When Life Gets Crazy
Everyone has times when they reach a tipping point and life just gets too crazy to bear. You just want to make it stop!
What can you do to feel a little more in control? First, take a deep breath, then do one of these things to regain some perspective on your life.
- Make a list. Writing it down will bring you clarity.
- Make your bed. Sounds simple and it is, but it makes a difference.
- Clear off your kitchen counter. The visual clutter encourages chaos.
- Map out your week. Planning ahead will help you gain and maintain order.
- Go to bed earlier. Getting the rest you need is so important.
Crazy life? What can you do to feel a little more in control? Click To Tweet
What do you do when life gets crazy? Leave me a comment and let me know.
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Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
I love this post so much because we ALL experience times when life gets ridiculously busy. And when that happens, returning to the basics, as you suggested, is a great way to reduce the overwhelm and anxiety. It always amazes me the positive impact small shifts can make to improving our sense of calm and wellbeing.
I agree Linda!
Great post! When I get overwhelmed, I make my list and then do triage – what is the most vital things that must get done. Then I give myself permission not to have to complete that list.
Yes, we all need a little grace. Thanks Jonda.
Great tips! I find that even talking about some of the things that need to be completed helps me get more motivated and able to see the process unfold in front of me before I write it down.
Any motivation to complete our tasks is helpful. Thanks Sabrina.
Simple, effective tips – the best kind! I like the clarity – especially around making your bed and getting to bed early. One helps with the other!
Amazing how doing such simple tasks can make us feel better. Thanks Sara.
Isn’t this the truth? Sometimes a few small things can drastically change the way you feel. Making the bed does make a huge difference in a room. A few other small things you can do are drink a glass of water, push in chairs/stools, and straighten up shoes on the floor. This is a great idea for a post. 🙂
Thank you, Seana. Yes, even drinking our water can keep us hydrated to do more! 🙂
I love the straightforward truth of this. When my tasks feel overwhelming and out of control, a brain dump followed by a prioritized list is the only way to go. When I’m feeling jittery about whatever is going on, when I’m waiting impatiently, when too many sensory inputs are the problem, clearing a space (the floor, the kitchen or bathroom counter, the desk or table) only takes a few minutes, but a sense of serenity replaces the anxiety. Ahhhhh.
“A sense of serenity” is definitely an added bonus to keeping ourselves on task and controlling our daily activities. Thanks Julie.
Great post, Janet! I agree with the others. I love the simple, easy to accomplish, no-nonsense tasks you present to regain control. I also like asking myself ‘what can I do right this minute to ease the chaos?’ I usually come up with a few little tasks that only take a couple of minutes like sorting the mail, walking my dog (exercise is always a good fix for me), or deleting email.
Diane, I do similar tasks to relieve stress. When my to-do list gets overwhelming I like to write each task to-do on the Post-It note and stick them on a wall in my office. I group the notes by activity. It helps me “see” what I have to do and it’s nice to take the notes down one-by-one as I complete them.