Let's return to the importance of ridding our lives of clutter in order to find calm. This idea truly cannot be overstated. Decluttering is the most important step to leading a less stressful life, as far as I'm concerned. Sometimes people focus so much on doing one big cleanup, however, that they forget to maintain their progress. It's so easy to let clutter sneak back in if you're not careful. The key to keeping tabs on the mess is to minimize new acquisitions going forward

Oftentimes, one feeling can promote another. During our 30-Day Challenge, we're seeking ways to create calm in our lives. Today, I'd like to introduce you to the importance of gratitude. Feeling grateful about what you have in your life can lead to a tremendous number of other positive feelings. One tool to help you harness the power of gratitude is a journal. Let's explore the concept of feeling grateful and using a gratitude journal to practice mindfulness. About a Gratitud

Do you ever feel guilty when you take the time to sit around, read a good book, or take a nap? That’s because in today's busy world, there's a stigma against relaxation. We're taught that hard work is equivalent to being a good, productive citizen. While a work ethic is important, it's also crucial to understand that your brain needs to relax in order to function at its best. Allowing our minds to wander and taking time for leisure are critical to our productivity. Without d

How does silence make you feel? If you’re like many people, it makes you uncomfortable. We’re so used to a noisy world that we often grow accustomed to background noise. However, silence is often the best key to a calmer life. Let’s talk about the benefits of spending time in silence and getting comfortable with it. As much as you may enjoy having music constantly playing in the background or the TV always on, that constant noise can wear on you. Even if you don’t realize it

One of the biggest stressors many of us face is distractions. Distractions are anything that lead us away from the work we are trying to accomplish and the things that matter most to us in life. Once we're distracted, we get behind and miss out on important moments and opportunities. This often leads to an increase of negative feelings like pressure, anxiety, sadness, and stress. Emotional upheaval becomes a cycle when we're led by outside influences. Let's take a look at so

Along this challenge, I've shared with you the advantages of getting information out of your brain in order to be more productive and to feel calmer. Planning is an incredibly important component to this process. Planning ahead is an invaluable resource when it comes to helping you feel more in control of your time and of your life. One trick I've learned over the years to help you feel the most calm and in control for the day ahead of you, is to plan it out the night before.

You already know that exercise is good for your body, and we've touched upon the ways it can help you to feel better. Getting physical has a lot of benefits for your mind, and I'd like to address that topic today. Allow me to focus a bit more on the benefits of exercise for calming your mind. Endorphins, known as the brain's happy chemicals, are released when you work out. These chemicals produce a euphoric feeling, and you can get them from even moderate exercise. Just a hal

When it comes to quieting your mind to feel calmer, there's quite a lot you can do for yourself. Having a few tricks up your sleeve will help you to de-stress and to lessen your anxiety when things are particularly chaotic. Let's take a look at some tips for gaining a calmer mind. #cleartheclutter Keep a Notebook While it doesn't necessarily have to be on the nightstand, keeping a notebook with you or within close proximity is a great idea for lots of reasons. Remember when w

We've talked a lot about the benefits of controlling your environment in order to reduce stress. Whether it's reducing clutter or adding scents to the room, there are things you can do to make your immediate space more soothing. Today, I'd like to focus specifically on two of these things and go into greater detail about their benefits. Color and music can make a big impact in helping you to create a calm and soothing space. Let's take a look at how it works. Calming Surround

We've already talked about clutter and the ways it can stress you out, but the topic is definitely worth revisiting. This is particularly relevant when it comes to your home environment. As they say, your home is your sanctuary. It's where you go to be alone or with the ones you love most and where you retire at the end of the day. Decluttering your home is probably the best thing you can do to foster calmness in your life. It's also one of the most intimidating, I know. That

Sometimes when things get to a state of extreme stress, it can help to bring in reinforcements. These reinforcements can involve changing the atmosphere or accessories to soothe your mood. Calming scents, relaxing music, or a gadget to settle your nerves are simple tools that can make a world of difference in how you feel. Here are some ideas to add to your stress-busting toolbox. Scents Aromatherapy has become all the rage lately and with good reason. Scents can truly trans

We've covered multi-tasking and discovered how it's better in most circumstances to focus on one thing at a time. You'll enhance your sense of calm when you can give your full attention to what you're doing and live in the moment. Another thing that aids in feeling calm is to embrace habits and routines. Creating rituals throughout your day can provide you with ample benefits. Read on to discover them for yourself. Roles Understood In family units and among co-workers, it is

In yesterday's post, I shared with you why it's better to concentrate on just one thing at work if you want to feel calmer. I gave you a few examples of the benefits of single-tasking. Today, I'd like to elaborate on that a bit. Multi-tasking truly is becoming an epidemic in our society that's causing stress, lost productivity, and less quality work, among other issues. This isn't just my opinion. Research shows that there are genuine dangers of multi-tasking. Let's take a lo

Everywhere you look, people are rushing around with a lot to do and only 24 hours in the day to get it done. If you’re like most people, you've probably tried multi-tasking in order to get more accomplished. Unfortunately, multi-tasking is usually not as effective as you might expect. The truth is, multi-tasking is terrible for your productivity. Your brain isn't built to process so many activities at one time. If you can focus on one thing at a time, you’ll accomplish more w

Mornings can be a hectic time. This is especially true when you're responsible for getting others, like kids, ready for their day and out the door on time. Starting your day out feeling frazzled, cranky, and overwhelmed isn't good for anyone. A simple solution to make things a whole lot less stressful is to create a morning ritual for yourself that you perform each and every day. Let me explain to you what I mean by this and how a good morning routine can set the tone for a c

Today, I'd like to continue on the subject of minimalism. However, today’s focus is on the clothing so many of us collect. Wardrobes can quickly become overwhelming, full of items we never wear or that don't fit. It can be hard to get rid of clothes, though, when you've invested your time and money into obtaining them. In addition, our clothes are often a part of our identity. That being said, I can assure you that parting with some of your out-of-control clothing stash will

By this point, you know what a negative effect clutter can have on your life. As we’ve discovered over the last few posts, this includes both physical and mental clutter. The practice of minimalism involves reducing the stuff in our lives, both mentally and physically. In essence, minimalism is about focusing on what matters most. In a lot of cases, this means focusing on experiences and people over “stuff”. There are numerous benefits of minimalism when it comes to improving

Finding calm can be next to impossible when you have a million thoughts swirling around in your head. When our daily stressors become too much, our heads become filled with rambling, disorganized thoughts that seem to never leave. Luckily, I know of one simple trick that can help you to overcome that helpless feeling and escape into calm. It's called a brain dump, and it could not be any easier (or more impactful). Once you learn this technique, you'll no longer be forced to

Many people consider their smartphones to be something they can't live without. These small devices pack a big punch. They have the ability to help us so much in our daily lives with things like keeping track of schedules, finding important information, staying up-to-date on current events, and maintaining social connections. Unfortunately, smartphone use has also introduced a lot of negative effects into our lives that can be quite harmful if we don't learn to manage them an

In today's technologically-connected world, some type of media is always at our fingertips. By simply picking up your smartphone, you’re immediately connected to your network of friends and family, or the latest news headline. While this type of accessibility is convenient and useful in many ways, technology can also cause a tremendous amount of stress. Did you know that the media can contribute to the clutter in your life? That’s right. Let's take a critical look at the me