Tag Archives: meditate

Start your day right!

This video resurfaced on my Facebook feed this week.  The topic of the video is 10 life lessons from basic SEAL training, delivered by Admiral William H. McRaven.  What I loved about this video is life lesson #1 . . . . start your day off by making your bed.

Will making your bed really set your entire day off on the right foot? Why will making your bed set your day off on the right foot?  It’s a success.  It’s a completion.  It’s motivating.  It feels good to start the day with things in order.

When I’m working with my organizing and coaching clients, I encourage them to start the day with something that will make them feel good, accomplished, and motivated to take on the world . . .  or possibly just cleaning the house.

What else do I encourage to help my clients start their day off with energy?

  1. Start the night before.   Planning the next day the night before can be very helpful in getting the morning started right.  Look at your calendar and see what’s ahead of you.  Put out the clothes you plan to wear.   Make a list of the three most important items on your “to do” list.  If possible, pack lunches.  Whatever you can do the night before will help keep your busy morning on track.
  2. Take some time to meditate.  Before I started meditating, I had this vision of sitting on the floor, cross-legged, in total silence, with incense burning in the background.  Well, that just sounded like too much work for me.  So I started small, and have stayed there.  I meditate four to five times a week for 10 minutes.  I’m not a neuroscientist so I can’t explain how it works, but meditating physically changes the brain.
  3. Get dressed and put on your shoes.  Yup, just the simple act of getting dressed and putting on your shoes tells your brain it’s ready to take on the day.  Personally, there’s a big difference in my ability to motivate myself if I’m in “go out in public” clothes vs “hangin’ out and having another cup of coffee” clothes.  How about you?
  4. Get a little exercise.  I know we all don’t have time to hit the gym for an hour first thing in the morning, but most of us have time for a brisk 15-20 minute walk.  (Well, those of you that have little ones at home probably don’t, but you get lots of exercise chasing after them, right?) If you can’t fit in 15-20 minutes, take 30 seconds to do some stretching.  Even that small amount of time is enough to wake your body up.
  5. Eat something.  Again, most of us choose not to get up early enough to have a sit-down breakfast.  But that doesn’t mean we can’t eat something healthy, even if we are on-the-go.  My morning staple is oatmeal cupcakes.  The recipe I use makes 24 cupcakes and only takes about 40 minutes (the recipe says 25, but I’m clearly not that fast).  I freeze them and 1:00 in the microwave later, I’m out the door!

What do you do to ensure your mornings start off on the right foot?

Cindy Jobs

www.organizetosimplify.com

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Taxes are Taxing: Take Care Of Yourself!

taxes-646511_960_720It’s hard for me to believe, but the the first quarter of the year is already in the books and taxes are due next week.  Hopefully you are one of the lucky, non-procrastinators that filed their taxes long ago and have done something fun with the huge refund the I.R.S. sent you.

Then there’s the rest of us for whom I offer the following.

You are not alone.

According to TheConversation.com approximately 30% of the 2014 taxes were anticipated to be filed in the final two weeks before the deadline.  Why do we procrastinate?

  • Laziness:  We just don’t want to do it.  Who can’t see themselves in this one?
  • Thrill-Seeking:  We think we work better under pressure.  Generally we don’t.
  • Lack of Urgency:  There’s no penalty for dropping them off at the post office at 11:59 PM on April 18th.  Why hurry?
  • Availability of Extensions:  Extensions don’t mean you have more time to PAY, just more time to file.  If you are expecting money back, why extend?
  • We Don’t Expect a Refund: If you aren’t getting money back, why give Uncle Sam our money a minute earlier than we have to?

Well, whether we expect a refund or not, there is still stress and anxiety involved in filing our taxes at the last minute.  Knowing that, some additional self-care may be in order.

silhouette-1082172_960_720What the heck am I talking about?  Well, when I work with clients and they’ve completed a task that is hard, stressful, anxiety-ridden, emotionally taxing, or one they’ve procrastinated on, I suggest they spend some additional time focusing on their personal self care.

Self-care takes many forms and what works for one doesn’t always work for another, but here are some of my favorites:

  • Sleep:  Treat yourself to an extra few minutes of sleep, or even better, indulge in a nap.   According to the Mayo Clinic napping reduces fatigue, increases alertness, and improves our mood.
  • Exercise: Take a nice, long walk with a friend, join in on a fun exercise class at the gym, or even just dance around the house to your favorite song.  According to the CDC (cdc.gov) “People who are physically active for about 7 hours a week have a 40 percent lower risk of dying early than those who are active for less than 30 minutes a week.”
  • Eat something that makes you feel good:  There are physical and mental benefits of sitting down to a healthy fruit and cheese plate, a nutritional smoothie, or a nice bar of dark chocolate (it’s good for us, right?).  Indulge!
  • Meditate:   Sometimes we just need to block out our crazy world!  According to  Charles L. Raison, MD, clinical director of the Mind-Body Program at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, meditation improves both physical and emotional responses to stress.

So, whatever your tax filing situation is, know that once it’s behind you, the stress may not be.  Relax, rejuvinate, have some fun . . .  you deserve it!

Cindy Jobs

cindy@organizetosimplify.com

Organize to Simplify RGBwww.organizetosimplify.com

Member Color - Web   National Association of Professional Organizers, Seattle Chapter President
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