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Declare War on Time-Consuming Clutter with Action Zones

Friday, January 6th, 2012

Does your struggle to be productive at work and at home feel like waging war with yourself and others?

Perhaps it makes sense to perceive that struggle as a battle ground. You are the commander. You are waging war on several fronts – special projects, ongoing skirmishes, and supply logistics.  You have a map of the terrain (the floor plan) and know what your resources are:  equipment,  personnel, and supply lines.

To win the battle, you  must match trained personnel with specialized equipment and ensure that needed supplies are available for immediate use. In other words, you want to have all the components needed to engage the enemy to come together in the same place at the same time.

I’m sure you have decided (as I have) to work on a certain project only to spend 20 minutes or more gathering all the varying pieces of information, supplies, and equipment before you can begin. Whether that is finding your mixing bowl in the kitchen, asking yourself “Where did I put my 3-hole punch this time?”, or just trying to get the kids out the door in the morning, it is time-consuming as well as frustrating!

The answer is to designate action zones.

  1. First make a decision that you are  going to start now! The time you spend in planning for efficiency will be returned to you tenfold.
  2. Brainstorm. Ask yourself what activities you actually DO in the room/area you are organizing. Perhaps the question should be – what activities do you ideally want to do there!
  3. Assign specific areas in the room, or zones, to similar activities. Try to limit each room to 2-3 zones. In an office you might have action zones for:
    • Communication Central – your desktop and shelf above
    • Reference library – bookshelf and file drawer
    • Action/Projects – credenza with In/Out boxes and incline sorter for specific activities/projects.
  4. Place equipment and supplies within arm’s reach in the appropriate zone for each activity.
    • Filing – extra hanging files, manila file folders, labels
    • Enjoying media – TV, Radio/CD player, VCR/DVD player, CD’s, DVD’s, and remotes, of course.
    • Paying bills – computer, bills, calculator, check book, stamps, address labels
    • Baking – measuring cups and spoons; mixing bowls; baking pans; spices, extracts and leavening agents
    • Getting in the car – keys, diaper bag, shoes, coats, hat, gloves & backpacks

Now that you have the stage set for control over each new project, all you need are the trained personnel. Is that you or do you have employees, friends, or children you can delegate the task to?

The beauty of action zones is that whoever is assigned to that battle will have all the tools necessary to succeed! That will save you time in both set- up and in wages paid.

You may find that once you know where everything is to get started quickly, you are raring to take on that project yourself, right now. You are the commander and it is an easy victory!

Organizing Your Holiday Celebrations for Less Stress

Monday, December 6th, 2010

Christmas, Hanukah and other “holy” days can be wonderful times of celebrating with family and friends. At the same time, stress and depression can creep in due to unrealistic expectations, over-commercialization, financial stress, over commitment, and procrastination.

Most of us have felt sad, stressed, or depressed at one time around the holidays. It happens when our grand expectations meet up with the reality of family squabbles, disappointing gifts, and large credit card bills.

There is a way to celebrate the holidays with purpose and confidence. You can be proactive and cope with holiday stressors by 1) keeping expectations manageable, 2) setting realistic goals, and 3) organizing your time/ pacing yourself.

Keep Expectations Manageable: It is helpful to examine your thinking surrounding the holiday your family will celebrate. Ask yourself – “What do I ‘expect’ or ‘wish for’ during this holiday?” Write it down. Is it…

  • A family gathering complete with harmonious relationships?
  • Feelings of peace and well-being?
  • Cards and letters from old friends?
  • Receiving the gifts you hinted at or just plain asked for?
  • Being able to cook and bake the traditional foods you remember?
  • Sharing time with friends and neighbors?

Now next to each of your ‘wish for’ statements, write how likely that is to happen, choosing from these three possibilities:

  • Likely
  • Maybe?
  • Not!

What if none of those things happen? Can you be content? I like this paragraph from Mental Health America:

Leave “yesteryear” in the past and look toward the future. Life brings changes. Each season is different and can be enjoyed I its own  way. Don’t set yourself up [for disappointment] in comparing today with the “good ol’ days.”

Sometimes it is helpful to lower your expectations in order to be pleasantly surprised when something you hope for comes true.

Set Realistic Goals: Do you know what your priorities are? If you can’t answer in 2 seconds or less, give yourself 2 minutes with paper and pencil to quickly answer the question – “What is truly important to me?” Now number your top three with #1 being your first priority, then #2 and so on.

How well do your holiday activities fit in with your beliefs and priorities? Next to your top three priorities, write your Holiday Intention – what activity do you CHOOSE to do that will further your goal in that area?

