Organize Your Life (And Health)

The Minnesota State Fair, Labor Day, and back to school is all upon us (insert excited, nervous laugh because the year is going by too fast). Summer is quickly coming to an end and already has for many students. Some might be lucky enough to have one last weekend of freedom. I never got to that drive-in movie, but I did make it to a Twins game and The Great Minnesota Get Together. Of course, I ate many goodies, but that’s what summer is all about, right?! Don’t fret about the endeavors ahead, instead, organize your life. I’m not just talking about planners and cleaning your room (although, they do help). I’m talking about organizing your mental and physical health, too.

Slow Down Your Life 

As the year is zooming past us, it can feel overwhelming and that you need to be doing 1,200 things at once. Trust me, my planner is filled full each week and looking at it on a Monday morning can be daunting. Most weeks I bite off more than I can chew and end up disappointed that I didn’t finish everything. As the school year is coming back for your kids (or yourself) remember to slow down every now and then. Your friends and family won’t always be around. Take the time to be with them. If you have to write in your planner to make it happen, then do it.

 

It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in yourself with all your tasks starring you in the face, waiting to get crossed off the list. But, that’s the thing, lists are helpful, but only if you do them correctly. Take time to think about your week before just writing every little thing on your to do list. Prioritize your tasks and guestimate how much time each one will take. If you make a list with 13 things to do each day, you’re going to end the week feeling exhausted and let down if you can’t do it. Trust me, I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit. Slow down. Give yourself some time. This is going to help your mental health. You’ll feel more relaxed and prouder of yourself for finishing your weekly tasks. Maybe you’ll even get ahead for the next week if you’re feeling really productive.

Care About Your Health

Starting the school year right isn’t just about writing the perfect list and managing good mental health (which is very important). There is also your physical body that needs to be taken care of. We all know just how chaotic the school year is. Whether you’re a student yourself or a parent of a child in school. Everything seems to happen in the same week. Promotion, sporting game, car breaking down? Yep, it’ll happen within a few days just to see how you can handle it. Life is funny like that.

 

Health is more than running two miles a day and eating spinach. I wish it was that way because then I’d be the queen of the health world. But, as we all know, you can do everything right and still get diabetes, cancer, or have some other illness that you randomly got. Running won’t help you there. The thing that you need in that situation is a support system and routines. You’ll need support and accountability-buddies to remind you about your medications for the day. If you have to take multiple medications and vitamins every day, it can be easy to forget one. However, adhering to a strict medication regimen is crucial.

 

Say Goodbye To Unneeded Stress

Make your life a little easier with an organizer. You don’t need to haul your medication bottles with you everywhere. Use an organizer. Place pills and tablets into the section for each day (you can do it for the ENTIRE month). This way you’ll only have to worry about medication organization for ONE DAY of the month. The less stress you have when it comes to routines, the longer they last.

 

A little personal story here: I’m currently training for a race. Since my body and mind knows that it’s a race and I want a good, time I get stressed out for training. Now, when I get stressed out for certain things, I just push them off. It also takes the fun out of it. So, I’m not training because it’s not fun for me anymore. There’s too much stress.

 

Now, my training is much less important than a medication routine, but you get the point. Stress ruins things. Avoid unneeded stress. Your mental health will thank you for it too.

Listen To Yourself

Nobody knows you better than yourself. (They may claim to, but let’s be real here, they don’t). If you listen, your body will give you hints about how it’s feeling. If all of a sudden, you’re breaking down over your favorite pen dying, then you might be a little stressed out. Analyze what’s going on and see what you can change.

 

Find joy in the little things. If you enjoy having your plants organized on a shelve in your room, then make time to keep them tidy and healthy. Or maybe you like a little bit of a grunge, mess look. If it’s controlled and works for you, then so be it. Organize your life the way that works for you.

 

As always, I am here for you. I am a friend in this crazy journey we call life. I’d love to help out if needed or hear what you’re doing to organize your life. Reach out via social media or the comments, or for my old souls out there, send over email.

 

 

GMS,

Made for your Health