8 months in and 4 more to close the year. Where do you Stand?

 

 

 

 

As the summer days are slowly coming to an end and we're getting ready to send

 

 

 

 

 

 

the kids back to school, look out for the changing colors of the trees, going to

 

the fall fairs  and not to mention the holiday season only 4 months away.months

 

away! I begin to wonder where this year has gone. As we grow older, it seems as

 

if the days roll into one, we need to savor every moment. I find that we spend

 

most of our time running around trying to get everything squeezed into one day,

 

and yet our own needs are at the bottom of the totem pole.

 

 

 

My friends, I know that the economy has been a big-put down on some of you. We

 

can continue to use that as an excuse, but what we really need to do is move on.

 

We say things like “I have so much on my plate: trying to find a job, paying the

 

bills, taking care of the kids, putting food on the table, and doing the

 

laundry. The list is a mile long.” Our schedules are over packed and we’re so

 

stressed that we don't even have time to go to the gym. Our eating habits are

 

out of control, and we question ourselves as to how we ended up gaining the

 

extra weight. I'm going to reveal to you some simple strategies to ease the

 

stress and keep your calendars from spiraling out of control.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some tips:

 

 

 

1. Be sure to have a calendar and set a specific time for each task. Everything

 

should be time sensitive. Each category should have a different color (i.e. Kids

 

orange, work green so on and so forth).

 

 

 

2. Schedule 1/2hr of "me time” to read a book, go for a walk, take a bath, or do

 

whatever you need to relax. It makes life less stressful when you schedule time

 

to decompress. Everyone around you will be happier as well because it will put

 

you in a better mood.

 

 

 

3. Know that regardless of how bad things get, always look at the glass half

 

full and be thankful for what you do have.

 

 

 

4. Take baby steps to accomplish your goals. Rome wasn't built in a day. Reward

 

yourself for what you have been able to do.

 

 

 

5. Take credit for what you can do instead of dwelling on what you can't do.

 

Focus on your strengths not your weaknesses.

 

 

 

6. If you’re married with children you need to schedule the following. Even if

 

you don't have kids, this applies as well:

 

 

 

A) Date night once a week.

 

 

 

B) Quality time with the kids. Try doing something like game night or a picnic

 

in the park.

 

 

 

C) Schedule time to have the kids help you around the house. This will not only

 

help you, but it will teach them responsibility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Create a budget. Having a budget and knowing where your money is going will

 

save a lot of time and stress. Set up online pay so you know your payments won't

 

be late and you don't have to worry about it. This is a time saving tip that

 

will add more time to your schedule things you like doing.

 

 

 

8. Meal plan for the week so you know what you’re having. Prepare things like

 

cutting up veggies or marinating the meat in advance. Have recipes planed out

 

ahead of time.  If you don't have the specific ingredients in the house,

 

improvise with something similar. Just because you don't have it, that doesn't

 

mean you should go to the store. You doing that will waste gas, time, and money.

 

 

 

9. Grow your own veggie and fruit garden.  It doesn't have to be anything big

 

and if you don’t have a green thumb, then research how. Herbs are always easy to

 

grow. This saves a lot of money and trips to the store. Make it a fun family

 

thing to do.

 

 

 

10. Eat leftovers or create new meals from them. We tend to throw out so much

 

food and that is money down the drain. Go online for recipes, Rachel ray teaches

 

you how to create new meals from left overs. Be creative.

 

 

 

These 10 tips will help you stay young, fresh and revitalized. Apply them today

 

so you can start to feel stress free.