And it occurred to me that if all the countless available stress “remedies”—books, videos, drugs, audio tapes, aroma therapy, vibrating chairs, relaxation techniques, programs, devices—are so effective, how come everyone is still stressed out?

The answer is simple. While these methods may help to ease your stress—that is, treat its symptoms—most of them do little or nothing to eliminate the causes, to reverse the stressful habits, attitudes and mindsets you’ve developed over the course of your life.

The solutions mentioned here will give you the tools, motivation and attitude changes you need to root out stress at its very source… on the multiple battlefronts of your life.

It’s time to stop the insanity and take back control of your life. Starting today. Starting now.

30 tools to help you take back control of your life

1. Do one thing at a time

Do it mindfully. Do it well. Enjoy the satisfaction. Then go on to the next thing. That’s the way to take back control of your life — one thing at a time. Multitasking might work for computers, but humans have yet to get the hang of it. A growing body of evidence affirms that trying to accomplish several things at once takes up more time overall than doing them sequentially. It consumes an excessive amount of mental energy, too, so you fatigue more quickly. The lack of focus also leads to careless mistakes, shoddy work and unreliable performance. Worst of all, having to do things over. This is no way to live. Give what you’re doing your undivided attention. Take the time to get it right. You’ll be more productive, and less stressed, in the long run. Why make yourself crazy?

2. Throw something out every day

You’ve got too much stuff in your house. Office. Garage. Attic. Useless clutter that’s weighing you down, getting in the way, obscuring the things you really need. Just looking at the stuff is stressful, to the point where physical clutter soon becomes mental clutter. The problem is getting rid of it. It’s a huge job, so you keep putting it off. But the more you put it off, the more clutter you accumulate… making it an even more humongous task to face. Here’s how to break the cycle. Every day, find one thing you don’t need and toss it. Or give it away. Or sell it at a consignment shop. Be realistic. If you’re not going to use it, lose it. Over time, the clutter will begin to vanish and space and order will magically appear in your home… and your life. Stick with this. It really works. Why make yourself crazy?

3. Cut down on competitive stress

Today, we compete for everything: the space around us, to be first to own a new product, to get our kids signed up for programs, to get our viewpoints across, to be faster, smarter, richer, sexier. Our days are filled with stressful competitions. And most are absolutely unnecessary. Because they’re driven by insecurity, fear of being left behind, an ingrained need to always have more or better than the next guy. If you wish to take back control of your life, try to get above all that. If you want to compete, vie to be the one who stays calm and in control, who isn’t easily sucked in by material things, who avoids being caught up in the daily grab-bag that robs people of health and peace of mind. Compete for that and see how pointless all those other competitions become. And how misguided those who partake in them begin to appear. Why make yourself crazy?

4. It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you react

In any given day, you’ll have progress and setbacks, triumphs and failures. That you can bet on. But as good a day as some people have, they’ll manage to find something to fret about. [“It’s just luck, it won’t last, I’m destined for misery.”] And as bad a day as others have, they’ll see the good in it. [“So what? I’m still alive, still kicking and nothing’s going to stop me”] will win over your day? And the next day? And the next? You have control over that: to enjoy your accomplishments without diminishing them; to accept your failures as opportunities to learn. You have the power to make every day a positive outcome. Because it’s not what happens to you, it’s how you react to it. Why make yourself crazy?

5. Eliminate meaningless deadlines

Our lives have become one long game of beat the clock. Crammed with arbitrary and unrealistic time constraints imposed by ourselves and others that serve only to make us more pressured, anxious and stressed out. For no worthwhile reason. Avoid the trap of assigning time frames to everything you do, especially if you have little idea how long it will take. But, you say, I need a deadline or I simply won’t get around to doing it. If that’s the case, it’s not a deadline you need, it’s a goal. Make your goal one of completing a project in a careful, professional, satisfying manner. In other words, as long as it takes to do it right. Or maybe your goal is to make the project more fun and interesting, or to develop a new and more expedient way of doing it. In any case, save your nerves and your energy for the few real deadlines we face… Why make yourself crazy?

6. Leave a cushion of time between events

Scheduling appointments, meetings, projects, luncheons, and events too closely together is a guaranteed stress fest. It leaves you vulnerable to even the slightest delays, which will occur. You’ll always have one eye on the clock and thus be distracted, rushed and prone to miss things and make mistakes. Be smart. Don’t stack up your events like planes on a runway. Life never works out that efficiently. Spread your schedule out. Always leave sufficient in-between time to allow for any unexpected bumps and delays. It will not go to waste. You’ll be glad to have those breaks to answer phone calls and email messages, take care of incidental things, and prepare yourself for your next event. That extra cushion of time will leave you less frazzled, and more productive, in the long run. Why make yourself crazy?

