I want to give you a quick, easy tip to help create harmony during the holidays…
Last week I had the privilege of being part of the Press at the largest women’s conference in the US. The Massachusetts Conference for Women had 10,000 women gather together to discuss and learn about success, inspiration and motivation. There was one insight Shonda Rhimes shared that stood out to me… her simple tip is especially helpful during the holidays!
Shonda Rhimes, who is the writer and producer of many of TV’s mega-hits like Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice & Scandal, shared a Simple Solution that helps her find calm in the midst of her super, busy life!
Her solution… shutting off her email after 7pm and on weekends! Yes, you read that correctly!
This big time Hollywood writer/producer powers off to give herself a chance to take a break from the stressful responsibilities her role entails. When she initially began to implement this strategy it was challenging, so she created a simple way to let those around her know that she was creating a structure and boundary for her life. She accomplished this by including the following in the signature of her emails, “I don’t work after 7PM or on weekends”. This simple message clearly articulated her new parameters so that those around her know what to expect. This simple and straightforward technique allows her to “power down” and recharge at night and on weekends.
I love this idea! Turning the technology off gives you room to breath and relax in a world where it is often expected that we respond to family, friends or business obligations at all hours of the day.
Give yourself the gift of time and space this holiday season.
Are you feeling overwhelmed and stressed during the holidays? You’re not alone!
Surveys show that Christmas is now ranked #6 among the most stressful life events someone can experience! (Other stressors on the inventory include divorce, moving and changing jobs.)
In the spirit of harmony during the holidays let me give you 1 quick tip to help ease the stress and keep your equilibrium during the holiday frenzy.
You’ve heard me say that your environment impacts you on a conscious & unconscious level. You can actually use this to your advantage during the holidays! In this weeks article let’s look at 1 Simple Solution to have your home be a holiday haven during the harried season!
Is there an area in your home that gives you angst? Every time you walk by it you feel annoyed or frustrated.
Carve out 30 minutes in the next few days to tackle the untidiness, which will tame your tension.
The amazing thing is, by carving out time to clear the clutter you will create a sense of confidence and inner calm that will rejuvenate you! Trust me, you will feel an instant energy boost. This Insta-energy is your unconscious mind feeling lighter from the cumbersome burden that was lifted from clearing a physical area that also consumes space in your brain. The bonus is you get to feel good and you confidence increases because you accomplished a small task.
I know it might seem crazy to add one more thing to your to-do… but, and this is a BIG BUT, it will honestly make you feel good on a conscious and unconscious level. This will help to tame the tension and allow you to stay grounded during what can be a stressful season.
Do you have any tension taming tips during the holidays that you would like to share with the Home in Harmony community! As always, we would love to hear from you! Your tip might make a big difference for someone feeling out-of-harmony during the holidays.
I wanted to send a quick note today because I wanted to share 2 quick tips for harmony during the holiday! I am currently only able to type with one hand because of a sporting injury that sprained my wrist, so I will make it easy & effective. Let me give you two Simple Solutions that will help you create inner holiday harmony.
We’ve all heard that intentions, affirmations or mantras can help you with mindset issues or thought patterns. I believe you can utilize this concept in your environment as well. In this week’s article I will explain!
For all of our community celebrating the Thanksgiving Holiday, I want to personally wish you a harmonious holiday! I also want to send a heartfelt thank you to YOU for being you and wish you an abundance of blessings!
I love the fact that you can use your environment to direct your mind to begin creating the ideal vision of your life. If you are hoping to have a harmonious holiday than set your environment up for success instead of distress!
Your external environment gives you cues that you react to as you move through your home or office space. Observe what reactions your environment is triggering you to feel emotionally & physically.
