Posts tagged overwhelm
Here Are 5 Most Interesting and Best Change Discoveries - v48

This is the newest release (v48) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature, with my latest finds that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. These unique, inspiring change discoveries reflect this month’s blog theme.

You are an engaged, vibrant, and generous group. I am deeply grateful for your ongoing presence, positive energy, and contributions to this community. I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced.

What do you find interesting?

 








What’s Interesting? – 5 Best Change Discoveries

1. Interesting Read – Liberating Change

Taking inventory of where you are right now, you might have a mile-long list of all the changes you’d like to make. Overwhelm most likely accompanies that list. After all, it’s nearly impossible to successfully pursue multiple changes simultaneously.

Meditations for Mortals – Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts by best-selling author Oliver Burkeman is not about being more productive but selective.

Burkeman says, “The list of worthwhile things you could in principle do with your time will always be vastly longer than the list of things for which you’ll have time.”

Additionally, “when you give up the unwinnable struggle to do everything, that’s when you can start pouring your finite time and attention into a handful of things that truly count.”

The four themed weeks (Being Finite, Taking Action, Letting Go, and Showing Up) include twenty-eight short chapters intended to be read one day at a time. These chapters are digestible and inspiring, encouraging small, achievable changes in perspective and action. By embracing imperfection, accepting limitations, combating distractions, and more, you will learn how to live with less stress and more purpose.

 

 

 

2. Interesting Trend – Emotional Change

Have you ever noticed something that makes you do a double-take? Recently, I saw a Tiny Buddha post on Instagram that made me do just that. It took me a few moments to sound out the word exhausterwhelmulated and digest what it meant.

This adjective is “the feeling of being exhausted, overwhelmed, and overstimulated all at once.” Does this sound familiar? Have you felt this way lately?

With all that’s happening in the world, many of us feel exhausterwhelmulated. If this describes your experience, embrace the changes you have agency over.

  • If you’re exhausted, prioritize your sleep hygiene.

  • If you’re overwhelmed, remove or delegate some tasks.

  • If you’re overstimulated, take a hiatus from social media and news scrolling.

Embrace the changes that will bring you energy, clarity, and calm.

 

 

  

3. Interesting Resource – Change

How are your decluttering and organizing goals coming along? Are you filling bags with clothing, home goods, and books to donate? Or are you thinking about taking action but haven’t begun yet?

Making a change by curating your environment can yield energizing results for you and others. Being intentional by keeping your most valued and useful items and releasing what has overstayed its welcome brings many positives.

First, your environment will better support who you are, what you use, and what you treasure. Second, donating items and letting go of what you no longer need will allow someone else to enjoy them.

One of the easiest-to-use donation sources is GreenDrop®. You can schedule a pick-up online or visit a donation center. I use them, as do many of my clients. GreenDrop® accepts books, clothing, electronics, linens, games, housewares, small appliances, small furniture, and more.

This resource makes the exit strategy for your things so much simpler.

Embrace the changes that will bring you energy, clarity, and calm.
— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

4. Interesting Product – Joyful Change

Living in the digital age, we spend a lot of our time interacting with technology. Sometimes, I wonder if pens and paper will become obsolete. I sure hope not. As someone who receives immense tactile pleasure from using such implements, I thought you might feel similarly.

Don’t get me wrong. I also enjoy using my tech tools, like my keyboard to write blog posts or my voice to ask Siri questions. However, there are many situations when pen and paper are my preferred tools.

I discovered Karst’s Stone Paper™ journals. The paper is made from “100% recycled stone and without any trees, bleaches or acids.”  It’s “durable, more sustainable, and infinitely smoother to write, scribble, doodle or draw on.” The paper is also waterproof and tear-resistant.

My newest meditation journal has stone paper. It’s a beautiful writing experience that allows my thoughts to flow and my pen to glide one word at a time. What a simple way to bring about a joyful change.

 

 

 

5. Interesting Thought – Positive Change


Have you noticed that change takes time? Whether making intentional positive changes or navigating unexpected ones, time and patience are essential ingredients.

The most frequent emotion I notice when making changes is feeling impatient. You want what’s on the other side, yet sustaining the effort to get there can be challenging.