7. Have backups of essential items in place

So that you never run out of critical oft-used household staples like laundry detergent, milk, deodorant, toothpaste, batteries, or bathroom tissue… employ the buy-two-replace-one method. For example, buy two bottles of mouthwash. That way you’ll have an immediate replacement when the first one is used up, which will give you ample time to buy another before you run out of the second. In order to take back control of your life, make a list of those items it would be more than a little stressful to have to go without—there really shouldn’t be many—and see to it you’ve got both the item and its backup on hand. Why make yourself crazy?

8. Don’t get hung up on product features

The more bells and whistles a product has, the more there is to learn and remember, the more complicated it is to use and the more expensive it is to buy. Save yourself the waste and aggravation of overbuying your need. Get a unit that serves your main purpose simply and economically, with maybe one or two extras you’ll definitely use. Loading up on the latest gimmickery will cost you in more ways than one. There’s nothing more annoying than having to reread instructions every time you use something. Why make yourself crazy?

9. Entrust responsibility to responsible people

There are those who always have a convenient excuse for not getting it right, showing up late or botching the job entirely. And there are those who consistently, effectively and unequivocally come through for you. This isn’t luck. It’s responsibility. Not something you’re born with. Something you do. Responsibility takes effort. Concern. Pride. And perseverance. Whom do you want to entrust your children, your home, your finances, and your other important responsibilities to? Lose the whiners and stick with the winners. Why make yourself crazy?

10. Always view yourself as ahead, not behind

This small change in perspective can alter your approach to everything. When you perpetually see yourself behind schedule, never caught up, forever lacking in something… your emphasis is always on need. And that puts unrelenting, unhealthy pressure on you. But view yourself as ahead of the game [and most of us truly are] and the pressure almost immediately eases, and your needs diminish, because you’re grateful for what you already have. You can move forward confidently from a position of strength, rather than struggle from one of weakness. It’s all in the way you look at it. Why make yourself crazy?

11. Don’t over-volunteer

Resist volunteering for more than you can handle, more than your free time allows. Volunteering is great, but heavy involvement can steal important time from your family and relationships. [And it shouldn’t be used as an excuse to avoid more important obligations.] If the work becomes too demanding, simply say no. Nobody else is going to look out for you better than yourself. If we all “volunteered” to spend more time with kids, visit our parents, make loving homes, and carve out special time for ourselves, there wouldn’t be a need for so much volunteering in the first place. Why make yourself crazy?

12. Accept that people think differently than you do

You could spend your entire life trying to win over people to your point of view. The simple truth is, you won’t. At least, not everyone. Even if you present the most logical, rational, airtight arguments, some people will never see it your way. Maybe they’re proud, stubborn, stupid, or in some people will never see it your way. Maybe they’re proud, stubborn, stupid, or in some instances—did you ever stop to think?—right. If you wish to take back control of your life, don’t waste your time trying to convert the diehards. Instead, work with them, live with them, respect their differences, and be thankful the world isn’t full of people exactly like you. Why make yourself crazy?

13. Don’t say it. Do it

Boasting about the wonderful things you’re going to do for yourself and others can actually be your undoing. For one, now you’re expected to do them. Secondly, if you don’t do them you appear weak, unreliable and irresponsible. If you really want to impress people, don’t reveal what you intend to do… but simply do it. They’ll be surprised and pleased with your accomplishment, and even more moved by your modestly. And if for some reason you can’t get it done, no one will be the wiser. Why make yourself crazy?

14.  Always be equipped for an emergency

This is an important step when you wish to take back control of your life. You only need to do this once. In your car, keep a first-aid kit, jumper cables, flares, flashlight, blankets, and a fire extinguisher. Home: a first-aid kit, fire extinguishers, flashlights, candles, and a portable radio. Sports bag: first-aid kit and instant cold packs. Take the time. Make the investment. Do it today. Even if you never use them, the peace of mind alone is worth the effort and expense. Why make yourself crazy?

15. Don’t look at your crazed schedule in its entirety

It’ll freak you out…like looking over the edge of a steep cliff. You’ll swear you’ll never live through it. And stress yourself big time fretting over it. Calm down. Focus only on what you need to accomplish over the next day or so. Deal with each event as it comes. You’ll find that things have a way of sorting themselves out, refreshing breaks do sometimes open up, and other options will present themselves. Your kitchen calendar [or electronic scheduler] can look far more frightening than it really is. One thing at a time. Why make yourself crazy?

