Stress can impact each of us in different ways. According to the “Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index,” 58 percent of Americans reported struggling in their lives at the end of last year. This isn’t surprising given our current tough economic times.
Kristin White del Rosso – Pea Organizing Services, Inc.SM




Limited finances, job uncertainty, job loss and other factors can impact us emotionally and physically; often affecting the way we live our lives. Increased stress, disorganization and feelings of being overwhelmed can become a road block for a clear mind and can inhibit you from getting through life’s tough moments. Most of this can stem from feeling loss of control. While you cannot control certain aspects of your life such as job security, you do have control over creating and living an organized life.

By doing so, you will find a life that is richer, less stressed and more focused, thereby making it easier to tackle challenges that come our way. Following these three steps will help you rid your life of clutter and organize for lasting change.

Step 1 - Visualize:
Create a vision of the life – including space, home environment and work – that you want. Look at the big picture because it is about more than organizing your space. Organizing needs a vision to have lasting effects. Remember, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all vision. Your vision is subjective because it is based on what works for you and your family.

Step 2 - Simplify:
De-clutter by taking a hard look at what you have. Determine whether or not it fits into the vision of step one. If not, then purge it. Remember that stuff isn’t life and it isn’t memories. Create a plan of reviewing what you have. Start with one room at a time and carve out 15 minutes a day to assess that proverbial junk drawer, a closet, your kitchen pantry, your car, or the pile of papers on your desk. After you have completed one room, move to the next one on your list. Plan a garage sale date and use that as your deadline date to purge what you don’t need. Use the earnings to treat you and your family to a fun outing, purchase something on your wish list, or to add to your savings.

Step 3 - Organize:
Organize what you decide to keep in a productive way. Create a plan of action for each space and maintain your spaces on a regular basis. This is the easiest step if steps one and two are done correctly. Make sure that your belongings – such as school projects, incoming mail and reading materials – have a designated space. If not, they are bound to end up scattered about or tossed into an unnecessary pile.


As you move forward in regaining control in your life and minimizing stress, check out Mental Health America’s “Live Your Life WellSM” (www.mentalhealthamerica.net) campaign, which uses researched-based tools to help reduce stress and promote health and well-being.

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Copyright © 2009 Kristin White del Rosso

Kristin White del Rosso, President of Pea Organizing Services, Inc. is Certified Professional Organizer (CPO®) from the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers. For more information, call 704-344-0210 or visit www.thepea.com.

 

White del Rosso is a member of the NAPO Golden Circle and a Certified Paper Tiger Authorized Consultant (PTAC^TM) from the Hemphill Productivity Institute. She has also earned a Certificate of Study in Basic Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Issues, a Certificate of Study in Chronic Disorganization, and a Certificate of Study in Learning Styles and Modalities from the National Study Group of Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD). In addition to the National Study Group of Chronic Disorganization, Pea Organizing Services is a member of ADD Consults, ADD Resources, and the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO^TM).