This simple yet powerful phrase, “I am in the process of positive changes,” reminds us of the patience piece while also nurturing confidence and proactive participation.

You can do this. You are doing this!

Can you share one change-related discovery? Which of these resonates with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts and invite you to join the conversation.

Do you want help getting unstuck, reducing overwhelm, getting organized, and making changes? If so, I’m here for you. Contact me, Linda, at linda@ohsorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or schedule a Discovery Call. Change is possible, especially with support.

 
 
How to Encourage Change More from a Joy, Not Dread Perspective

When you think about change, which emotions bubble up? As someone who has observed, experienced, and helped others make changes, I’ve noticed many reactions. When anticipating change, we can experience mixed emotions, including fear, frustration, anxiety, doubt, overwhelm, sadness, ambivalence, excitement, relief, and hope.

Emotions are powerful. They can paralyze or propel us, depending on which ones are in play.

  • What if you could stack the deck in your favor?

  • What if you could shift your perspective to encourage a more joyful experience for your desired changes?

  • How would that alter your journey?

When you think about making a change, it can feel enormous, confusing, and unreachable. For example, let’s say you feel overwhelmed and frustrated by the clutter and disorganization in your life. You want things to change but don’t know what to do or how to begin. As a result, you do nothing.

A common organizing philosophy encourages breaking down large projects or goals into small, doable parts or tasks. Using this strategy is an effective path forward. You keep the larger goal in mind while focusing your effort on tiny, baby steps. This process reduces overwhelm and facilitates forward movement.

  

Encourage Change by Shifting Your Perspective

During a recent meditation and writing retreat led by my friend and colleague, Yota Schneider, she shared an insightful question. We considered it in a particular context around focusing.

However, the more I thought about it, the more I recognized how you could use the question to encourage change through a lens of positive expectations.

The question Yota shared was from neuropsychologist and author Dr. Rick Hanson. He asked,

“What will I be glad I did today?”

I appreciate the question’s simplicity and graciousness. What will I be glad I did today? The question has several fascinating effects.

  • Contemplate – It invites you to consider joy, happiness, gratification, or satisfaction as the driving force. In other words, you are taking action inspired by this positive perspective.

  • Strengthen – It offers a nonjudgmental inquiry while strengthening activation confidence. You imagine this positive change or task as if you have already accomplished it. The question boosts agency.

  • Reduce – While it doesn’t overtly state this, the question implies a narrower, singular focus. Dialing down the possibilities to something smaller can reduce or eliminate overwhelm.

  • Imagine – It merges present action with positive, immediate future results. You are doing something now that you will be happy you did later today.

  • Build – Using this question to navigate change gently promotes a repeat-and-build pattern versus a one-and-done method.

  • Act – The question is non-confrontational. It’s even kind of fun. You’re focusing on how good you’ll feel or “glad” you are when you do that thing today. 

Encourage change through a lens of positive expectations.
— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

Work the Present and the Future

Once you gear your mind toward a “glad I did today” focus, you will experience many positive changes that connect with your larger goals. Here are several of the positives I’ve experienced recently and the change categories they influenced. I am glad I:

Relationships – Nurture and Strengthen

  • Celebrated my husband’s birthday

  • Cooked with my daughter

  • Sent packages and notes to our kiddos in advance of Valentine’s Day

  • Had assorted conversations with friends, family, and colleagues, including a friend I hadn’t spoken with in way too many years

Professional – Lead and Learn

  • Completed the edits and returned my chapter for a new ICD book on chronic disorganization

  • Led a planning meeting for my organizing colleagues for NAPO Westchester

  • Had virtual organizing sessions with my clients

  • Wrote my blog

Finances – Manage and Build

  • Gave our accountant a preliminary tax summary

  • Paid bills

  • Reconciled accounts

Household – Maintain and Edit

  • Cleared out the 2024 files and set up the 2025 files

  • Did laundry

  • Added a few clothing items to the donation bag

Well-Being – Calm and Care

  • Scheduled vaccines

  • Didn’t eat that extra piece of cake

  • Took a walk along the river even though it was cold

  • Slept later than usual

  • Went to yoga class

  • Meditated

 


It’s Your Turn to Invite Change

Which categories in your life are you looking to change? What is one thing you can do today that will bring you closer to that goal? With this in mind, what will you be glad you did today? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

 


How Can I Help?

