I hope you will find this to be a stress free edition of Living Orderly, Living Well. In this issue, I am sharing some tips on managing stress.  Two years ago in the month of March, I had a stent inserted to open a blocked artery. The whole thing started with cardiac clearance for minor back surgery I was scheduled to have.  The routine heart tests did not show anything wrong. It was the persistence of my cardiologist and my husband that I underwent a heart catheterization which showed the blocked artery. They were persistent because of some of the things I had said about the acid reflux I thought I was having.  Anyway, the reason I am telling you this is, because I didn’t have most of the risk factors that doctors look for in heart disease. I did, however, have stress!  I thought I dealt with my stress pretty well, but obviously not.   I invite you to read on to find tips on how you can manage your stress.  I'm sure many of these you have read before, but if you are like me you have to be reminded often. 

                                                Jill

For more helpful tips on managing stress and organization, please visit us at www.livingorderly.com.

 Managing Your Stress

 If you have read any of my past newsletters, then you have read that I believe that gaining control of your environment is a big part of managing your stress.(This is where organization can play a huge part.)  Managing stress is all about gaining control but not only of your environment.  You must also gain control of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, and the way you deal with problems. The ultimate goal, of course, is a balanced life… time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun, as well as the ability to  hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.  Personally, my biggest stress reliever is prayer, but I also know that I have to do my part in taking care of myself. Below I share what I learned from being a part of the USF’s Women’s Only Cardiac Rehabilitation program.

 Identify Your Stress:

 ·         Keep a stress journal. Write down the cause of your stress, how you felt, your response, and what you could have done differently. 

 ·         Identify the ones that you can control and those that are out of your control. 

Avoid Unnecessary Stress:

 ·         Learn how to say NO. If this is hard for you, then practice saying no.  You may even write yourself a script to practice, so you'll have the words when you need them.

 ·         Distinguish between the ‘shoulds’ and the ‘musts’ in your life.  There are things that you can delete, delegate or decide to do later. 

 ·         Try to avoid people and situations that cause you stress.  There are situations that cannot be avoided and that avoidance can cause even greater stress, but those that can be avoided…avoid.

Work on changing yourself:

•  Look at the big picture. Ask yourself will it matter in a month, a year? Is it really worth wasting your time and energy on?
 Adjust your standards. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Set reasonable standards for yourself and others. Learn to be okay with “good enough.”

 Accept the things you have no control over:

·         Many things are beyond our control, such as the behavior of other people. Focus on what you can control like the way you choose to react to problems or difficult people. 

·         Look for the good when faced with major challenges. Look at them as opportunities for personal growth. Learn from your mistakes. 

Have fun! What is the point of anything if you don't have fun along the way?

•  Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. You need time to take a break from all of your responsibilities and recharge.
•  Spend time with the people you enjoy being with. A strong support system is key.
•  Do things you enjoy. 
•  Keep your sense of humor, especially being able to laugh at yourself.

A Healthy Lifestyle is a must.

If you need help getting your

surroundings, your files, or your time in order, 

please contact me by

phone at 813-685-9986 or by email at 

jill@livingorderly.com.

Shred-A-Thon

The Tampa Bay Professional Organizer Group

is holding it's first Shred-A-Thon on

April 18th from 9:00am-12:30pm.

  There is a minimum donation of $2 per banker's

box with proceeds going to the

Ronald McDonald House of Tampa Bay.

Local professional organizers will be on site to offer advice and handouts with home and office

organizing tips of all kinds.

In Pinellas

Rutland NE Storage, back parking lot

898 30th Ave N

St Petersburg

In Tampa

The Palms at Carrollwood

13123 N Dale Mabry Hwy

Tampa

For more tips and information be sure to visit us at www.livingorderly.com.

Tip To Living Orderly

 Time Management  

 There is probably no other skill that you can learn that will give you a greater return. We all get the same 24 hours.  It is how we use them that really counts.

 Plan your day in advance whether at work or at home. Make a list of things you have to accomplish preferably before you leave the office or at the end of the day. The 10/90 rule is that the 10% of time you take to plan your activities in advance will save you 90% of the effort involved in completing your tasks later.

 The very act of thinking through and planning your work in advance will reduce the amount of time it takes you to do the actual job.  

Watch my appearance on Daytime 

for tips on the different uses of popular household items.

In Tampa Bay on March 20, 2009 at 10am on NBC. 

 Outside the Tampa Bay Area check your local RTN network for the time.  

Tip To Living Well

March is National Nutrition Month

  --Be aware of how many calories you need.

  --Balance the calories you eat with those you use during the day.

  --Eat more fruits, vegetables and high-fiber, whole-grain foods.

 --Choose fat-free and low-fat dairy products, lean meat, poultry and fish. 

 --Limit calories from sugary or salty snacks and soft drinks.

Give The Gift of Organization.

Living Orderly has gift certificates available. Visit our website and click on the Services page for more information.

www.livingorderly.com

10% off Coupon:

Mention this coupon when booking your organizing session and receive 10% discount off of your total.  One coupon per person. Valid until April 30, 2009