Episode #157 - April showers bring May flowers

Welcome to Organizing with Ease, where we simplify and organize our lives for the better. I'm Diana Moll, your host, ready to lead you on a journey towards a more organized and enriching life. Together, let's explore practical strategies, inspiring stories, and expert advice to simplify every aspect of our lives. Let's declutter our spaces, free our minds, and cultivate genuine happiness.

Are you ready to embark on this journey with Eve? Let's get started. Hello friends and welcome back to Organizing with Eve. I'm your host Diana Moll and we're continuing our May series. If this is your first time listening, I'm so happy you're here and for all of my returning listeners, but of course, thank you for showing up week after week. I love having this time with you, but of course. So here we are. We are in May. It has started, but it's still...

I don't know how you feel. It's still like a fresh month, a fresh feeling, an opportunity to really settle into more easy, full days. You probably heard the phrase, April showers brings May flowers. And today we're going to be talking about what that looks like in your life, not just in your garden or in your backyard. So here we are. What's your version of a May flower? What's blooming for you after a storm?

And more importantly, do you have a space, a moment or a ritual in your day that gives you peace? So here we are, your daily reset space. Why does it matter? Well, let's start off with the most obvious because what? Life is busy, overwhelming. So, and while many of us talk about self-care, the truth is that carving out a consistent moment for ourselves often falls to the bottom of the list. According to the American Institute of Stress, 87 % of adults feel overwhelmed by daily responsibilities at least once a week. That's a pretty high number. 43 % don't have quote unquote, any dedicated space in their homes to relax or reset. Now, I'm not talking about like this luxury spa day. It's about something that's accessible and small. a corner that might just be for you. So I don't know about you, you might have that favorite chair in the living room. You might have that certain section in the sofa that might be yours. So I'm gonna ask you right now, do you have that space in your home where you can just breathe and just be still? And when was the last time you paused without guilt and did nothing productive for five minutes? Are you hesitating? Well, guess what?

You're not alone. That's why we're talking about this today. My reset ritual, the plant nook. For me, it's my plants. I love my plants. I talk about this a lot, but it really has changed my relationship with my mornings. Tending to my orchids and my houseplants have become not more than just a task, but it actually is, it's a moment of intention.

So when I take out my coffee in the mornings outside, I check the leaves, the water, and or I don't, sometimes. Sometimes I just sit there and I watch the light coming in.

It's quiet, it's grounding, and it's so nice to actually hear the birds chirping in the morning. It's my way of saying to myself, quote unquote, I matter too. So I encourage you to find your version of that space. It doesn't have to be fancy, but it just has to be for you. Working with my client who's a busy mom of two, we started working together and she told me she hadn't read a book.

or sat alone in silence just for herself for years, like she couldn't even remember. Not the last book that she even read, not even a magazine, anything. Her day was go, go, go from 6 a.m. until midnight. Can you relate to that? So what we did was we really just created something very simple. Because she did really like reading as far as that she remembered, but she did really like reading and she wants to be part of a book club as well.

So we just took a chair that was in her room and we made that her reading area. was with, you know, we added a tiny light, added a, you know, a mug warmer, cause she had one in the kitchen. We just moved it from the kitchen into her bedroom there. And then we had a little bit of a tray so that she can leave, you know, her drinks there as that was it. So her rule, 10 minutes, no phone, no multitasking, just her, her thoughts, and even better, maybe even no thoughts at all.

A month later, she told me that corner is my life raft. So she also then took her Kindle. She started to read her books online. So happy, so happy that she was able to share that story with me. And now I'm sharing it with you. And again, you know what? Your space, your office, if you have that home office, it can get so overwhelmed with clutter. I'm telling you, especially if you have to...

answer all those emails and you're always on that on button, know, that quote unquote on even late at night and you have in the evenings where you think you always have to answer all those emails. But you have to think of something. You have to just clear out that space. You know, just clear out that space and then make it so that you can reset that room to make it for yourself. So if it is your home office and you wanna make it not only your home office,

But maybe you want to have that space that you can just bring something there so that you can sit and maybe bring a diffuser, maybe bring in the diffuser with lavender if you want or whatever. If you want to play music, get your guitar, if you want to listen to music, whatever it might be. But I'm just sharing with you, you can then make that a reset room and it will be such a game changer for you. So before you turn on the news, I'm just sharing with you. at least 15 minutes, get recharged. And that's gonna be the best part. You actually will then also be able to sleep a lot better. Why? Because you're not finishing up the end of the day, finishing up those one last emails to reply. You're taking time for yourself. And that's the best part. You want to reset your space. So again, it doesn't need to be big. It doesn't need to be fancy. but it does need to be intentional. So I always say your home should support your wellbeing, but let's be honest. Most of us are, hear me out on this visual, okay? Most of us are walking through our homes full of half finished products, visual clutter, and those should do. No worries, I actually can relate because I do have some projects that are going to be completed, but that's up for another later date. But so now let's shift that, ready?

Let's think of your home like your energy bank. You know, you withdraw from it all day long, so where are you depositing? Reset zones are how we deposit. These could be a favorite chair with a journal, a nightstand with a candle and a book. What about a kitchen table with a vase of fresh flowers? Even your bathtub, ready with salts and a playlist that you love to listen.

