Cut the Stress this Holiday Season

In 2008, the American Psychological Association noted that 8 out of 10 people “anticipated a stressful holiday season.” Reasons for stress include spending too much money, attending too many events and eating too much food.

Every year people say that they are going to reduce the number of gifts they give or decrease their social obligations, but then they find it difficult to say no.

Take out your calendar today and mark all of the events that you have committed to. Are there any activities that you don’t enjoy and can stop doing? Make sure you schedule time to do things that give you pleasure.

If you still have to buy gifts or get ingredients for cooking, schedule a shopping trip for the beginning of the month so that you can avoid running out at the last minute. You will reduce stress and save time if you can shop early in the season. You’ll also avoid crowds by shopping first thing in the morning or late in the evening, since stores will be open longer.

Before you buy anything, check for gifts you may have already bought and put away. If you are someone who buys things when you see them, put them all in one place so you choose appropriate gifts for people on your list. If you have a lot of people you habitually exchange gifts with, see if you can shorten your list. Ask if some of them would prefer to go to lunch as a group or draw names so you buy fewer gifts. Most people don’t need more things and would probably be relieved to buy fewer gifts, too.

What can you do to reduce some of the stress you usually feel this time of year? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do! Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

Cut the Stress this Holiday Season

In 2008, the American Psychological Association noted that 8 out of 10 people “anticipated a stressful holiday season.” Reasons for stress include spending too much money, attending too many events and eating too much food.

Every year people say that they are going to reduce the number of gifts they give or decrease their social obligations, but then they find it difficult to say no.

Take out your calendar today and mark all of the events that you have committed to. Are there any activities that you don’t enjoy and can stop doing? Make sure you schedule time to do things that give you pleasure.

If you still have to buy gifts or get ingredients for cooking, schedule a shopping trip for the beginning of the month so that you can avoid running out at the last minute. You will reduce stress and save time if you can shop early in the season. You’ll also avoid crowds by shopping first thing in the morning or late in the evening, since stores will be open longer.

Before you buy anything, check for gifts you may have already bought and put away. If you are someone who buys things when you see them, put them all in one place so you choose appropriate gifts for people on your list. If you have a lot of people you habitually exchange gifts with, see if you can shorten your list. Ask if some of them would prefer to go to lunch as a group or draw names so you buy fewer gifts. Most people don’t need more things and would probably be relieved to buy fewer gifts, too.

What can you do to reduce some of the stress you usually feel this time of year? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do! Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

A Thank-You Gift for You

In December Organized by Marcie will celebrate its five-year anniversary. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the company’s success.

To help celebrate this milestone, we are giving away a P-Touch portable labeler. You can enter to win by leaving a comment on the blog.

Click on Post a Comment, below, and say why you would like the labeler. The winner of the contest will be determined by random drawing and will be announced on December 14.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

A Thank-You Gift for You

In December Organized by Marcie will celebrate its five-year anniversary. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the company’s success.

To help celebrate this milestone, we are giving away a P-Touch portable labeler. You can enter to win by leaving a comment on the blog.

Click on Post a Comment, below, and say why you would like the labeler. The winner of the contest will be determined by random drawing and will be announced on December 14.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

Putting It Together

Recently I got a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle as a gift. I haven’t worked on a puzzle in years and I’ve never worked on one with so many pieces. I could come up with lots of reasons why I shouldn’t even try it, but I’m up for a challenge. Since I started working on it, I’m reminded of the parallels to organizing:

Frame it. I start with the frame for my puzzle. You start by determining the area you’ll work on.

Find time. Putting together a large, intricate puzzle will take hours; I can’t devote that much time to it unless I do it in short bursts. Set aside 15-30 minute blocks to concentrate on your project, with no interruptions.

Have tools ready. I need a good light and a magnifying glass to work on the puzzle. You may need trash bags, file folders or boxes. Don’t use your project as an excuse to go shopping for supplies, which will create more clutter; try to use what you have.

Start somewhere. I can’t complete the puzzle by looking at all 500 pieces, so I start with one piece; it doesn’t matter which one. You start by picking up one thing and doing something with it. Do you need to find its mate? Does it go in another room? Do you even want it anymore?

