Help in Developing a Positive Mental Attitude

When it comes to developing a positive mental attitude, it is not something that happens instantly.   It’s up to you to add a number of different positive habits into your daily routine.  At first these habits will feel like an effort, but eventually it’ll become more natural to look on the brighter side of life.

Here are 4 things you can start doing today to in developing a positive mental attitude:

1) Practice Gratitude – Are  you the type of person who always sees the glass as half empty?  Are you more of a pessimist than an optimist?  iuf so, why not take 5 – 10  minutes out of each day to list the things you’re grateful for.  You’ll probably notice there is a lot more good in your life then you thought, which will help to create that positive mental attitude.  Keep this list handy and keep adding to it as more good thinks come into your mind. 

2) Distract Yourself From Negative Thoughts - Stopping negative thoughts for entering and then lingering in your mind is key.  Negative thinking can cause negative feelings, such as depression, pessimism, and anxiety.  We really need to work hard to keep our negative thoughts in control and simply stop them.  Whenever we catch ourselves thinking negative thoughts, we should change them instantly 

Take a look at the examples below

Negative Thought:  There’s not enough time to finish everything!
Positive Spin: Let me reevaluate my priorities.

Negative Thought: I don’t have the expertise I need!
Positive Spin: I am going to find people to help me.

Positive thinking is infectious and is key in developing a positive mental attitude. 

3) Congratulate Yourself – Learn to congratulate yourself and celebrate your wins (both big and small).  Just as you would tell your child, a coworker or friend “Good job, lets celebrate!”, be sure to also tell yourself that too.  Keep a journal and note down everything you did that made you proud. You’ll soon realize that you do more things well than you thought! Keeping a running list of all that you’ve accomplished will go a long way in developing a positive mental attitude.

 4) Relax Your Mind – It’s much easier to develop a positive mental attitude when you have a clean slate to work with.  In today’s world, we are so used to being bombarded with thoughts and ideas from friends, the media and our home entertainment. Try to take time out of the day to get rid of these thoughts and quiet your mind.  Many people do this through meditation, prayer, working out or walking.  

Developing a positive mental attitude can be a large and at times difficult task for many people and it does take time. Always keep in mind the end result that you want to see an feel!  By using any or all of the tips above, you will be on your way to developing a positive mental attitude that will also positively affect those around you.    If you find that starting this task seems to be overwhelming, start with just one thing – right now!

If you’re ready to make a change and would like to work with a coach – why not grab our free 20 minute coaching consultation or simply sign up now one of our affordable coaching packages and allow me to help you gain more balance.

5 Organizing Tips For The End Of The Year

Now that the end of the year is upon us, it may be a great time to spend the last few weeks of 2010 getting some areas of your life in order.  Here are a few suggestions that you can work on a little each day, so that you’ll be able to start the year fresh in 2012.

1. A task a day. Count how many days are left in the year. Then, grab a sheet of paper and list tasks you’ve been meaning to do–one for each day remaining in 2010. Do a task a day, until they’re all completed.

2. Start a new calendar. Get yourself a new calendar and fill in any special dates or events you already know about. Go a step further by highlighting similar dates in the same color, such as all birthdays in green, all meetings in blue and all medical appointments in yellow.

3. Make a donation drop. Grab a large plastic bag and inventory your closets, cupboards and drawers for anything you no longer need, but is in good condition. Drop these items in the bag and drive them over to your favorite charitable organization. (If you have kids, donate toys they no longer play with. This is always good practice right before Christmas before the new toys arrive from Santa.)

4. Weed out your filing cabinet. Go through each file folder one by one and get rid of anything outdated or no longer useful. Even if you spend just 15 minutes each day until the end of this year doing this, your filing cabinet will have gained some extra space.

5. Organize your goals. What do you want to accomplish in 2012? Write down your top 10 goals, and then prioritize them so that your most important goal is at the very top of your list.  Once January 1st rolls around, begin working on goal number one. Once that goal is met, begin working on goal number two, and so on until you’ve reached all (or most) of your goals for the year.

Get Organized Now is an amazing collection of 2,175 ideas, tips and techniques for organizing your home, your clutter, your time, your schedule, your money, your paper, your family and much more!

