Stress Reduction- organization

You find yourself rushing around in the morning in a frenzy, Perhaps you are getting the kids ready for school, or yourself for work or an appointment and you can't seem to find important things that are needed for the day. Starting your day with in a frantic rush often times lead to stress that can last all day as it effects our mood. What follows are some tips that I utilize to keep this rush to minimum and help me start my day with a more relaxed attitude.

1. Give yourself time to get ready. If you go to sleep late you risk over sleeping and giving yourself less time to get ready in the mornings. Take into consideration morning grogginess from medication and if you can adjust the time you take it the night before or ask your Pdoc if you can switch to a medication that causes less morning brain fog.

If going to sleep at a decent hour is something that you struggle with try creating a healthy sleep ritual to combat your late night tendencies. One of the biggest of the biggest culprit of insomnia is use of electric devices. Try to shut off devices an hour before bedtime. Do not lay in bed watching TV, playing on the internet or even reading. Spend that hour relaxing, the screens electronic devices can stimulate the brain and make it harder to fall asleep. Also if you do enjoy reading before bed do so on the couch. Remember the bed is for two things only, sleep and sex.

Also keep caffeinated beverage to a minimum if not cut out entirely. Since I like a nice cup of tea in the evening I switched to a decaf so as to not have caffeine right before bed.

2. Get things ready the night before. I find this to be extremely helpful for mornings. Homework in back packs, lunches packed, clothes set out. Doing these simple things the night before saves on time in the mornings and also means less rushing about to make sure everything is together. Keep important things likes keys and wallets in a designated place.

3. keep a calendar with important items marked on it in a visible place. Mine is placed on my refrigerator and has work schedule, appointments and important events marked on it. A quick glance tells me what is going on the next day.

4. Organize important papers. Start a filing system. Keep important papers in clearly marked folders in a place that is easy to find.

5. To Do Lists. These lists are great way to prioritize daily activities separate from what is on the calendar.

6. Meal planning and grocery lists. This takes the guess work out of grocery shopping and also helps saves money as well as time. By knowing what you need ahead a time you save time in the store and also are less likely to buy items you don't need.

So what are some ways that you organize to reduce stress?