16. Be a slug one day a week

Especially if you’re a jackrabbit the other six. Sleep late. Languish in bed with the newspapers. Don’t answer the phone. Go out for brunch. It’s okay. It’s not a crime. In fact, considering how you normally abuse yourself, it’s downright virtuous. Even better, designate a day the whole family can be slugs. No shuttling the kids around frantically. No social calendar to be slave to. One way to take back control of your life is to just let things happen… lazily and naturally. It will leave you more energized and better prepared to tackle the week ahead. Why make yourself crazy?

17. Don’t let routine tasks become urgent ones

Don’t wait until: you’re out of underwear before you do your laundry; the fridge is empty before you go shopping; the cell phone dies before you recharge it. That routine task will quickly become a critical one at a time when you can least afford to deal with it. And saddle you with exasperating stress when none should exist. Keep tabs on what might soon need attention and take care of it before it rears up and bites up. Why make yourself crazy?

18. Be on time

Lateness can signal a lack of respect for those you keep waiting. At least, that’s how they might view it. However acceptable you think lateness has become, you can bet it still grates on those whose time is compromised. Aside from that, constantly running late is a stress factory. It’ll fry your nerves, make you prone to errors and accidents, weaken your immune system, age you prematurely. Get hooked on the relaxed, liberating feeling of being ahead of schedule. All it takes is planning, practice and empathy for others. Everyone wins when you’re on time. Why make yourself crazy?

19. Make the “I’m running late” phone call

When it’s fairly certain you’re not going to arrive on time, make the call. Let others know in advance you’ll be delayed. It accomplishes several things. You’ll experience an immediate unburdening of stress and a sense of relief. You won’t be keeping people hanging, fuming and wondering where you are. Your alert will allow them to alter their plans accordingly. And by the time you arrive, they will have appreciated your courtesy, adjusted to the situation and be more agreeable with you. So don’t just arrive way overdue and try to minimize it with a trite “Sorry I’m late.” Call ahead and let them know you’re delayed. Why make yourself crazy?

20. Don’t expect gratitude

You may get it, but don’t expect it. Accept that a lot of your good efforts will go unacknowledged. [And your kids will never fully appreciate you until they have children of their own!] Today, people mostly take notice when things go wrong… and take the rest for granted. So rather than repeatedly setting yourself up for disappointment, don’t expect accolades. Do it because it’s right, because it pleases you, because your reward should derive from the fruit of your labours, not the arbitrary whim of disinterested recipients. And when that infrequent expression of thanks does come your way, it will be that much sweeter. Why make yourself crazy?

21. Tell people what you expect of them

How else are they going to know what you want? And how to deliver it? When you’re the boss, the customer, the parent, the teacher… you can’t be vague or timid. You have to be clear, firm and decisive. Don’t be shy about giving orders or afraid you’ll ruffle some feathers. And you have every right, indeed obligation, to give it. You can save yourself and others a lot of frustration when you simply take command and let them know what you expect. Why make yourself crazy?

22. Don’t answer your morning emails right away

Read them, but don’t answer them—unless there’s an immediate fire to put out. They’ll sap your time and the mental energy needed for more important tasks. Save them for later when you need a break. Responding will be easier then, too, since your subconscious will be working on them all the while. [Notice how you instantly know what to say when you revisit them.] Personal messages and jokes can be especially insidious and take a big chunk out of your day. They’re like electronic water coolers. And try not to interrupt your workflow every time a new message arrives. Wait till you’ve got a bunch. The objective here: fewer distractions, more focus, less stress. Why make yourself crazy?

23. Leave yourself an extra day at the end of your vacation

Enjoy a day of transition at home to unpack, read your mail, do your laundry, reconnect with others, catch up on things, or simply relax… before heading back to work. Thrusting yourself right into your busy routine without a breather is asking for the same stress you were trying to escape in the first place. That extra day of reentry and re-acclimation can make a huge difference. Take it. Why make yourself crazy?

24. Don’t be so thin-skinned

Why let an off-the-cuff remark or minor criticism rankle you to the degree it leaves you tense, angry and unable to focus on much else? Develop a hide thick enough so that verbal slights bounce right off and get only the minimal attention they deserve. [Sometimes we misconstrue what was said, too.] Overblown reactions create unnecessary stress and negative energy. To what purpose? You can bet the off-putting remark isn’t bothering the person who delivered it! To take back control of your life, don your emotional flak-jacket and accept that you can’t always please everyone. Why make yourself crazy?