Do you want support organizing, planning, or inviting positive change? I’d love to help! Virtual organizing is an extraordinary path forward – local feel with a global reach.

Please email me at linda@ohsorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or schedule a Discovery Call. Change is possible, especially with support.

 

 
 
4 Ways to Enjoy Thanksgiving More with Some Remarkable EASE

We’re here, folks! Thanksgiving week is upon us. As I’ve talked with people about their holiday plans, I’ve heard a wide range of responses. Some are feeling completely stressed, while others are pretty relaxed. Are you at one extreme or somewhere in between?

The differences in how people are feeling revolve around things like . . .

  • Are they hosting or being a guest?

  • Are you bringing part of the meal to the host’s home?

  • Will you be cooking, catering, or dining out instead?

  • How many people will be at the event?

  • Are you feeling organized enough or completely disorganized?

  • Are you concerned about family dynamics or drama?

  • How much traveling is involved?

  • Is your Thanksgiving tradition the same, or will it be different this year?

  • Are too many non-holiday things happening in your life right now?

  • Are you missing loved ones who are unable to be with you?

  • What? Thanksgiving is this week?

Which questions resonate with you? How are they influencing your approach and attitude about the holidays?

 

EASE: Embrace, Arrange, Savor, Express

I created a short acronym, EASE, to help you enjoy Thanksgiving more. This simple phrase works for everyone but is especially useful if you feel stressed or overwhelmed by this holiday or upcoming ones.

Breathe in EASE as you focus on engaging each idea.

  • Embrace imperfection and unpredictability.

  • Arrange simple, meaningful gatherings.

  • Savor the flavors, conversations, and moments.

  • Express gratitude for those things, big and small.

1. Embrace imperfection and unpredictability.

Embrace melds two ideas: Let go of perfection and acknowledge that life, let alone holiday gatherings, can be unpredictable. Focus on ‘good enough’ to soften perfectionistic tendencies. In addition, I remind myself of the many kooky things that happened at past Thanksgivings. We’re talking turkey catching on fire, EMS rescuing a guest who passed out, and almost pouring all of the gravy (that took days to make) down the kitchen drain.

While unpredictability might result in initial panic followed by quick action, the memories can evolve into fun and memorable Thanksgiving lore.

 


2. Arrange simple, meaningful gatherings.

Arrange encourages you to entertain in a meaningful and doable way. So, if cooking isn’t your thing, think about ways to make this aspect easier. Maybe it means letting someone else host, and you bring wine or dessert. Perhaps it means hosting but buying pre-made foods. Or maybe you’re going all out with hosting but simplifying the number of dishes you make.

More than what dishes you serve, the time spent together makes the holidays meaningful.

Focus on ‘good enough’ to soften perfectionistic tendencies.
— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

3. Savor the flavors, conversations, and moments.

To savor means thoroughly enjoying and appreciating something, especially by lingering on its lovely qualities. There are so many opportunities to savor on Thanksgiving. I love the scents and tastes of this holiday. I can’t wait to bite into a section of a juicy pomegranate with its garnet-colored tart and sweet seeds, smell the hot apple cider simmering on the stove, or hug and talk with my loved ones.

A mindful presence will bring ease as it helps you engage more deeply with foods, people, and moments of connection and love.

 

4. Express gratitude for those things, big and small.

Being intentional about what you’re grateful for profoundly benefits your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. For example, gratitude is a natural stress reducer, fosters resilience, strengthens relationships, encourages kindness, improves sleep, boosts self-esteem, reduces negativity, and cultivates mindfulness.

While gratitude is often associated with and promoted more during the holiday season, expressing gratitude is a practice and awareness that can be integrated into every day.

Acknowledging even one thing you are grateful for will bring you more ease.

  

Human-Centered Thanksgiving

Approaching the holidays with EASE will help you focus on what’s most important and let go of what isn’t. You’ll feel less stressed, more joyful, and calmer. What can you do to infuse more ease into your holidays? I’d love to hear your thoughts and invite you to join the conversation.

Do you want help decluttering, organizing, brainstorming, or planning? Have you experienced the benefits of having an accountability partner? I’m here for you. Virtual organizing is an extraordinary path forward – A local feel with a global reach.