Think small. I would be overwhelmed trying to work on the entire puzzle at the same time, so I look for pieces that go in one area. If I find something that goes in another section, I set it aside. You start out with one drawer, one shelf or one section of a table, and when you find things that don’t belong there, set them aside to be put away when you finish the space you’re working on.

Collect like items. I group pieces by color or pattern, because I know they go together, but I’m not sure exactly where they’ll end up. You group mugs, shoes, photographs, whatever you find, because like items will end together up in one place.

Put it together. I have a literal picture of what my finished product will look like. As the pieces come together in groups, I can figure out where they go, according to the picture. You can draw a picture of your organized space or create a mental one. When you look at your groups, choose places to keep them that make sense to you.

Starting a project can be hard. I realized I have three options: I can work alone, ask for help or throw it all back in the box. You could toss everything back and give up, but if you follow these steps, you’ll be able to feel proud of the work you accomplished. If you aren’t successful working by yourself, call a friend who supports your goal or find a professional organizer (http://www.napo.net/) who will guide you.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!
Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

Putting It Together

Recently I got a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle as a gift. I haven’t worked on a puzzle in years and I’ve never worked on one with so many pieces. I could come up with lots of reasons why I shouldn’t even try it, but I’m up for a challenge. Since I started working on it, I’m reminded of the parallels to organizing:

Frame it. I start with the frame for my puzzle. You start by determining the area you’ll work on.

Find time. Putting together a large, intricate puzzle will take hours; I can’t devote that much time to it unless I do it in short bursts. Set aside 15-30 minute blocks to concentrate on your project, with no interruptions.

Have tools ready. I need a good light and a magnifying glass to work on the puzzle. You may need trash bags, file folders or boxes. Don’t use your project as an excuse to go shopping for supplies, which will create more clutter; try to use what you have.

Start somewhere. I can’t complete the puzzle by looking at all 500 pieces, so I start with one piece; it doesn’t matter which one. You start by picking up one thing and doing something with it. Do you need to find its mate? Does it go in another room? Do you even want it anymore?

Think small. I would be overwhelmed trying to work on the entire puzzle at the same time, so I look for pieces that go in one area. If I find something that goes in another section, I set it aside. You start out with one drawer, one shelf or one section of a table, and when you find things that don’t belong there, set them aside to be put away when you finish the space you’re working on.

Collect like items. I group pieces by color or pattern, because I know they go together, but I’m not sure exactly where they’ll end up. You group mugs, shoes, photographs, whatever you find, because like items will end together up in one place.

Put it together. I have a literal picture of what my finished product will look like. As the pieces come together in groups, I can figure out where they go, according to the picture. You can draw a picture of your organized space or create a mental one. When you look at your groups, choose places to keep them that make sense to you.

Starting a project can be hard. I realized I have three options: I can work alone, ask for help or throw it all back in the box. You could toss everything back and give up, but if you follow these steps, you’ll be able to feel proud of the work you accomplished. If you aren’t successful working by yourself, call a friend who supports your goal or find a professional organizer (http://www.napo.net/) who will guide you.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!
Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

Organized Playtime

With holiday advertising under way, I received a toy catalog from Target and saw something that made me smile. The Play My Way Role-Play Center from Fisher Price must have been inspired by a professional organizer.

As an organizer, I see lots of toy clutter in clients’ homes. This toy actually has four “themed role play bins” that contain each of the role-play accessory kits. Each bin has a picture on the front that shows what’s inside, allowing kids to select the toy they want to play with and put it away.

If you already have doctor kits, play food and workshop toys, take the suggestion that we organizers often give and put your toys in labeled bins. You can do this for action figures, Barbies, lego and any other toy that has lots of pieces, too. If your children can read, you can print labels; otherwise, cut out pictures from catalogs and use them as labels.

What ideas do you have to help reduce the amount of toy clutter in your home? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!
Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

Organized Playtime

With holiday advertising under way, I received a toy catalog from Target and saw something that made me smile. The Play My Way Role-Play Center from Fisher Price must have been inspired by a professional organizer.

