How To Deal With Stress by Getting Organized

By Rae C Mc Cann

In this day of information overload, higher expectations, bigger and better results expected of us in a shorter space of time, and that's just work. What about the kids, our spouse and "me time", where do we fit them in? All this is enough to put you into the "fight or flight" mode. What do we do to help us cope with all this? For starters, try these 3 "baby steps".

Step 1:

We need to organize ourselves first. Start with a "To-Do" list. If you have never had one, start one today. Prioritize your "To-Do" list. There are plenty of methods to choose from but the simplest one is the "ABC" method, A being "top priority", B being "medium priority", C being "low priority". It is also a good idea to put a deadline next to each item. But, be sure to make the deadline realistic, you don't want to get more stressed because you didn't give yourself enough time to complete the task.

Step 2:

Organize your home room by room. Start with the room that causes the most stress. Get rid of the "junk", things you haven't used in over a year, or clothes you haven't worn for a decade (oh I had plenty of those in my "but what if I need to wear it one day" closet"). I think we all share that one, especially all the women out there. We have to learn to let them go.

Step 3:

Organize your office space. If you work from home, get your office arranged all in one place and in order. Colour code your filing system. If you don't work from home, and have papers lying all over the house, find an unused space where you can stack bills and household papers, put them in files or labelled shoe boxes. Your work space at work, tidy your desk, trash unnecessary papers, only have the files on your desk that you are currently working on.

If you usually live and work in "organized chaos" and dislike change, it may take a while to adapt, but I always believe in "baby steps". Call it an induction program. Starting with these 3 steps will help you feel less stressed because you know what you have to do, and by when. It makes it much easier to cope with the daily demands of your life when you have a clear picture in your head and everything written down on paper

Rae Mc Cann lives in Durban, South Africa. She is a full time Virtual Assistant who is passionate about self development, both personally and professionally.

For more information on "Dealing with Stress" visit http://www.stress-relief.quint-essential-vaservices.co.za

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rae_C_Mc_Cann