For example: If you listed FAMILY as being a top priority, your goal may be to raise children who know they are loved unconditionally. Your holiday activity might be to write each child a “love note” describing their strengths and the positive character traits you have seen in their life.

Part of this process is looking at your holiday traditions to see if they pass the “So what?” test. Does that tradition support one of your top 3 priorities? What is the worst thing that could happen if you did not attempt it this year?

Do you feel like I do? I look at my busyness and think I am missing out on opportunities to listen to the people I love. Perhaps it is time to scale back on non-essentials like decorating to impress and baking enough to last for 3 months.

Choose 2-3 activities to include in your holiday celebrations that best represent your beliefs and priorities. Remember that time with people will always trump money, status, and stuff!

Organize Your Time and Pace Yourself: Your next step is to break down each project/activity into smaller tasks.

In our example, the first task is to choose stationery or a note card. Second, write “love note”. Third, find a fun and unexpected way to deliver it.

List each task that must be completed. Be sure to identify the SNA’s, see my blog post, and prepare to do those tasks first. Now schedule those tasks on your calendar.

Good work! You have solidified your Holiday Intention and each supporting task is on your calendar. I hope you can see how doable your holiday plans are now that you have prioritized, cut non-essentials, and have spread the remaining tasks over the next 4 weeks.

One more thing: DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! If you put off getting started, you are really making a conscious decision to submarine your efforts. Why? Only a mental health professional can answer that one.

25 More Tips for Less Stress

Monday, October 25th, 2010

Last year right before the holidays I gave you 25 stress-busting tips from a list I like to read over when I need a boost.

Here we are again, ready to enter the holiday fray. Can you believe Monday is 1 November?!? So, I am pulling out that list to share another 25 tips. My suggestion: Print both lists. Read each morning as a reminder that you can choose constructive behaviors.

25 MORE Tips for Less Stress:

  1. Let go of what is lost.
  2. Encourage gentleness in yourself and others.
  3. Face life with dignity.
  4. Go more frequently where you will get what is good for you.
  5. Listen to the sound of your own voice.
  6. Redecorate some part of your home.
  7. Face painful questions carefully.
  8. Get a medical check up.
  9. Wear comfortable clothes whenever you possibly can.
  10. Get a massage.
  11. Avoid excessive noise.
  12. Engage in religious activity.
  13. Redefine your priorities.
  14. Stop letting people annoy you because they are unhappy.
  15. Start today to straighten out a problem in your life.
  16. Practice being alert to your surroundings.
  17. Exercise regularly.
  18. Stop waiting “until ____ ” and marking time.
  19. Set goals realistically.
  20. Learn to value feedback from others.
  21. Stop reflecting on things that didn’t work out.
  22. Write a journal of your daily thoughts and moods.
  23. Stop assuming others can’t get along without you.
  24. Think positively!
  25. Look in the mirror and smile.

Be sure to leave a comment with the tip that stuck out for you. You will be encouraging someone else!

Photo Credit: Flickr/Frerieke CC-A

Are You Resilient?

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Have you felt like your life was out of control and looked for who or what to blame? Then, in time, you got past that crisis and felt pretty good about simply surviving in the midst of great difficulty! I (Martha) have been in both situations. I think that is why I identified so strongly with Patsy Deerhake’s article in her wellness coaching newsletter Wellness Within Reach.

On Resilience by Guest Blogger Patsy Deerhake:

My husband tells me that the term “stress” is an old and tired concept. I agree that people may be tired  of hearing about stress. I know I get tired of hearing how stressed people are when it appears they are stuck and unwilling to move forward. It seems to me when people complain of stressors; they are in “victim” mode. They often just accept their plight without taking action.

Even those who cope well with stress are often in “survivor” mode. They’re just muddling through the situation and feel little control. I like to suggest to people who are experiencing stress that they choose the “thrive” mode. In this mode an unfortunate turn of events becomes a challenge, not a calamity.

Resilience is a concept that can move us beyond playing victim or even just surviving. Resilience is the ability to rebound from a difficult situation. When we are resilient, we are able to bend without breaking. Resilience may be developed and strengthened with practice.

Highly resilient people have been described as having stress‐resistant personalities and are able to learn from their experiences. Some qualities that increase resilience include healthy relationships, adaptability, emotional maturity, sense of humor, acceptance of others, creative problem‐solving, resourcefulness, openness and optimism.