Begin to notice if there are stressors that add anxiety to your life and begin to eliminate those things or items from your space. Even be mindful when you walk into other people’s homes or workspaces! How do these places & spaces make you feel? Consciously being aware will help you manage your reactions. Maybe it is an environment or item in the environment that is making you uncomfortable or anxious. For example, I recently stayed in a hotel room in NYC and the main piece of art had mixed messages. They were positive & negative memorable headlines that were featured in the New York Times over the years. (The picture is posted above.) As you can see, it isn’t the most calming piece of art to have in a bedroom and there are many messages that could trigger someone to feel anxiety. Begin to look around your home and see if there are items that might be triggering your emotional state.
Next, add something to your environment that will help you connect to whatever emotion you are hoping to feel this holiday. Do you want to feel calm in the midst of family chaos? Perhaps peace and gratitude? What could you include in your environment that will help remind you to take a deep breath despite any upheaval? It can be as simple as putting a sticky note saying, “Breathe, You’ve got this!” Place this in a kitchen drawer that you will open regularly throughout your day to remind yourself to tap into that feeling that you can breathe through this with ease & grace and that you have the strength to get through anything! Take a minute right now to decide what messages would most support you during the holidays. Now, create or find something that will help to connect you to that feeling.
Once you’ve had a chance to decide what would most support you this holiday season, I would love to hear from you! Share your inspiration in the comments below! Did you have an idea how to include it in your environment? Share that too! I really believe that “it takes a village” to do anything from raising kids to helping create a Home in Harmony. Your comment could help someone who is feeling just like you!
Happy Soaring!
XOXO
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NBC called and wanted to know how to achieve Holiday Harmony in your home. You can watch my video here where I share my suggestions, but I also added some additional suggestions below …
Did you know that there are Simple Solutions you can implement when you are hosting overnight guests that will help your holiday’s flow with ease and grace?
Entertaining or welcoming overnight guests into your home can create stress, especially during the holidays. This stress is often exacerbated during this time of year because of overwhelm produced by a growing to-do list and friction from tense relationships. The trick is to plan ahead for the expected (or unexpected guest) to create holiday harmony in your home.
The overriding strategy is to anticipate the needs of your guests. If your guest needs to inquire where certain items are or how to navigate your home, this can leave them feeling uncomfortable or burdensome. Conversely, if you are continuously being pulled away to retrieve items for a needy guest you might start to feel exhausted or frustrated. Planning ahead will help you navigate the holiday guest and create a harmonious flow to your holiday.
1- Sheets: Obviously clean sheets are a must. Did you know that you can also use sheets and bedding to set the tone of the room. What type of room will help your guest have the best experience while staying in your home? Do grandma & grandpa need a quiet haven to slip away to from the commotion of the little ones? Choose a serene palate that will soothe their senses. Or, does your brother-in-law tend to sleep in until late morning, which annoys everyone who wants to get the day started? In this case, choose vibrant colors that will help your sleepy head guest rise and shine!
2- Blankets: Everyone has their own internal thermometer or temperature that they are most comfortable sleeping in. I love big, puffy blankets while my husband loves to be cool. For this reason, have multiple blankets of varying weights to help your guests feel contented. Place them in decorative storage baskets so that they are easily accessible and which will negate your need to run around in a panic finding blankets for your guests.
3- Towels: Designate towels that are for guests only. Place these towels in an easily accessible basket or bin so that they know these fresh, clean and crisp towels are meant for them. We have all had experiences where you go to someone’s house and you need to hunt through their linen closet trying to find a towel that isn’t dingy. (Not so fun.) When your designated guest towels begin to get a little tired, re-designate them and make them part of the “hockey locker room” pile.
4- Toiletries: Have you ever had that experience of needing to run out to the local convenient store to grab a toothbrush at 11:00 PM at night? Don’t put yourself and your guests through that irritating drama. Instead have toiletries at the ready.
5- Pitcher for Water: The last thing you want is your guest to get thirsty in the middle of the night and need to stumble down the stairs and maneuver a dark kitchen to find a cup so they can quench their thirst. Instead have a pitcher, cup or bottle of water at the ready.
6- WiFi Code: In today’s day and age it is important to make your WiFi code easily accessible for your guest. When they retire to their room they might want to check their emails or peruse travel itinerary. Allow them easy access by placing a card with instructions on how to connect in the guest room.