25. Lose that jarring morning alarm

If your alarm clock shocks you out of bed each day with a sudden, loud, jangling noise, you could be doing yourself harm—starting the day with a burst of unwanted stress hormones. Try one of those new wake-up clocks that lift you gently out of sleep with natural sounds like ocean surf, birds, rainfall, or babbling brooks. Some even have pleasant chime sequences that gradually increase in volume. Or wake up to an unobtrusive radio station. Set a melodious rather than dissonant note for the day. Why make yourself crazy?

26. Improve your posture

Try not to slouch. Because when you slouch—for example, slunk low in your office chair, hunched over while walking, or ensconced deeply in the cushions of your couch—it impedes the flow of blood, makes breathing more difficult, contributes to a feeling of stressful incapacity that makes it harder to hoist yourself to a task. Snap to it. Sit up straight. Profit from the energy and alertness of a good healthy posture. Why make yourself crazy?

27. Seek professional help for major stress problems

The stress we deal with here is the everyday stress, the retail stress that we more or less bring on ourselves and thus have the power to eliminate ourselves. But sometimes there are major stressful events in our lives we don’t have control over—an illness, death of a loved one, marriage breakup, loss of a job, depression, abusive relationship—that require the help of a professional therapist. In such cases, don’t put off seeking assistance, or believe that casual stress remedies are going to do the trick. There are people out there who can make an extraordinary difference in helping you get through a difficult time. Seek their counsel; they will help you take back control of your life. Why make yourself crazy?

28. Don’t talk so fast

Have you noticed how much faster the pace of normal conversation is becoming? How we rush our words, leaving no openings, anxious to complete a thought before someone else rushes in? Often having to scold our listeners with “let me finish”? It’s a sign of our hurried times. And as much as fast talking is driven by stress, it can cause stress, too. Rapid speech is highly contagious. It’s less effective, hard to follow and easily misconstrued. No matter how fast the other guy is blathering on, slow down, speak deliberately… replace speed with firmness and clarity. You’ll stay more calm and communicate more forcefully. Why make yourself crazy?

29. Set up a stress relief fund

Put aside some money, and stock it away somewhere in your house where it will be available at a moment’s notice. This is not vacation money, not typical fun money and should not be used capriciously. But when things really start cranking up and you’re all but fried…break into your emergency stress fund. Go out and do something totally unplanned and indulgent. Whether it’s a favourite restaurant, store, nightclub, sporting event, whatever… is up to you. But when things are getting too insane, declare yourself a disaster area and send in some aid. Why make yourself crazy?

30. Alternate mental and physical activities

If you work at a desk all day, don’t sit in front of TV all night. Do something active. If your job is physical, or involves being on your feet or running around, relax and exercise your mind [like reading a book] during the off hours. If our work involves both mental and physical aspects, try alternating the two throughout the day. What this does is add balance and vitality to your life. It’s more energizing, stress-reducing and healthier overall. It’s easy to get stuck in a single monotonous mode—like moving from chair to chair all day—and suppress your other self. It’s essential to exercise both your mind and body. Why make yourself crazy?

The post 30 tools to help you take back control of your life appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

7 decluttering mistakes to avoid

1. Procrastinating

Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions. Waiting for the right time that may never come will only make matters worse. It will only lead to more stuffocation and stress. When you feel like you don’t have enough space in your wardrobe to keep that new dress that you just bought is generally a tad bit late to start the decluttering process as more stuff means more work, more decisions to be made, more time needed and hence further procrastination.

Did I say late? I apologise because it is never too late. But the point I am trying to make is that if the decluttering exercise isn’t done in time, it just makes the entire process even more daunting. I recommend diving into a declutter every season change [apart from life events like birth of a baby, major weight loss, location move etc.], because this is the ideal time to move clothes that you may not wear again for a good few months either into the storage or the donation box.

2. Diving in unplanned and without a schedule

One of the biggest decluttering mistakes people make is just starting to clean out their wardrobes without a plan. This leads to absolute chaos and, more likely than not, after spending hours slogging in front of your wardrobe you will be left with perhaps a slightly-organised-but-still-cluttered wardrobe as before.

I recommend drawing up a plan and scheduling some time in advance. I usually list out what I want to achieve from the exercise e.g. accessibility to outfits, categorisation of spread out items, clearing out the odds, donating not-in-use pieces etc. Then I buy some appropriate storage like bins, baskets, shelves, bags etc. and keep these ready before I start the exercise. This helps because if you want to categorise items or divide shelves,  you don’t have to abandon your decluttering exercise mid way.

Also, taking some time out exclusively for the project would mean that you do not get distracted by the doorbell or your favorite TV series.

Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions

3. Asking the wrong question

Most often, people do not see the need to declutter because they have enough space for the clutter. But clutter is clutter even when hidden behind the garage door or in the loft storage. The main question that one should be asking oneself is not “Do I have the space for it?” but “Do I need it?”