Resilience is demonstrated by those who are able to rebound from difficult experiences, often by taking a unique perspective that allows them to see the opportunities a change in circumstances creates. It’s the ability to reject the victim mentality or even the role of survivor and discover ways to thrive in spite of a setback.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Patsy Deerhake of Wellness Within Reach is passionate about empowering women who are juggling career, household and family to create the time and energy to get the lives they want and deserve.  She sees moms and caregivers trying to do it all – to be Superwoman. “I am a recovering Superwoman,” Patsy admits. Patsy works with clients to give up their frazzled, harried lifestyles and achieve greater quality of life.

To find out how to succeed without the cape, request The Superwoman’s Guide to Getting What You Want Without Losing What’s Important, a FREE report that outlines a six step process to help women assess what they want in their lives and take an initial step forward.

25 Tips for Less Stress

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Stress happens.  Sometimes there is no way to avoid it.  Other times we create it ourselves with overloaded schedules, ridiculously high expectations, and the defeating self-talk we listen to.

This list is from  a tattered piece of paper entitled 101 Strategies for Coping with Stress that I keep stuck in my Bible. I can’t give credit to anyone for these tips since I can’t remember who gave it to me, and there is no reference given on the sheet.

Please read these out loud, speaking to yourself alone (hopefully no one is around to see you talking to yourself again!) I hope these tips will lift you up and remind you that you have the power to choose…

  1. Remember you have the gift of memory for pleasant times.
  2. Enjoy nature… the wonders in your yard, the sky, the sea, the desert, the mountains, everything.
  3. Start sharing responsibilities.
  4. Listen to people…really listen.
  5. Compromise occasionally and you may really be the winner.
  6. Stop being always available for running errands.
  7. Sing.
  8. Dance.
  9. Take some time off.
  10. Be honest about how you feel.
  11. Begin living now.
  12. Stop living in the future/past.
  13. List your successes.
  14. Make friends with people who like themselves.
  15. Learn to accept what you cannot change.
  16. Let other people run their own lives.
  17. Develop your personal talents.
  18. Give yourself permission to be afraid of failure and success.
  19. Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
  20. Get enough rest.
  21. Stop looking for someone or something to blame.
  22. Analyze problems, figure out what can be done, then take action immediately.
  23. Talk about your strengths…to yourself.
  24. Control food input; eat nutritionally.
  25. Ask for help in a straightforward way.

I especially need these reminders around the holidays. One last exhortation from me: Be kind to yourself.

Banish Holiday Stress

Friday, November 6th, 2009

The holidays are a great time to connect with family and friends, relaxing and strengthening ties. There are also extra pressures that can cause stress and frustration.

The trigger could be money, “How can I afford this gift?”; family relationships, “Not another family meal hearing Uncle Ned’s medical history!”; or still painful grieving, “We always held the holiday get togethers at Grandma’s; it just won’t be the same without her!”

Click to continue »

Life Changes Are Stressing Me Out!

Monday, September 28th, 2009

There’s one thing on this earth that will never change: everything is changing.

Some change is really good.  The leaves’ changing to beautiful colors signals a drop in temperature that is always refreshing after the heat of summer.

Seeing children grow out of those annoying phases into respectful and caring people is a wonderful change to witness.

Normal is Just...

Then there are changes that suck all your energy and make you wonder if there is any hope for a return to normal (whatever normal is… Patsy Clairmont says Normal is a Setting on Your Dryer!)

The American Massage Therapy Association has a computer-scored version of a Life Change Stress Test on their website.  This test was was developed by Dr. Thomas H. Holmes and Dr. Richard H. Rahe.  Scoring is in LCU’s (Life Change Units) with ranges for low, medium and high stress.  Of course, a massage will always help!

By all means, take the test.  If you score more than 300 at least you will feel justified in feeling claustrophobic, trapped, and like you are in a tunnel with no light ahead.  I’ve been there.

Now look at the things you checked on your list.  Is there one you can influence or reverse?  Is there a circumstance that a professional can help you with?  That might be a doctor, a psychologist, a teacher/tutor, or even a professional organizer.  Don’t be a lone ranger, get help!

Maybe the help you need is the listening ear of a friend.  Write down a list of your friends and call one per day.  Every friend can field one call per week.  If not, you need a new friend.

One really good thing about change? Nothing lasts forever.  The sun’ll  come out tomorrow -  Little Orphan Annie.   Tomorrow is another day -  Scarlet O’Hara.   Most of the stress factors  listed are short term.  You will see light in the tunnel soon.  Hangeth thou in there.  We are in this change thing together.