you keep repeating the same mistakes, such as not opening your mail, or not doing the laundry or overspending, and expecting a different result, that’s more in line with insane thinking.  Not only will you get the same results but it will get worse.

Are you following me here? 

It’s like my Mindfulness Program – there are 6 Mindful Tools that you repeat over and over until you start seeing the results of living a clutter-free life.  And it works!

Insanity would be not repeating the mindful tools and expecting them to work.  Big Mistake!

What mistakes are you making in your life that you keep repeating and looking for a different result?

If you’ve been trying to declutter your life, perhaps there are some “things” you could be doing differently to get you the REAL results you deserve.

Let’s talk about it and see what we can come up with so you can finally stop the insanity and get the results you deserve.  (I think Einstein would like that!)

Schedule your call with me here:  https://calendly.com/patriciadiesel/free30min

It’s All In The Mind

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It’s All In The Mind

You may have heard how positive thinking is important to your mental health and also one of  the keys to The Law of Attraction.

But did you know that Neuroscience Research shows you can actually reprogram your brain?

So for people who have been trying to declutter their lives without success due to overwhelm, fear and procrastination, this can be very helpful.

In my Mindful Tools for Organized Living I dedicate an entire module to mind shifting so you can learn:

  • How to break old habits and build new ones
  • How to get rid of negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones
  • How to quickly and easily change your thoughts to a winner’s mindset

With the right tools and conscious effort, you can start thinking like a conqueror of clutter, and crush that negative self-talk.For example, instead of saying to yourself,  ” I’ll never get out from under all of this mess.  Who am I kidding, I’ll always have clutter.”

You will learn how to cancel out negativity and replace it with positive words like,
” I may have been disorganized in the past, but that was then and this is now.  I love being clutter-free.”

You owe it to yourself to open your mind and learn new strategies to live a healthier, clutter-free life.

Begin today and watch your mind shift and your life transform!

How to Smash the 3 Deadly P’s

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How to Smash the 3 Deadly P’s

 

Patricia Diesel Creator of the Mindfulness Program shows you how to overcome your clutter.

How to Smash the 3 Deadly P’s

If you’re struggling with excessive clutter, it’s practically a guarantee you’re experiencing one (or all) of the 3 Deadly P’s:

Perfectionism. Procrastination. Paralysis.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks I see for women who are trying desperately to get organized is they over-think “things.”

They have an idea in their head the way “things” are supposed to be that they get caught up in perfectionism and never take action.

Now, why is this deadly?

Because perfectionism actually leads to procrastination and then…

Yes, you go it.

Paralysis. (Overwhelm)

And there you have it…a very vicious cycle.

Sometimes things have to get “messy” before they get better. Decluttering is a perfect (excuse the pun) example of this. There’s going to be some turmoil.

Yet, what most don’t realize is that it doesn’t have to be pure chaos.

If you follow a system with step-by-step strategies, everything will fall into place neatly and orderly.

One of the strategies that I noticed resulted in making the MOST progress for my clients is imposing deadlines.

Now I can hear some backlash …

“I don’t do well with set time frames. It feels to restrictive.”

Yes, but here’s the thing.

Clutter loves the fact that you’re a free-bird with no routine, schedule or plan.

Case in point…

Without a time management system to follow you can expect the clutter to be hanging around. GUARANTEED.

That’s why I developed 7 Simple Steps to Cure Clutter inside of my Mindfulness Program. It’s a process that if followed as instructed will stop the 3 Deadly P’s in their tracks.

What makes it so successful?

Having effective time management skills is important in just about any area of your life. But for clutter control purposes…

You get to rely on a process where you exercise conscious control of your time spent on specific tasks without the worry, fear or overwhelm of over-thinking.

This is how you overcome clutter.

For now, I challenge you to set a workable deadline at a pace that stretches your comfort zone. This may include using tools that you are not familiar working with; a timer, calendar, planner.

NOT at a pace that’s going to burn you out or cause anxiety. You want to begin in a way that gives you a good experience so you can build your momentum.

Only you can determine what a reasonable yet challenging deadline is.

However, a deadline can be one of the Golden Rules of Organizing. For example, “I’ll spend 15/20 minutes per day tidying up.”

Deadlines can also be for an overall project. Such as “I’ll give myself 30 days to declutter all my closets.”

When you see how well this works for you, in no time you’ll feel more inspired and confident to tackle the bigger elephant in the room (Um, that would be the rest of the clutter) and smash the Deadly P’s for good!

5 Ways To Journal

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5 Ways To Journal

I’ve often suggest to my clients that they keep a journal to help them along their journey.

Journaling is simply writing down your thoughts and feelings to understand them more clearly. And if you struggle with stress, depression, or anxiety, keeping a journal can help you gain control of your emotions and improve your mental health.

Why is journaling good for your health?

Journaling can provide stress relief and boost your physical and mental health. Writing not only relieves stress and improves your mood, but it also boosts your immune system, which helps your body to withstand the effects of further stress.

stress, health benefits, journaling, declutter tips

5 Ways to Journal and Declutter Your Life

James Clear is an exceptional author who focuses on lifestyle habits that influence our productivity. He recently designed an adaptable notebook that he calls the Clear Habit Journal. The intention is to make it easier to build better habits that is rooted in the most effective behavioral science techniques.

Here’s an inside sample of the 5 different ways you can journal by asking just one question per day.

JOURNAL
What happened today? (Daily Journal)
What am I grateful for today? (Gratitude Journal)
What is my most important task today? (Productivity Journal)
How did I sleep last night? (Sleep Journal)
How do I feel today? (Mood Journal)

I highly recommend keeping a journal, especially if you are in the midst of decluttering your life.

The benefits will be invaluable.

5 Tips Why You Should Eat Celery

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WEDNESDAY WELLNESS

5 Tips Why You Should Eat Celery

 

When I was young, celery was just a vegetable that was added to soups or as an added ingredient for a recipe. Rarely did I eat it alone.

Boy, was I missing out on something good.

Today, I love this refreshing green vegetable that belongs to the Apiaceae plant family. Check out the benefits to adding it to your diet.

5 Healthy Benefits Of Adding Celery To Your Diet

1.Celery is a great source of important antioxidants.
2.Celery reduces inflammation.
3.Celery supports digestion.
4.Celery is rich in vitamins and minerals with a low glycemic index.
5.Celery has an alkalizing effect.

This 1 Thing Could Be Affecting The Workplace

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One In Four Americans Has Clutter

If you think clutter doesn’t impact productivity in the workplace, think again.
When your environment is cluttered, the chaos restricts your ability to focus. The clutter also limits your brain’s ability to process information. Clutter makes you distracted and unable to process information as well as you do in an uncluttered, organized, and serene environment. Overloading your brain forces it to divide its power, making it more difficult to sift through information, move between tasks, quickly, and have a strong working memory.
(Princeton University)
If you are an employee or an employer of someone who is suffering in the workplace, there is something you can do about it.  I’ve developed a Mindfulness Program that cuts through the clutter.  Let’s set up a time to discuss your options and see how I can help you.  Here’s a link to my calendar.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Warmly,

Patricia Diesel