Answering this simple question isn’t always easy. You need to ask yourself a series of guiding questions that will lead you to answer the question “do I need it?”. Some examples are:

• “Do I use it regularly?”
• “Do you have more than one?”
• “Can something else that I have replace it?”
• “Am I saving it just in case?”

The questions really depend on your wardrobe, amount of clutter, style and so on and these often vary from person to person. But the key principal is to ultimately be able to answer the basic question which is “Do I really really, really need it?” Finally remember, “When in doubt, throw it out!”

4. Confusing decluttering with organising

This is another of the common decluttering mistakes people make—they start the process very enthusiastically but, as it progresses, it ends up becoming more of a cleaning and organising exercise than a decluttering one. This happens because people think of organising as decluttering. Clean, neatly stacked clutter is also clutter. Anything that doesn’t add value to your life and is taking up space, time and money to upkeep and maintain is clutter. It doesn’t matter if it is stacked up neatly in pretty labelled boxes.

5. Keeping items for emotional reasons

I noticed this about myself: I used to hoard a lot of stuff, especially pieces of garments, for emotional reasons. Pieces that didn’t fit me anymore in the hope of losing weight—my first business suit; an out-of-fashion piece from my trousseau—the list is endless. I hoarded all these only to throw them away a few years later. This could be due to lack of space, or pieces going out of fashion or because of a change in the way I viewed certain life events.

When I look back I feel like I held on to so much unnecessary negative energy in the form of clutter for no practical reason, only to clean it out one fine day without hesitation. If only I were practical during my previous declutter exercises, I would be rid of this clutter much earlier. Also the items could have been used by someone else rather than being hoarded in my dusty wardrobe. Today, I follow this one rule: “It has to go if I haven’t used it in 12 months”.

Clean, neatly stacked clutter is also clutter

6. Not categorising items

The ultimate aim of a decluttered wardrobe is to be able to access your garment pieces and place them back after the laundry without any stress in the least amount of time, while at the same time making your wardrobe look neat and pretty. This is not entirely possible without categorising/grouping the garments. If you keep your shirts, pants, dresses all neatly folded and ironed on one shelf they may look neat. But over time you are bound to pull out a white dress when you are looking for that smart white shirt just before an important morning meeting.

Grouping also helps the decluttering effort. For example, when you put all your shirts in a pile together, you will immediately know if you have more than a few and this will make it easier for you to let go of the ones that don’t fit that well or have started looking weary over time. This will help to make the decision of letting go of extras.

7. Going back on a shopping spree immediately after decluttering

Obviously you will create space after a decluttering exercise. But that is the point. The reason we engage in this exercise is to clear out unwanted stuff so that there is enough space for what matters. Don’t mistake it for extra space, because it is not. One of the biggest decluttering mistakes many of us make is buy more garments as soon as there is little extra space available in the wardrobe. We have become used to spending money we haven’t yet earned on things we don’t need to impress people that don’t matter. Tame that shopaholic in you! Believe me life feels fuller and more beautiful with less. Less really is more.

The post 7 decluttering mistakes to avoid appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

If you had told me years ago I’d be writing full-time about clutter-free living, I would have said you were crazy. And if I didn’t have the chance to say it, my wife would have done it for me. We had been together for too many years, she knew me too well, and organising was not in my blood. It was painfully obvious.

I’ve lived most of my life as a terribly disorganised person. And to make it worse, I’m a bit of a pack rat by nature and way too forgetful for my own good. Every morning, if I wasn’t searching for my car keys, I was looking for my shoes, my belt, or my watch. Chances were, they were never in the place they belonged and even if they were, I would have never thought to check there first.

Here’s what turned by life around

Five years ago, everything changed. A light-bulb clicked. And I owe it all to a five-year-old.

Now, I write about simplicity and organisation full-time on my blog, Becoming Minimalist. I’ve promoted living with less on television, radio, newspaper, and various venues all around the world. I stand as living proof that anybody can become an organised person, live clutter-free, and find a better, more-freeing life because of it.

But for me, it started with an incredibly important lesson I learned one morning while trying to clean out my garage with my son.

I remember it quite well. It was a spring weekend in Vermont. I woke up early that Saturday with one goal in mind: clean the garage. After the long, cold winter, I knew it was going to be an all-day project. So I set my alarm early to get a good start.

My wife and I had decided to spend our spring weekend cleaning the house from top to bottom. After all, that’s what disorganised [and organised] families do in the springtime, right? It’s the same thing that Indian families do just before a big festival like Diwali. And we were, by definition, just your standard, run-of-the-mill, middle-class family of four living in the suburbs.