Please schedule a Discovery Call, email me at linda@ohsorganized.com, or call 914-271-5673. Organization and ease are possible, especially with support.

 
 
41 Amazing Results Clients Actually Experience from Virtual Organizing Sessions

I love helping my clients succeed as they make changes in their lives. Being part of their organizing journey as they experiment and grow is a privilege.

Prioritizing goals, changing habits, and learning new skills is no small feat. It takes patience, time, and curiosity. Sometimes, I’m asked, “How much can you accomplish in a one-hour virtual organizing session?”

Of course, that depends. However, it doesn’t matter if you’re planning, decluttering, assessing, or something else. My goal is to help my clients experience and notice their progress during every session.

Progress shows up in different ways. It might be . . .

  • Having a perspective shift

  • Decluttering a surface

  • Reducing overwhelm

  • Letting go of unhelpful ideas

  • Making decisions about emotionally charged possessions

  • Gaining clarity around the next tiny, doable step

  • Designing an organizational solution for a challenging area

  • Planning a big project

  • Figuring out where to start

  • Gaining confidence

  • Identifying potential obstacles

  • Noticing the changes they made

  • Learning new skills

  • Organizing mind clutter

  • Brainstorming about how to prioritize commitments and goals

  • Getting unstuck

  • Organizing a specific area

  • Improving their mood

  • Feeling empowered by their progress and agency

 

An Essential Question

My friend and colleague, Juliet Landau-Pope, begins each client session with this question. It’s a beautiful query because it encourages the client to review their progress and identify the benefits they’re experiencing. She asks,

“What value did you get from the last virtual organizing session?”

I listen carefully to what my clients say. They talk about their obstacles, positive changes, progress, and goals.

My clients experience many positive results from their one-hour virtual organizing sessions. I’m sharing their inspiring thoughts with you, which are categorized into five areas. They are:

  • Clutter

  • Progress

  • Mood

  • Enjoyment

  • Empowerment

 

41 Inspiring Results Clients Describe About Their Virtual Organizing Sessions 

Clutter

I’m in the process of un-messing.”

“The bedroom is more habitable.”

“Clutter is more energy than it’s worth.”

“The couch looks better.”

“My pile of ‘going’ is getting bigger.”

“Stuff was much more overflowing before.”

“I now have a blueprint for how to declutter.”

 

Progress

“I made headway.”

“So much progress has been made.”

“Once on a roll, it’s easier.”

“I got so much done during our session.”

“It’s a big deal for me to be this focused.”

“I am making significant progress. I couldn’t do that a while ago.”

“Wow! This is starting to come together.”

“I feel more in control.”

“I see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

I now have a blueprint for how to declutter.
— Oh, So Organized! Client

Mood

“Things feel mentally more manageable.”

“I am way less overwhelmed.”

“I feel better.”

“I am so relieved to be dealing with this.”

“I feel good. I was down in the dumps when I couldn’t do anything.”

“It’s good to talk about emotional strategies to make it better.”

“This feels so good what we did today.”

“At the beginning of our session, I felt like crying. Now I feel giddy.”

“I’m in a better mood now.”

 

Enjoyment

“This was super helpful and fruitful.”

“Who knew organizing could be so fun?”

“This was very helpful. It was better than I thought it would be.”

“I really enjoyed our session.”

“This has been so much fun.”

I see the light at the end of the tunnel.
— Oh, So Organized! Client

Empowerment

“Things are improving. I’ve got this.”

“I have a plan that I can actually accomplish.”

“Not insurmountable anymore.”

“I’m in a whole other place than before.”

“It's not scary anymore.”

“I know I can do it. I can pair things down.”

“Not impossible or unconquerable.”

“I feel very motivated.”

“This is so liberating. I deserve this.”

“This is empowering.”

“I can do this!”

 

Virtual Organizing is a Powerful Path Forward

Which client experiences resonate with you? Have you worked with a Virtual Professional Organizer? If so, what positive results did you experience? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Do you need help getting unstuck, making a plan, decluttering, or organizing? If so, I’m ready to help. Please email me at linda@ohsorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or schedule a Discovery Call. Moving forward is possible, especially with support.