Think you can’t do much in 20 minutes? Schedule a free 20 minute coaching consultation with certified Personal Life Coach Aurelia Williams and start forming your plan of action today!

Steps to Positive Thinking

Taking steps to postive thinking is very imporatnt in leading a happy life.  When you use positive thinking, you begine to tak action against your worries and start to leave them behind.

While taking steps to postive thinking, you may encounter many  many struggles along the way, one of which is excessive worry.   When you are working with negative thinking, often takes the form of worrying about things that are completely beyond your control. These thoughts can soon consume your life. This is why it’s important to take steps to positive thinking techniques to address your worries (both rational and irrational).

Step 1: Notice Your Worry

The first step in these positive thinking techniques is to notice that you’re worrying. As with negative thinking, worrying about anything and everything can become a habit that you do without thinking. Start by trying to catch your worries before they take hold.

Step 2: Ask Yourself Important Questions

Next, you need to question your worry. Is it something you can do something about right now? Or is it something you have no control over?

If it’s something you can’t do anything about, and that you have no control over, you simply have to tell yourself that fact. There’s nothing you can do, so distract yourself to put the worry out of your mind. Whatever you do, don’t take time to think about the consequences of your worry. There is no point.

Step 3: Take Action

If the worry concerns something that you can do something about, then take action and do something about it! You may be able to do something about it right now, in which case you should. Doing it now will mean you can simply forget about it for the rest of the day, and can feel comforted by the fact that you have taken action.

If you can’t do something about the worry right now then there is one thing you can do to ease your mind – schedule a time to address your worry later in the day or week and leave your worry to rest.

Step 4: Switch Your Focus

Whether you realize that you can’t do anything about your worry, or you take action now or schedule it later, the next step is to put the worry out of your mind. By following all of the steps above, you know that you’ve done everything in your power to take control of your circumstances. There is nothing left to worry about.

In some cases, simply recognizing the above fact may be enough to stop you worrying. In others, however, you may need to distract your focus onto something else. For example, if you’re searching on Google about the things you’re worrying about, you may need to stop and get away from the computer to stop your worrying. Or you may want to go out and take a walk to get a change of scenery.

These positive thinking techniques may seem simple, but they can make a huge difference between worry that can actually be productive, and worry that takes up your whole day. Learning to control what you can and to forget about what you can’t control really is one of the most important steps to becoming a more positive person.

Home Organization Help for Busy Moms

If you’re a mom then you’re busy, there’s no question about it.  However, there are some mothers out there who are incredibly busy as they not only manage the household but they also work a full-time job (regardless of whether it’s from home or away from home).  These women often feel as if their “work” is never done, because it never really is. Just think about it, moms are busy from the time they wake up in the morning until the time they go to bed.
While a mother’s work is never over, busy moms don’t have to be stressed out about it all and we are here to offer help for busy moms.  One of the things that will help reduce your stress level tremendously is getting your home organized. This is especially true for work at home moms as their homes are also their offices.

Below are some tips that will help you get everything organized so you can enjoy your life (no matter how busy it is) once again!

Help For Busy Moms

1.     Menu Plan and Grocery Shop Once. Some mothers prefer to go grocery shopping a few times a week and prepare meals “on the fly.” However, if you want to cut down some of your stress and open up more time, plan your meals out for every day of the week before the week starts. This is one of the biggest tips of help for busy moms because it takes the ‘guess work’ out of meals.  You simply plan your meals, make out your grocery list and head to the store…get everything you need for the week’s meals to ensure you don’t have to go to the grocery store again during the week. Planning your meals out in advance and only going to the store once should save you at least three hours a week, if not more! Oh, and another helpful tip…use the crock pot.

2.      Have a Chore Schedule. Another beneficial thing you can do to free up some time and stay organized is to create a weekly schedule for all the chores that need to be done around the house. For instance, we all have to empty trashes for “trash day” so that should be done the day before the trash man comes. You can also schedule chores such as doing laundry, cleaning the bathrooms, dusting, vacuuming, etc. for specific days throughout the week. When you have a schedule and time allotted for each chore, you will find that you’re much more efficient at completing these tasks, as well as others. Also, get your family members to help you with the chores.