The project started harmlessly enough as we set out to begin cleaning the garage. I invited my son to help me not because I thought he’d be super-helpful, but because I wanted to spend some time with him after working all week. For some reason, I thought he’d enjoy pulling out everything from the garage, hosing it down, and moving everything back in. Boy, was I mistaken!

If I recall correctly, he lasted about four minutes [and that may be on the generous side]. To be fair, he did pull out one blue bin full of summer toys. But while reaching for the next plastic bin, he noticed his baseball bat and whiffle ball. And he decided to quit. He grabbed his bat and ball, looked me in the eye, and said, “Can I go to the backyard and play?”

Reluctantly, I agreed as I headed back into the garage to grab more stuff. I lamented the fact that the quality time I had hoped to spend with him lasted only four minutes.

I stand as living proof that anybody can become an organised person, live clutter-free, and find a better, more-freeing life because of it.

Three hours later

Nearly three hours later, I was still working on the same garage—my son still in the backyard, now swinging on the swing set. My neighbour, who happened to be outside working on her home at the same time, noticed my growing frustration. She turned to me and said sarcastically, “Oh, the joys of home ownership.”

I responded by saying, “Well, you know what they say, ‘The more stuff you own, the more your stuff owns you’.” Her next sentence struck a chord with my mind, heart, and soul. It eventually changed the course of my life forever.

She responded, “Yeah, that’s why my daughter is a minimalist. She keeps telling me I don’t need all this stuff!”

I had never heard the word minimalist before. But after working all morning in my garage, it sounded surprisingly attractive. And in that moment, everything changed.

My son… my garage… my growing frustration… it all started to make sense and pointed to one incredibly valuable, life-changing lesson: Living life is more enjoyable than managing and organising stuff!

It was the lesson my five-year-old son knew far better than me and had tried to teach me when he ran into the backyard. But I didn’t see it. At least, not until my neighbour identified the roadblocks keeping me from that type of freedom.

Life would be better lived if there was less stuff to manage and organise and clean, I realised. Not only were my possessions not bringing me joy, they were actually distracting me from the very things that did.

Nearly three hours later, I was still working on the same garage—my son still in the backyard, now swinging on the swing set

And a minimalist was born

Along with my wife and two kids, we immediately began going through each room, closet, and drawer in our home; removing as many unneeded items as possible. The goal was to live with only the possessions we needed or loved. And from that day forward, rather than seeking to live with more and more stuff in our home, we have tried to live with less and less.

As a result, we have found cleaning to be easier, organising to be less painful, and managing our life less stressful. We have discovered more time to be together and more opportunity to live life in the backyard, rather than cleaning out the garage.

Suddenly, living clutter-free didn’t seem so difficult. Drawers had plenty of room. Closets had space to breathe. Toy rooms were less crowded. Clean-up was a snap. And the house almost always looked cleaned.

I became an organised person with a passion to inspire others to live more life by owning less stuff. And my five-year-old son had held the secret all along: living life is indeed far more enjoyable than managing and organising stuff!

There is more joy to be found in owning less than can ever be found in organising more.

This is a foundational understanding that is rare in our culture. Our society has trained us to think just the opposite. But it is important to take a step back and rethink our passion for possessions.

The post The birth of a minimalist appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

We may not give it much thought, but a neat and well-organised refrigerator not only makes it easier for us to fetch things from it when we need them but also keeps the food fresh for long. Here’s how you can do it:

Arrange the shelves

Clean the shelves well and then rearrange them smartly such that your refrigerator is more functional and better suited to your needs. If the arrangement of the shelves is right, then your refrigerator will have more air-circulation and will also look neat and tidy. At least one shelf in the fridge should be able to accommodate tall containers. And you can keep one for the smaller bottles and cans.

At least one shelf in the fridge should be able to accommodate tall containers

Use shelf liners

Spills happen all the time and cleaning the fridge shelf after a spill can be a tedious process. Protect your refrigerator from spills by using shelf liners. There are many shelf liners available in the market like soft towels, cling wrappers, white vinyl, plastic transparent liners etc. Take your pick! Whenever a spill happens on the shelf, it’s easier to remove the liner and clean it, that removing the shelf out. Plus, shelf liners add a colourful touch to your refrigerator.

Place similar items together

Arrange your food items based on their category, type or usage and designate a fixed place for them in your refrigerator. For example, place your fruits in the low humidity drawer, condiments in one place, and milk and other beverages in another place. This will help you to easily find the items you need. You can also use trays to further compartmentalise the items. Choose trays that are not too bulky and do not take more space by themselves. So you could place all the condiments in one tray, sauces in another and so on.

