Why am I so Stressed?
A new season of life is upon us at my house, how about yours? Life transitions can be big or small, happy or horrible, planned or unplanned which are likely to upset our day to day operations, our routines. Our routines are actually systems of organizing. A new transition can bring stress and with stress comes clutter. Stress is a clutter trigger for me. I know a little stress is good for us and it’s impossible to live without stress. With that said, let’s talk about a few strategies that can help ease the stressful part of transition.
Utilize a morning or evening routine
Do you have one? If you do, keep doing it!
If not, I encourage you to create one based on what you need. If it’s solitude then plan either the start of the day or the end of the day with a few minutes of silence. If you are in need of more structure then this is a good place to implement. For some, just making the bed is a morning routine, it’s completely individual. For me personally, I begin my day with prayer and have been doing this now for the last few years and I notice when I have a day without it!This has become the foundation point for everything else in my day. As I went through the last year, this was a welcome period in the uncertainty and chaos.
Question to ask: What do I need in my life as a point of consistency and continuity?
Stay connected
Find your community of people you can reach out to and lean on as you go through a transition. Social support cannot be overstated. If you are a newly single mom, find a mom’s group. If you are a widow, check out widow’s groups. Your church may also provide a source of social support. Mom’s groups are wonderful on so many levels. I love the women in my church, they help me to refill my cup. The key here is to avoid isolating yourself, there is someone out there just waiting to help you.
Question to ask: What support do I need?
Work on one small goal daily
We can boost our mood and motivation when we accomplish something. So each day, set a small goal you can easily achieve. This gives you the 1st win of the day. It is your choice to build on this or be satisfied with this success. As you move through the transition you can add to this by moving to multiple small goals to get you to the bigger goal.
Question to ask: What is one small thing I can do right now?
Be kind to yourself
In stressful moments, how you speak to yourself can directly impact you. Giving yourself the grace to seek help and work through this new time in your life will bless you abundantly. We all can expect a rough day or two to come. Honestly, what good will it do to beat yourself up? The answer is, none!Evaluation is needed if there are more rough days than good ones.
Create an affirmation your repeat frequently. This should also be written down, recorded in a memo on your phone or texted to yourself. As many times as you need to hear it, make it available.
Life comes with changes whether we are prepared for them or not. In implementing one of these strategies, you are a step ahead of the unexpected transition that may arise. Developing a system will also put you in a better place for the happy and fun transitions as well. Living organized is holistically designed to lower stress and improve quality in your every day.
Please follow along with me at www.instagram.com/darleneillig where I share organizing tips and inspiration.
Happily organized,
Darlene
For more information on living organized, check out the website, www. organizeyouinsideandout.com
