Change can manifest in many ways. Sometimes it’s about embracing new challenges, pursuing major life choices, or altering perspectives. Not always but often, breaking unhealthy habits, and developing positive ones are integral to our path to change. Our bad habits can revolve around addictive behaviors like smoking and stress eating. Habits can extend to other forms such as continually checking our digital devices, being chronically late, or perpetuating our disorganization. 

In this short Ted Talk video, “A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit,” psychiatrist Judson Brewer talks about the relationship between mindfulness and addiction. He explains how habits develop and shares a profound discovery, which will help you alter your actions. Brewer’s strategy uses a combination of mindfulness and curiosity to generate a better mind/body awareness, which ultimately can result in healthier habits.

Watch this video . . .

A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit – Judson Brewer, MD, PhD

What is your experience with habit change? Is this an area you struggle with? What has worked for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation!

The newest installment (v22) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my recent discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring change-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are such a beautiful, engaged group. I am grateful for your presence and wisdom.

I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced. What do you  find interesting?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Navigating Change

Change can be challenging, even for the most adventurous of us. If you are in the midst of transition or know someone who is Transitions – Making Sense of Life’s Changes, author and transition management consultant, William Bridges who died in 2013, provides an excellent guidebook on coping with change. Bridges explores strategies for embracing and the universal stages of transitions- Endings, The Neutral Zone, and The New Beginnings.He writes about, “…the difficult process of letting go of an old situation, of suffering the confusing nowhere of in-betweenness, and of launching forth again in a new situation.” He offers two powerful questions to ask whenever you are in transition– “What is it time to let go of in my own life right now?” and “What is standing backstage, in the wings of my life, waiting to make its entrance?” Bridges message is practical and hope-filled.

2. Interesting Product – Cultivating Change

One of the essentials for cultivating change is to develop better awareness about our present experience. In this delightful and well-organized box of Mindfulness Cards created by author and founder of Mindfulness Everywhere, Rohan Gunatillake encourages users to create “small meaningful moments of mindfulness throughout the day, making it easy and fun to bring you back to the here and now.”  The cards are grouped into four categories- Rest & Balance, Curiosity & Joy, Insight & Awareness, and Kindness. Practicing mindfulness can bring about the remarkable, unexpected changes.

3. Interesting Tech  – Focusing Change

Change the way you focus, relax, meditate, recharge, and sleep with AI composed music to enhance your experiences. The Brain.fm app, available on iOS and Android platforms, plays music designed for your brain to influence cognitive states in positive ways. Specifically composed pieces include the promise to help you focus better to get more work done with fewer distractions, calm your mind from your ongoing chatter, or have a more peaceful night’s sleep. The developers have continuing collaborations with auditory neuroscientists to research the efficacy of their findings. How exciting that positive change can be delivered through your headphones!

4. Interesting List – Organizing Change

Sometimes a bit of humor can go a long way in motivating us to change. I hope that no one takes offense to Knock Knock’s irreverent twist on the traditional to-do list with the Make Shit Happen pad. Setting goals, especially big ones can be a challenge. With this spaciously sized list, you are encouraged to think big and then go small with next steps. If you’re looking to improve your organizational skills and change the way you manage your time, this list could help.

5. Interesting Thought – Directing Change

Change is almost always unsettling. We’re traveling from a known to an unknown destination. We might be riding way outside of our comfort zone as we stretch ourselves to grow and experiment. The path is rocky and unclear. Yet is because of our struggle, those times of challenge, and uncertainty that we find our way forward.

What are your exciting finds? Which of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation!

You’re in good company if you’re thinking, “How is it already the middle of January?” Thoughts of glitter, parties, and intentions are on our minds. Yet here we are, halfway through the first month of a new year. You might be wondering how to make the best of your fresh start, especially with the time flying by.  If you’re still cleaning up from the holidays and getting those last decorations put away, great! In fact, getting back to square one is an integral part of preparing for a new beginning. Clearing allows us to remove obstacles and focus positive energy towards our next projects and paths.

While the first few weeks of this year have been a whirlwind, there were several external and internal things I did which helped me improve and create energy during this time of year. I’m curious if any of these ideas resonate with you? 

Edit Clothes

Typically, I edit and organize my clothes twice a year. I do the spring/summer and the fall/winter reviews. Even though I had done the fall/winter sort months ago, I noticed that I still had many clothes I wasn’t wearing. So if they weren’t being worn, what were they doing taking up valuable physical and mental space? And while that may seem like an obvious question, answering it wasn’t as simple. So I went further to figure out why I wasn’t wearing them. Was it they just didn't fit? Had they been replaced by something similar that I liked better? Was it just that when it was time to get dressed they never got picked? If I’m not wearing it, why am I maintaining it?

Do you know about the 80/20 rule? We only wear 20% of the clothes that we own. That’s because we have our favorites. So using the “favorites” criteria, I looked again and released more items from my drawers and closet. I’ll continue to pay attention as the winter progresses. Getting dressed will be obstacle-free with fewer decisions and more breathing room for my clothes.