Did you know that the Home Environment Wellness Report found that one tidy and personalized space in your home reduced evening stress by 27%. And people who intentionally used their reset space at least four times a week reported better sleep and clearer thinking. I like that one. The better sleep and the clearer thoughts. I like that one indeed.

So how can the fresh start method, which is a simple four step approach, help you clear the chaos, design your calm spaces, and make routine that stick without perfection, overwhelm, or stress? So we're gonna be focusing on your reset zone. Place in your home where you can breathe, reflect, and recharge. So let's, I'm gonna walk you through this together, okay? Just wanna, just gonna hear me out on this one, ready? So we're gonna start with about getting really honest. You have to be honest with yourself. You have to ask yourself, what space in your home do you naturally gravitate towards when you need like a breather space? Is there a corner or a chair that could become a peaceful space but currently holds clutter things or feels kind of forgotten? And then what time of the day do you most need a reset? Is it the morning? Is it midday?

Or is it before bed? So here's an example I wanna ask you. Do you have that favorite armchair in the corner of your living room and it's become that drop zone for the laundry? Or maybe those bags or those extra things and you just like dump it on that chair? Because you know what? It's that chair that you never sit in anymore. It's that chair that could be your Mayflower. So your daily reset spot. If you clear it off, that could be it.

So start finding that space and sorting what's working versus what's draining. Now, clearing out the clutter with purpose. This step isn't about purging everything. It's about removing what's in the way of peace. Here, you need to ask yourself the following questions. What's blocking me from using that space now? Is it the clutter? Is it the guilt? Is it the distractions? What do I? actually want to do here? What do I really want to do? Do I want to read a book? Do I want to journal? Do I want to sip my coffee or have a glass of wine or maybe something a little bit stronger? Is there something like breathing? Do you want to do anything else? What can I let go of that doesn't support that goal? The area in your kitchen counter where it's full of that unopened mail, move it to your desk.

or wherever you need to sit down and review it. Throw away the rest that you don't need. What about those stacks of laundry that you didn't get to fold and put away? So let this space be unapologetically yours. So don't worry about making it that quote unquote Pinterest perfect. Focus on creating space for how you want to feel. This is where the magic happens. It's where we actually create and add comfort with intentional design.

Now that your space is clear, it's time to make it inviting without over-complicating it. Just like you want a clear kitchen counter, like you just want all that laundry to be done, right? And you don't want to see all those piles. So you have to ask yourself, what would make this space feel cozy, calming, and mine? What can I add to activate my senses? Sight, sense, touch, and sound. How can I set this up?

So I want to come back again and again. So here's some ideas. I don't know, you can add a soft pillow, a blanket. You can have that candle. Maybe some of you use a diffuser with a favorite scent. Add a basket so that you can not have that excuse of not putting things away with that journal, with that book that you're reading. Any of those affirmations that you wanna write down. Have a basket, put it all in there.

Hang a piece of art or a photo that makes you feel really happy and or centered. Set a small speaker nearby for that new playlist that you're gonna be creating for yourself. You are designing a pause, not just a decorating a space. This is your signal to your body and to your brain that we are slowing down. Now that you've reset zone is set up and the final step is making it a daily habit.

one that fits easily into your life. We wanna ask ourselves, when in my day can I give myself this time? How can I protect this area from becoming another clutter zone, even in the kitchen? What's that one small habit I can tie to this space? Think about that. I don't know about you, but every evening after dinner, you can possibly light a candle in that space, sit down, have some, maybe some. tea, maybe you want that wine, whatever it might be so that you can have that, just to wind down. Maybe before bed, you want to dim the lights, sit for a moment and play your favorite calming song. Here's a tip, use visual or auditory cues like a post-it reminder or a gentle chime on your phone to guide you back to reset space until it becomes second nature. So if you're asking yourself, what in the world do I do personally?

Since I do have a nightly checklist, which is my kitchen area, my living room area where I pick up everything, I do my kitchen predominantly because so that next morning is much easier for me in the mornings because I am such not the morning person. But I have created a little nook in my bedroom, which I have a chair with a blanket. I have a lamp on the side as well. And that is where my time is at night where I kind of sit there.

And if a family member sees me in that little nook of mine, they know it's my time. Mommy's time out, so to speak, right? That is just how I handle it. So yes, I do do that as well. As far as a candle, I do light a candle while I cook. I just like that. So I already have a light lit candle in my space. So actually the calming scent is already going throughout the house, even in the kitchen. And just remember something, every five minutes count. on that downtime. And here's just like a recap of those reset zones for you. You wanna identify your peaceful potential space and how you want to feel. Remove the distractions or clutter standing in your way. That is gonna be the hardest part. Add thoughtful calming elements to make it a joy to use. And then commit to using it daily and to protect its purpose that you have created.

You don't need a home makeover. You really don't. You just need a fresh start and one small step at a time. So here is the challenge of the week. Pick one small space this week and literally just one. And you wanna clear it, you wanna add one calming element, use it every day for the next seven days, even if it's just three minutes. And you can also consider the bathroom.

Some people have done that because there is no distractions in the bathroom, but that is all up to you. I would love to hear from you and I wanna see your version of May flowers so that we can celebrate our spaces together. Self-care is how we take our power. So again, please remember to just step by step, little by little. Your home can be your peace. You deserve five minutes of calm and your May flowers. They're already starting to bloom. Until next time, take care my friend.