Our routines then, now, and after...

Like a child, we need structure playtime and flexibility.

I'm not a parent but I have friends that do. If anybody is flexible it has to be parents. Things can be set but there's a boo-boo, cranky mood, accident, sudden fever and it's time to flex, pivot, change and adapt. We might have a plan in place but then we have to reset to cater to whatever the child may be experiencing in the moment.

We were once children with various emotional needs and we often expressed our emotions quite vividly. When we were overwhelmed, it was easier to pick up on and our parents responded to try to soothe our discomfort.

But somewhere along the way as we become adults we learn to quiet the inner-child and we do a lot of things we don't want and don't like to do all in the name of #adulting

However, it's important to find a balance between acknowledging our need to "get things done" and our need to cater to our emotions. Although we can't usually take the whole day to "play" we have to find things that center us so we can actually do the things we don't want or don't like to do to survive.

Balance is such a hard thing to find when bills have to be paid, mouths have to be fed, and the dishes won't wash themselves!

One of my favorite YouTubers is Evelyn From The Internets, below is her entertaining look at what she does to reset when she's feeling the overwhelm we experience while #adulting

1. Stop & acknowledge you're feeling overwhelmed

2. Breathe

3. Use sounds

4. Go outside!

5. Ask for help

6. Eat something

7. Tidy up your space for 20 minutes

Without further ado, Evelyn take it over:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z89sG2EYRlQ

Pivoting Doesn't Always Mean Re-creation!

Have you ever gone back in an old journal or skimmed written pages in a current one to read something you wrote a few weeks, months, or years ago? Perhaps you saw a video of yourself you posted when you thought you'd start a YouTube channel back in 2012?

Did you have an ah-ha! moment that despite the changes that have gone on around you or even the incremental changes you've experienced because of life and maturity you are still YOU. At your core, you are the same person.

Clutter is often the remnants of the past. Maybe you went through a phase of collecting journals with cute and inspiring sayings? Maybe you were exploring if you'd be good at a new hobby that never panned out (knitting needles I'm looking at you).

During this time of quiet and unrest perhaps instead of REINVENTING yourself, you can spend time in the quiet and restless moments to reconnect with yourself. Instead of picking up a brand new hobby or distracting yourself with new ideas of pivoting to be a different post-pandemic person. Look at old hobbies you drifted away from or things you thought you'd try but never had the patience or time to fully pursue.

Here are some ideas to clear some clutter with the purpose of REDISCOVERING who you are, what you stand for, what you love.

• Go through old emails

• Strengthen connections you already have

• Clear out old papers and notebooks

• Clear out a craft area

• Go through old journals

• Go through old letters and cards

By coming from a place of knowing and awareness and not of fear and panic, during a time of uncertainty you stand more powerful. You may find instead of adding new things and pivoting in a certain direction may just be added "clutter" to your future self.

You may find, you already have the tools and you already are enough to get through each day successfully. If you spend time feeding who you are at your core while you have the time and attention, you'll be a not-so-different post-pandemic person, but just a more powerful version of you.

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Andrea Hancock is a Professional Organizer and Owner of Dexterous Organizing, a professional organizing and lifestyle company serving the Washington, DC Metro area. Andrea has been organizing professionally since 2010 and has completed the foundation courses in the Coach Approach for Organizers Training. She believes mostly anyone can create the organizational system that works for their lives through training, awareness, and consistent efforts.

How your desk can be an inspiration!

One Sunday morning I was hoping to finish some breakfast, clean the bathroom, and get back in the bed. I was tired from a long week, and Sunday is my normal day to chill a bit.

After breakfast, I was headed back upstairs to the bedroom to play The Sims4 on my computer before I went to worship at my Christian meeting. But my helpful husband was being...well, helpful and stripped the bedding to put in the wash.

Alas, with no refuge on the bed (because no, I didn't feel like making up the bed with fresh sheets),

I decided to relax in my office which actually has a zone for such an activity. The only challenge was my office was a bit disheveled from a hectic week. There were three bags on the floor and some unaccomplished work on my desk. I took about 10-minutes to sort, purge and put things back in their place (reset).

Once my space was open and my desk was clear, I sat at my desk as a freshly tidied office may beckon you to do. The reset space was an inspiration not to relax but to blog. I was so inspired that I wrote 3 blog posts and didn't relax, but boy did I feel randomly accomplished!

Lessons learned:

• Your space can leave you avoiding it

• Your space can leave you inspired

Which does your office leave you feeling most of the time? Running away or inspired?

If your office is a bit messy, how long would it take you to "reset"? If it takes you more than 30 minutes perhaps your systems are out of wack or non-existent.

When do you "reset" your space of inspiration whether it be an office, a desk, an art studio, or a craft room?

A tidy space can breed creativity.

It doesn't have to be perfect or sparse, but you should be able to find what you need when you need it and feel un-cramped enough to let the mind spark and flow.

Who knows? Maybe you're not tired, you're just uninspired. Try organizing your office and see which. If you're truly tired you can still take a nap and rest well, knowing your office will be there to inspire you when you wake up.

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Need help? Visit our website www.dexterousorganizing.com to learn more about how you can have a more inspired office space!

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