7- Extra Electronic Cords: Similar to the forgotten toothbrush, we have all experienced forgetting a much-needed cord or two. Have cords easily accessible to help your guest dissipate any anxiety that might be associated with loosing power. (Although, I could write an entire post on why unplugging is often a good thing!)
8- Notepaper: Although many people have smart phones, it is sometimes easier to jot something down on a piece of paper. Especially if you found something on your phone you need to write down. Take a cue from most hotel rooms and have a notepad and pen handy for your guest.
9- Note Cards: A thoughtful touch is to have note cards available for your guest to write to someone they love while traveling. I like to have postcards from our beach town so that when guests come they can send a little note home to those they love. I also love to surprise them with convenient stamps to help make the effort as effort-less as possible!
10- Flowers: Having fresh flowers adds a sense of peace & sparkle to the space. It also conveys to your guest that you welcome them into your home and want to make their stay special.
Entertaining the overnight guest can be stressful anytime of the year and this is especially true during the holidays. I hope these 10 tips will help to tame the tension and alleviate the anxiety associated with holiday guests. Taking some time to anticipate what your guest might need or want while in your home can help your time together flow more gracefully and create a sense of holiday home harmony.
I hope these simple solutions help you navigate your holiday season with ease and grace. Do you have a tip you could share with our readers? I would love to hear from you! Share below or come on over to the Home in Harmony FB page and share your insights and inspirations there!
Happy Soaring!
XOXO
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Did you know that your home or office environment can sabotage your success in every area of your life? Really, it can!
Your environment can have a profound impact on your relationships, ability to be productive, level of abundance, sense of overwhelm and even your weight!
For example, let’s say you are interested in writing a book, building a business or creating more abundance in your life. Your home or office space can sabotage your best efforts if it is not set up for success.
Your external environment impacts your internal world, let me give you simple solutions to begin creating an environment that nurtures and supports all areas of your life!
Your external environment, that is your home or office space, literally sends messages to your brain on a conscious and unconscious level. It can send positive, productive and nurturing messages that will help you create the life of your dreams. Or, it can send negative, sabotaging and depleting messages that will leave you overwhelmed, frustrated and unproductive. This can influence your relationships, creativity, health, ability to lose weight, productivity and level of prosperity. Let’s look at a few simple solutions to help you create an environment that will set you up for success.
First, take a look around and assess how much clutter you have. Even if at first glance it doesn’t seem like you have piles of paper in the corner, I would suggest taking a closer look. Do you have a “junk drawer” or a storage space that you haven’t gone through in awhile? When our space is disorganized or filled with clutter, even when it is a hidden drawer, it can create a sense of overwhelm and anxiety. Clutter confuses the mind and can make you procrastinate, fill you with frustration or make you agitated. This can affect your relationships, your ability to make healthy choices and your level of stress. Begin to look at the places and spaces that are hidden away that could be unconsciously draining you. Take action and clear the clutter and organize the disorder in that area. Notice what you feel like before and after you clear and organize the space.
Second, take a minute to walk around your home or office and notice what brings a smile to your face. Now, begin to notice any items that don’t bring a smile to your face or joy to your heart. Is there something that felt dis-empowering or uninspiring? Perhaps it is something that actually reminds you have a negative person or situation. This type of item will deplete you on an unconscious level making you tired, angry and frustrated. Make a conscious effort to ditch the drain. When you have items in your environment that weigh you down they sabotage your success. Everywhere and everything in your space should make you smile. For the next week can you commit to remove 1 item each day that doesn’t bring a smile mind, body and spirit?
You’ve heard me say it again and again, your environment either supports and nurtures you or it depletes you. It can leave you overwhelmed, frustrated and unproductive, which influences your relationships, creativity, health, ability to lose weight, productivity and level of prosperity. Set your self up for success by clearing any clutter or depleting items from your home or office. Use your environment to create your ideal life and business!
Happy Soaring!
XOXO
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I want to give you a quick, easy tip to help create harmony during the holidays…