3.      Streamline Things. Surprisingly, it’s the little things that tend to take up the most time. Why? Although they are small, they do take up time and we tend to do several small things at once (like balance the checkbook and pay bills) because we can “check” them off our to-do list. However, many of these small tasks can be taken care of without you doing anything.  For instance, you can set up your regular monthly bills to come out of your account automatically so you don’t have to worry about paying them manually. 

If you have a business you do from home where you sell products or services, then you know how complicated it can be to set up a shopping cart, manage online payments, set up autoresponders and all of the other “little” things that have to be done in order for everything to run smoothly. There are products available like WahmCart that allow you to manage all of these things from one place, saving you a lot of time. The more things you can streamline, the more organized you’ll be and the more time you’ll have as a result.

As you can see, we are of great help for busy moms and we have tips that moms crave.  If you need help with learning how to deal with your busy schedule and would like someone to talk to who can really help, contact me for your 20 minute free consultation. I would love to talk with you about how I can help you to become more organized and stress free.

Coping Mechanisms to Deal with Stress

Nobody is immune to stress: stress is necessary to keep us functioning in certain situations. It’s when it becomes the norm that it creates a problem, which is why we could all benefit from some  simple coping mechanisms to deal with stress.  Here are a few ideas to get you going.

Relaxation

Coping  mechanisms to deal with stress don’t have to involve learning a new skill – although this can be helpful. They can be as simple as learning how to set aside more time for yourself.

A few ideas for this include:

* Walking more often,
* Taking a long, hot bath at the end of the day,
* Listening to music,
* Reading a book instead of watching TV,
* Engaging in a hobby,
* Exercising.

Studies have shown that the more active we are with our hobbies, the more we can get rid of stress. This is why watching TV isn’t included in the list above: although it may feel relaxing, it’s completely passive. Things like reading a book or playing a musical instrument require us to engage in the activity, which works well to help us leave the stresses of the day behind.

Sleep

No matter how much time you take for yourself, your body is always going to be strained if it isn’t getting enough rest. On of the best coping mechanisms to deal with stressis sleep.   Sleep is vital to our health, and this includes stress. Try to make an effort to get into a routine of going to bed at the same time every night, and giving yourself enough time to get a full eight hours sleep.  If stress itself is having a negative impact on your sleeping patterns, then it may be a good idea to talk to a doctor and try self-help techniques such as deep breathing before you go to bed each night.

Socializing

Not all coping mechanisms to deal with stress just involve you: start opening up to others and you’ll find that you can get a lot off your chest. Sometimes the things we worry about can seem bigger than they really are. By talking to someone about your problems, maybe going through all the possible outcomes, you’ll gain some clarity over the situation. Getting out more and socializing with other people can also work as a distraction from stress.

Food And Drink

What we put into our bodies can also have a huge effect on our stress levels. Do you rely on coffee to keep you going through the day? Try to gradually cut down the amount you drink, as caffeine is well known to contribute to stress. It’s also important to avoid sugary foods (that create a high and then a crash), and to eat a balanced diet. Don’t skip meals like breakfast: eating at regular times helps to keep your energy levels constant and reduce stress.

Talk it Out Talk

When stress seems to be all around you and closing in – releasing that stress by verbalizing yourself can be a big help. Whether you are looking to just unload a burden and get the stress off your chest or you are looking to express yourself and get feedback on how to make a change, talking can be a big help. If you feel like you can’t talk to your family or a friend, talk to someone outside the situation. This could be your priest or minister, a therapist, your family doctor or a coach. The key is to get it out and not keep it all bottled up

When it comes to managing stress the best thing to do is to have a plan in place.  These above  coping mechanisms to deal with stress can be as simple as you need them to be: don’t think that you need to change all of your daily habits immediately. Start by taking an hour to yourself each evening before bed, or cutting one coffee out of your daily routine. If you find that nothing is helping, make sure to speak to a doctor about your stress levels.