Use containers the right way

• Prefer square and rectangle shapes. Store items in square or rectangle containers because they can be stacked well and would also fit into the corners easily. Also make sure that the containers are covered securely.
• Choose see-through containers. See-through containers are best because you know what is inside the container and what you are looking for. It also saves you the trouble of labelling the containers.
• Prefer glass containers. Glass containers are eco-friendly and allow you to reheat  food in them to high temperatures.
• Use matching colour containers. This is not a must, but it’s a simple trick to make your refrigerator look beautiful and well organised. For example, you could coordinate white and blue containers or same colour containers.
• ‘Use me soon’ tray. For foods that need to be consumed within a week or so, place them in a specific tray that is meant only for items that are soon to perish. This way there will be no wastage and you won’t have to keep a list of those items on the top of your mind.

Use freezer bags or green bags

Save space in your refrigerator by storing food in air-tight bags, freezer bags or green bags.

Freezer bags. Store your food items in freezer bags that are free from BPA [Bisphenol A]. Freezer bags are inexpensive and available in different sizes. Also, they can be easily stacked and labelled.

Green bags. Use green bags to store vegetables and fruits, as they tend to keep them fresh for longer.

Use bottle stacker

It’s very likely that you will run out of space to keep bottles in your fridge door and will then need to use the shelves. To prevent the bottles from rolling to and fro on the shelf use a bottle stacker. These can be used to place your wine, soft drinks and ever ketchup bottles. These stackers also hold cans well. You can get it as a flexible rubber mat.

Label containers and shelves

Label containers. Use food storage labels or a marker to write down the item name and the date it is packed in the container. By this, every three days you could do a random check and clean the refrigerator by removing the unwanted containers.

Label shelves. If you have many drawers and bins, label all of them just to identify and replace the food items easily. This habit will prove useful after you’ve just got your groceries and are stocking up the fridge. Instead of randomly dumping things in any shelf, labels will make sure that each item has its designated place. Likewise, you could also store food in a bin and label it as “Kids” so that your kids could reach them easily.

Require cool air circulation

In order to prevent your food from spoiling too early and to maintain your food at a safe temperature, avoid overloading your refrigerator with a lot of food. Cool air needs to circulate to keep food at the required temperature.

Organise items based on humidity and temperature

Store food items that spoil easily like curd, desserts, fresh cream and ripe fruits on the coldest shelf. Fruits could be stored in the low humidity drawer while vegetables could be kept on the high humidity drawer.

Small items ahead

Always place big items at the back of the refrigerator and the small ones in front, so that you can clearly see what you have. This also helps to avoid wastage of food items.

Store only necessary fruits and veggies

Some fruits and vegetables like onions and potatoes do not need refrigeration. They can be safely stored on your kitchen countertop for two to three weeks. This way, you could have more room in your refrigerator for food that does require refrigeration.

The post Tips and hacks to help you make the most of your refrigerator appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Here are seven easy ideas for a happy and healthy kitchen

1. Free from clutter

Keep the kitchen clutter-free and make sure that you actually use everything that is stowed away in your cupboards. The kitchen is a hub of activity, a place to enjoy food and conversation. The atmosphere should be fresh, warm and bright.

2.  The stove beside the fridge

If your stove and refrigerator are next to each other, then you should create a symbolic distance between them. A great deal of conflict is generated when there is mixing of the energy of the hot fire element represented by the stove and the cold water element represented by the refrigerator. To fix this, you can either put a mirror on the refrigerator facing out toward the stove, which symbolically pushes the refrigerator away and expands the stove area, or you can place a faceted crystal between the two to create a balance. Also, if you have the space, you can put some plants between the fridge and stove to create an energetic barrier.

3. The sink

Keep the sink clean and unblocked with a stopper in it when not in use. Make sure that the garbage disposal unit is working well if you have one.

4. Knives

Keep your knives safely away in a drawer or in a knife block.

5. The view

Hang a crystal in the kitchen window as it attracts energy from outside and serves to deflect any negativity in case you have an unsightly view out of your window.

6. Under the sink

Be aware of what poisons are located underneath your sink. If you were to take all the cleaning products that you have under your sink and pour them all into a bucket, you would probably find huge amounts of poisonous chemicals. Many of these products are extremely toxic. They are dangerous to inhale or may cause an adverse reaction if they get on your skin, excluding the fact that they are extremely poisonous if swallowed. There are so many ecologically friendly products available in the market now that it makes much more sense to replace the toxic products you currently own with ones that are much safer to have in your home. They might vary in price slightly, but it is definitely worth limiting the amount of poison you keep under your sink, and in case you want to keep it cheap, you can always use products like baking soda, borax, white vinegar and cornstarch.

