Your Surroundings Reflect You
Look around your environments and discover how your mood and self-image is reflected in the space. If you can't be objective, look at the space of other people.  Is the person with the desk piled high with papers and crumpled bags of fast food strewn all over the person you would rely on to manage details of a project?  Is the person whose car is filled with old soft drink containers, candy wrappers, and hardened crumbs of undetermined origin someone who you think is taking care of their fitness and health? Do you notice how different you feel when your home and work space are tidy and organized instead of looking like a tornado ripped through it?

Organize the Stress Away
Merely changing the way your space appears can help you reduce your anxiety. Who can feel good when there's a mess of unopened mail, (wondering what might be lurking in there?)  stacks of bills, and to-do lists on the kitchen table? Tidy up. Reduce the piles of magazines, papers, and school projects on the table and counters. Have just one pile of things that have to be dealt with right away. Clean out your car. Get rid of the empty soda cans, juice cartons, food wrappers, toys, and papers. Even vacuum it. Do the same in your work space.  It'll give you an instant lift.

Look in your closet. Does it look like the kitchen table did? Give away the clothes you'll never wear again. Organize your remaining clothes in a way that makes sense to you; by color or by clothing type---skirts, pants, tops, dresses--however makes it easy for you to quickly find what you're looking for. 

It takes only a few minutes to change your environment.  Yet this simple step can help you manage your stress level and mood. Take a couple minutes each day to keep your space organized and sane.

And enjoy the fall colors!





(Comment, let me know if this was useful to you. I love to hear suggestions for future topics!)