Clear Files

While I have a lot of digital files, I still collect a fair amount of paper. The papers are stored in filing cabinets, binders or boxes, depending on what they are. By the end of the year, there is a group of financial papers that get cleared out to make room for the current year. Typically I’ll do the big paper purge the last week in December or early January. Most of the papers relate to taxes. I shred and recycle as much as possible and move the keepers to a storage area away from my prime office space. Last week I cleared my files. By the end of the year, my drawers get quite full. It becomes challenging to access what I need easily. It felt incredible to remove the old and regain my space. Now every time I open the file drawers, I have an “ahhhh” feeling. There’s no struggle, just room to file and retrieve what I need. This simple act of clearing the paper signaled my fresh start “ready for anything” attitude. 

Calm Mind

Many of you know that I meditate daily. I begin and end my day with this practice. While the point isn’t to clear my mind of all thoughts, it does help calm my mind to be more present and available to others and myself. Every day I have a mixture of positive, neutral, and negative emotions and experiences. My mindfulness and meditation practice provides me with a supportive base. It helps me appreciate the full experience of living.  I love learning about mindfulness through reading, practicing, experiencing, attending workshops, and talking with teachers and practitioners. Last week, I had the pleasure of learning from one of my favorite guides, Amy Reyer Ph.D., who led a Contemplative Meditation workshop, which was the third class in her Art of Well-Being series. Meditation practices can be done in many ways and don’t all involve sitting still on a cushion with your eyes closed while focusing on your breath. I like to experiment with different meditations. Each time I practice, that fresh start is activated. I’m able to press the reset button to pause, focus, learn, tune in, and go forward in a calmer, more open way.

To create optimal conditions for a better beginning, clear your internal and external obstacles. Edit and release what is no longer of value. Edit and release the things that are holding you down. Create space for the belongings and thoughts that support you. Clear to boost to your fresh start.

What are you ready to clear? What obstacles are you about to remove? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation!

What do I mean by better balance and this season? It’s the holiday season that I’m referencing, a busy, chaotic, party and shopping-heavy time of year. By better balance, think about aiming for a balance that’s right for you, good enough, and factors in the shift that happens as festivities ramp up and the year draws to a close. I encourage you to let go of perfection as an idea or pursuit. It’s not necessary and will only add to your stress and unhappiness. Instead, what ways can you create a reasonable balance that incorporates what’s most important to you and limits the “should” or “have-to” elements?

3 Ways to Find a Better Balance . . .

FOMO and JOMO

Let’s start with the simple “yes” and “no.” There will be invitations to parties and gatherings. There will be requests to engage in a variety of personal and professional activities. There will be things we might not want to do but will feel obligated or responsible for doing. Just remember that you always have a choice. That decision is either a yes or a no. Remember that you don’t have to say “yes” to everything unless that’s what works for you. Two acronyms come to mind: FOMO and JOMO. The first, FOMO is the fear of missing out. We sometimes say yes to something just because we don’t want to be the only ones not present. But that yes might not always serve us. The second phrase is JOMO, the joy of missing out. This encourages you to honor yourself and recognize that not doing is sometimes the option that is most beneficial. In some instances, saying “no” brings you closer to being more balanced.

GOOD STUFF

Engaging in what truly brings you joy is a way of tipping your balance in a positive direction. Make sure to include as much of the “good stuff” this time of year. It might mean spending extended time with loved ones, cooking special holiday meals, throwing a gathering for friends, relaxing at home with a good book and a cozy blanket, or taking a long walk in the snow. There were so many parts of the Thanksgiving holiday that I enjoyed. Having my family around was beautiful. My heart is still full just thinking about their visit. Baking cookies together were at the top of the list of balance-inducing, joy-filled activities. Baking was something we did a lot of when our daughters were young and don't do as often now that they’re grown. Cassie, our youngest daughter, wanted to make Moravian Christmas cookies together, a recipe we baked many times when she was little (see video at end of post.) It was so much fun to cook with Cass, her boyfriend, and my husband. Measuring ingredients, stirring the mixture, rolling the dough, and cutting out shapes with the cookie cutters involved a present moment focus and mindfulness that enhanced our time together.

SQUARE ONE

Better balance also comes in the form of returning to square one and revisiting the basics. Especially this time of year, a bit of tweaking can go a long way to preparing you and your home for the holidays. While you might not have the time or energy now to take on a huge organizing project, think about the smaller ones that will create better balance. How about doing a quick edit of your clothing closet or drawers? Instead of that bursting at the seams feeling, you can create some breathing room for your clothes and self. Instead of decluttering all surfaces, pick one place in a central area that when clear, will help you move through your day more efficiently and make holiday entertaining less stressful. Then there are the other types of basics like having some additional pantry (beverages, crackers, pasta, cookies, nuts, cheese, dried fruit, paper goods) items on hand for last minute entertaining and guests. There are some self-basics like getting enough sleep, exercise, and hydration. Since we’re prone to indulging during the holidays, returning to these basics is essential. One of my go-to-balance-bringing-basics is meditating daily. Routinely practicing mindfulness meditation is especially helpful during this season to create groundedness, calm, and balance.

What helps with a better balance? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

Baking together . . .