If you’re struggling with how to deal with stress and anxiety and would like someone to talk to who can really help, contact me for your 20 minute free consultation. I would love to talk with you about how I can help you overcome stress and anxiety in your life and in your business.

Holiday Stress Management Tips

Believe it or not, November is  here, which means the holidays are literally “right around the corner!” This is the time of year when most of us get pretty stressed out. Honestly, how can we not? The kids have a ton of activities to attend before Holiay Break arrives and we’ve got presents to buy, hide and wrap, food to prepare, a house to clean, cards to mail and a ton of other stuff that needs to be done. And, let’s not even get into how stressful our extended families can make things… The good news is that there are a few holiday stress managment tips that you can  use  to help you reduce your holiday stress level.

1. Prioritize –  Once all of the holiday activity notices start making their way into your house, sit down with your family and decide together which ones are the most important and which ones can probably be skipped this year. Don’t be afraid to cross an activity off the agenda this year…it will give you more time to focus on something else, which will help your stress level tremendously.

2. Do As Much As You Can Early –  The great thing about the holidays is that they occur at the same time every year, which gives you plenty of time to prepare for them. Therefore, don’t wait until the last minute to start checking things off your “To-Do” list. There are a lot of tasks that can be done months in advance like writing and addressing your holiday cards (just wait to mail them), making candy (freeze it), Christmas Shopping (you can even wrap early too) and much more. Just look for the things you can start early and get them knocked off the list…you’ll find yourself actually enjoying the holidays when you do this!

3. Get Your Family to Help –  One of the biggest mistakes moms (dads, too) make is trying to do everything on their own. There is no need that preparing for the holidays can’t be a family activity. Although it is work, when you get the kids involved, you’re actually creating family memories too! So, what can the kids help you with? Pretty much anything, depending on their age. For instance, you can enlist their help with the following: making holiday candy, hanging outdoor Chirstmas lights, setting up the tree and decorating the house, addressing cards, cleaning the house. Shoveling snow and many other holiday responsibilities that have to be done.

4. Take Time for Yourself –  Finally, it’s important that you actually take time for yourself to relax during the holidays. Even if all you can do is lock yourself in the bathroom and soak in the tub for an hour, it’s time for you to get away from everything else and regain your thoughts. Finding some time for yourself is essential in reducing holiday stress, so make sure you do it.

By using any of the above holiday stress managment tips, you will be sure to lower your stress this holiday season and get more joy out of the holidays.

Get Organized Now is an amazing collection of 2,175 ideas, tips and techniques for organizing your home, your clutter, your time, your schedule, your money, your paper, your family and much more!

Think you can’t do much in 20 minutes? Schedule a free 20 minute coaching consultation with certified Personal Life Coach Aurelia

Strategies to Beat Procrastination

Everyone experiences procrastination from time to time but not everyone puts strategies to beat procrastination to work in their lives. Some people are chronic procrastinators, while others claim they work better under pressure. It’s not about being lazy, but often people run out of time or take on too many projects. Some of the things we never get around to doing are boring, difficult, overwhelming, and complicated. Most people procrastinate due to feeling overwhelmed.

Like many things, procrastination is a habit, and habits can be broken and retrained. Are you one of the millions who procrastinate. English actor Christopher Parker said, `Procrastination is like a credit card: It’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.’

Here are some great strategies to beat procrastination:

1. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. One of the best strategies to beat procrastination is to divide big projects into smaller more manageable pieces. The first key is to break down projects. This can be at home or at work. For example you are given an assignment to write a 400 page novel. For the majority of people this would seem like a daunting task. But what if we re-worded the project and it asked you to write a page a day for a week, a month, or a year? To most people, that would be a lot less overwhelming.

2. Write it down. This can be listed in no particular order and will give you a handle on just what you need to accomplish. A calendar (with plenty of room for notes) is a useful way to schedule short and long term goals. Often it is easier to start with the worst task.

3. Schedule priority items. One useful way to schedule items in order of priority is to use deadlines. For example if you have a 5 page paper to write, scheduling to work on a page each day from 6:00 until 7:00 each night from Monday until Friday for one week will allow you to finish your paper on time. This can apply to many other items as well, such as paying bills or writing a proposal for work.