As an organizer, I see lots of toy clutter in clients’ homes. This toy actually has four “themed role play bins” that contain each of the role-play accessory kits. Each bin has a picture on the front that shows what’s inside, allowing kids to select the toy they want to play with and put it away.

If you already have doctor kits, play food and workshop toys, take the suggestion that we organizers often give and put your toys in labeled bins. You can do this for action figures, Barbies, lego and any other toy that has lots of pieces, too. If your children can read, you can print labels; otherwise, cut out pictures from catalogs and use them as labels.

What ideas do you have to help reduce the amount of toy clutter in your home? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!
Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

Overspending

I returned something to a department store today and I was amazed to find Christmas merchandise out, two days after Halloween. Every year the holiday-shopping madness seems to start earlier. Stores get customers in the mood to spend by telling them that Christmas will be here SOON.

While I applaud people who do their gift buying early and stay out of stores in December, I wonder how many people buy more than they intend to because they are tempted by colorful displays of “gift ideas.” Whether you are buying for other people or for yourself, it is easy to spend more than you had planned.

April Benson is a psychologist and the author of To Buy or Not to Buy: Why we Overshop and How to Stop. Before you make a purchase, she suggests you stop and ask yourself a few questions:

● How do I feel? Are you bored? Lonely? Angry? Is there another activity that will make you feel better?
● Do I need this or do I have something like it already? Are you buying to replace something or are you just adding to what you already own? Is it truly a need or is it a want?
● What if I wait? Will you still want it tomorrow? Next week? Next month?
● How will I pay for it? Are you already in credit-card debt? Are you worried
about job stability? Now may not be the time to make a purchase, even if “it’s only a few dollars.” Every few dollars adds up.
● Where will I put it? If you don’t have room for it, why would you
add more clutter to your environment? Don’t buy now for “someday.”

Dr. Benson says that the key to breaking the shopping habit is to put space between the impulse and the action. She suggests that you actually write the answers to the questions you ask yourself. Giving yourself time to consider whether you really want to make a purchase and you may realize that it isn’t necessary.

If you answer the questions honestly and decide that you really do need whatever it was you were thinking of buying, get it. If the answers cause you to recognize that you don’t need to buy it, you can avoid spending money on things that don’t add value to your life.

What can you do to keep from spending too much this holiday season? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!
Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie

Overspending

I returned something to a department store today and I was amazed to find Christmas merchandise out, two days after Halloween. Every year the holiday-shopping madness seems to start earlier. Stores get customers in the mood to spend by telling them that Christmas will be here SOON.

While I applaud people who do their gift buying early and stay out of stores in December, I wonder how many people buy more than they intend to because they are tempted by colorful displays of “gift ideas.” Whether you are buying for other people or for yourself, it is easy to spend more than you had planned.

April Benson is a psychologist and the author of To Buy or Not to Buy: Why we Overshop and How to Stop. Before you make a purchase, she suggests you stop and ask yourself a few questions:

● How do I feel? Are you bored? Lonely? Angry? Is there another activity that will make you feel better?
● Do I need this or do I have something like it already? Are you buying to replace something or are you just adding to what you already own? Is it truly a need or is it a want?
● What if I wait? Will you still want it tomorrow? Next week? Next month?
● How will I pay for it? Are you already in credit-card debt? Are you worried
about job stability? Now may not be the time to make a purchase, even if “it’s only a few dollars.” Every few dollars adds up.
● Where will I put it? If you don’t have room for it, why would you
add more clutter to your environment? Don’t buy now for “someday.”

Dr. Benson says that the key to breaking the shopping habit is to put space between the impulse and the action. She suggests that you actually write the answers to the questions you ask yourself. Giving yourself time to consider whether you really want to make a purchase and you may realize that it isn’t necessary.

If you answer the questions honestly and decide that you really do need whatever it was you were thinking of buying, get it. If the answers cause you to recognize that you don’t need to buy it, you can avoid spending money on things that don’t add value to your life.

What can you do to keep from spending too much this holiday season? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!
Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/organizedmarcie