4. Schedule in breaks and rewards. When working on strategies to beat procrastination, be sure that you dont forget to take a break! One form of a break might be relaxing or meditating for 3-5 minutes between work sessions. Others enjoy more social relaxation such as a movie, TV, phone call, a date or a trip to a coffee shop. While others enjoy a walk or some exercise, others may enjoy a food or drink treat such as chocolate. Others may enjoy some music, a new item of clothing or a book. Yet others may enjoy a bubble bath, flowers, or candles. Leisure time or time doing a hobby or taking a trip may also be a satisfying reward.

5. Find yourself an accountability partner. This should be someone to help monitor your progress. Tell them your plans and continue to tell them as you proceed. Another accountability option is to send email messages to yourself asking for progress reports and reminding yourself of important tasks to do. Sometimes your accountability partner can be used to help delegate tasks to others.

6. Don’t be too hard on yourself. The more stressed or worried about what you have to do, the less likely you are to do your work. Concentrate on your strengths and develop a `can do’ attitude. Things don’t always have to be done perfectly, just do it! Go on–admit that you have some fears and anxieties about your ability to get the

4 Great Tips to Help Reduce Stress

Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand on you (internal or external). We all experience stress from time to time. Let’s face it, we live in a fast paced world and we come across stressors daily.

When stress becomes too much, it can take a toll on our overall wellbeing and health. Stress drains your body of energy and over time it can cause any of the following problems:

• Insomnia
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• High Blood Pressure
• Depression
• Anxiety Conditions

Whether you deal with stress once in a blue moon or on a day-to-day basis, there are things you can do to reduce stress.

Quiet the Noise: The world is full of hustle and bustle and you can be subjected to it on a daily basis. Be sure to schedule several short breaks for yourself throughout your day to help minimize your stress. You can accomplish this whether you have a corporate office job, work out in the field or work at home. Take the time to get up and stretch, read a book, go for a walk or simply sit quietly and take a few deep breaths. Prayer and meditation have been proven to help alleviate stress and anxiety as well as boost your health. Add your quiet time to your daily schedule and be sure to make the most of it.

Move Your Body: Getting regular physical activity is a great way to help deal reduce stress. Exercise decreases your body’s stress hormones, releases endorphins (your brains ‘feel-good’ transmitters) and it gives you a natural high. You don’t have to join a fancy gym to exercise regularly, try walking, bike riding or simply exercising in the comfort of your own home. Exercise has been proven to help relax the body as well as the mind and while you exercise you bring in more oxygen which in turn increases focus. With increased focus and a relaxed mind, you may be able to see solutions to the problems or concerns that are causing you stress.

Manage Your Time Effectively: Many times we feel stress when we feel as if we can’t control or keep up with the many things that we have to do daily. It is very important to manage your time effectively so that your day isn’t a constant 24 hour battle of ‘Beat the Clock”.

It is important to keep a to-do list or daily planner (written or electronic) handy and begin to prioritize the tasks that you have to do. Here’s an idea — for the next 3 days, write down the tasks that you do on a daily basis. Yes, make a list.  After the 3 days are up, sit down and take a good hard look at the list of things that are on your list.   Evaluate the list and ask yourself:

1. Can I delegate some of the items to someone else?
2. Can I move any items to another day/time that is more convenient?
3. Can I just say “NO”?

Take a look at question number 3 above.  “No” is the 2 letter word that packs a powerful punch. Don’t feel guilty when you have to tell others no because taking on additional projects or for others when you are already stressed will only add to it.  Reducing your stress may mean a few tweaks need to be made to your daily routine.

Find Someone Trusting to Talk To: When stress seems to be all around you and closing in – releasing that stress by verbalizing yourself can be a big help. Whether you are looking to just unload a burden and get the stress off your chest or you are looking to express yourself and get feedback on how to make a change, talking can be a big help. If you feel like you can’t talk to your family or a friend, talk to someone outside the situation. This could be your priest or minister, a therapist, your family doctor or a coach. The key is to get it out and not keep it all bottled up

Stress is a part of daily life and society. You can’t get away from it, but you can find ways to help reduce it. Just being aware that you’re stressed and need to deal with it is a great start. Be sure to find the way that works for you to release the stress that you may be feeling.

Question – what is one thing that you can add to or take away from your life and/or daily schedule that you feel would remove some stress?

If you’re struggling with how to deal with stress and anxiety and would like someone to talk to who can really help, contact me for your 20 minute free consultation. I would love to talk with you about how I can help you overcome stress and anxiety in your life and in your business.

It is OK to Think Small

Somewhere in your life right now there is a small, positive change you can make in the way you live each day. When you make that small change, and stick with it, the results can profoundly influence your entire world. — Ralph Marston

Think small! Yes, I know we are accustomed to being told to think big, but for just a few moments, I would like you to think small. Take a moment to look at yourself. Not just the outside, but also on the inside. Look at your life, your personality, your habits, home, etc. and just think of one (or a few) small positive changes that you could put into action today and do it. So, if your change is to simply walk to the post office instead of driving there, start today. If your change is to eat more fruits and vegetables, do not put it off, start today.

It is amazing how just one or a few small positive changes that we make can transform into very positive habits for our future.

Some possible small positive changes could be:

• Taking a daily walk.
• Making time for yourself to relax (start small and simply carve out 15 minutes a day).
• Get back in touch with a friend that you lost touch with
• Eat healthier snacks.
• Give one extra hug to each family member a day.

Every morning ask yourself: “What one thing can I do today that would make a positive difference in my life and/or the lives of those around me?” Now, go out and do it.

Keep adding new and positive changes and be sure to take notice of how these changes make you feel.

If you need help with setting and reaching goals, simply sign up for one of our affordable coaching packages. You can also grab your free 20 minute coaching consultation to find out more about how a life coach can assist you

Simplify the Holidays with Organization

The holidays are quickly approaching and if you’re a work at home mom, then you may be in a bit of a panic right now. While working from home is the ultimate dream for most women, those of us who do it, know that it is way more challenging then it appears to be. Especially when the holidays roll around because not only do you have to find time to get your work done, but you’ve also got to make time to attend social events, cook holiday meals and keep your kids busy while they’re on “vacation.” Therefore, getting organized is essential for you during this time of year so that you can simplify the holidays and remain stress free.

1. Think about Your Priorities.

The best time to start to simply the holidays is right now!  Yes, before the holidays get here, you need to take the time to think about the next 2-3 months and what you’re personal, business and family goals/priorities are. For example, family gatherings, work deadlines and other scheduled events are priorities. You should also be thinking about things like having family pictures done, sending out Christmas cards and other holiday activities your family does to. Write each priority down on a piece of paper so you know what you HAVE to get done.  This will help to greatly reduce holiay stress.

2. Get Things Scheduled.

Even though we are a month or two away from the holidays, it’s never too early to start making schedule for yourself. If you already have some work deadlines scheduled for November and/or December, begin scheduling time in your calendar to work on these deadlines. As you block off time for work in your calendar, begin to block of time for the activities you currently know about. You may even want to try and get certain activities/events (family pictures, date/time for Thanksgiving Dinner, etc.) scheduled now so they won’t be last minute later.  This will help to simplify the holidays and clear up your schedule for other things as the holidays get closer.

3. Never Put Off Tomorrow What Can Be Done Today.

You know you’ve heard this “tip” before, but it’s very true for the work at home mom gearing up for the holidays. There are a lot of little tasks that have to be done to prepare for the holidays and finding time to do them can be hard as the days go by. Therefore, if you find yourself with a little extra time one day, take that time to complete one of these little tasks. For instance, who says you have to fill out your Christmas cards the night before you send them? Why not get them done now (October or November) and wait to mail them out until December? You can also create your holiday dinner menus, and many other things, in advance too!

Making it through the holidays while maintaining your sanity can be hard to do when you’re a work at home mom, but it is possible.  You can simpilfy the holidays using the three tips above and get organized and stay on top of things this holiday season.

Think you can’t do much in 20 minutes? Schedule a free 20 minute coaching consultation with certified Personal Life Coach Aurelia Williams and start forming your plan of action today

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