7. Inside your refrigerator

If you tend to buy food in packets or jars, then get into a habit of reading what is on the label. The more real ingredients in a product, the better it is for you. Conversely, the more a product label reads like a chemistry experiment, the worse the product is for you. If you don’t know what a word on the label means, then look it up. If there are additives in something, be aware that they won’t provide your body with the nutrients it needs for health or energy. As a rule of thumb, you will tend to find more additives in foods that have low nutritional value. If you find you really can’t do without your favourite food, at least try to find a more natural alternative.

Excerpted with permission from How happy is your home? by Sophie Keller; published by Harlequin.

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I didn’t quit cold turkey; it was a gradual transition that started in an Environmental Studies course during my senior year at NYU. A classmate of mine would pull out a plastic bag filled with a plastic box of food, plastic utensils, a plastic bag of chips and a drink—you guessed it—in a plastic bottle. I’d watch her, class after class, throw it all into the garbage and I would get really upset.

One night I was feeling particularly frustrated after watching her and went home to make dinner. I opened my fridge only to realise that every single thing that I had in there was packaged in plastic. Oops!

There I was, an Environmental Studies student, constantly talking about how much I loved sustainability, getting upset at this girl that was plastic-ing everything, and it turned out I was that girl too! I felt like an absolute hypocrite. So I made the decision to quit using plastic.

Parting with plastic didn’t just mean eliminating plastic food packaging from my life; it meant evaluating all of the things that I used that were conventionally packaged in plastic and finding alternatives to them. When I couldn’t find products like toothpaste in plastic-free or recyclable packaging, I started to research recipes to make them myself.

While researching alternatives to my everyday products, I came across a blog called Zero Waste Home that was started by Bea Johnson, a woman with two kids, a husband and zero trash. I was amazed. I thought, if a family of four can live without trash, I can too. So I took a leap and committed to going ‘Zero Waste’.

When I couldn’t find products like toothpaste in plastic-free or recyclable packaging, I started to research recipes to make them myself

How did I do this?

Instead of buying packaged food, I began to shop in bulk. As opposed to buying beauty, cleaning and home products, I had to learn to make them myself. This proved to be a bit of a challenge as I definitely didn’t have a recipe for deodorant hanging about in my back pocket. I had to mess around with over six different deodorant recipes before I found one that worked well for me. In fact, I didn’t have any of the recipes I needed for any of the products I used. But that presented a fun challenge and I began to think about it as a game. Yesterday I transitioned away from toothpaste tubes, today I’m going to learn how to make my own lotion! Every new product that I learned to make was a step towards my Zero Waste goal and it was extremely exciting.

Ultimately I went from a girl that was constantly talking about how much she cared about sustainability, to one that actually lives that way.

Over the past few years I have learned some great ideas that even others can take to lessen their daily trash output.

STEP 1 » Evaluate your trash

When I first started my transition towards becoming Zero Waste, I took a peek into my trash can and understood what was in there. For me, it was predominantly food packaging and food waste and so I thought about ways to eliminate them.

To get rid of food packaging, I began buying my food unpackaged from the farmers market and my local grocery store. Instead of buying, say, baby carrots that came in a plastic bag, I bought whole carrots, which came without any packaging. I also learned to bring jars and cotton bags to buy bulk items like grains and beans.

To eliminate food waste, I began composting. I would take my food scraps, put them in a bowl and place it in my freezer so they did not smell in my fridge. I would then take them to my local compost drop off at the farmers’ market every Saturday.

STEP 2 » The low hanging fruit

This step covers the more superficial but high-impact steps that one can take towards lessening their trash output. What you have to do is:

• Carry reusable bags to the store as opposed to taking plastic or paper bags
• Use a reusable water bottle instead of plastic water bottles
• Bring a mason [jam-sized] jar or reusable mug to the coffee shop as opposed to using a disposable cup
• Say NO to disposable plastic straws at bars, coffee shops, or juice shops and use a metal, glass or bamboo straw
• Pack your own lunch in reusable containers and eat it with real silverware as opposed to disposable plastic forks and spoons.

STEP 3 » Do it yourself

Lots of everyday products come packaged in non-recyclable or difficult-to-recycle packaging. Instead of trying to buy products and figure out if they are being recycled properly, I learned how to make them myself. I started out with something that was simple and easy like toothpaste. I then moved on to products like deodorant, moisturiser and even cleaning products.

Becoming Zero Waste is not something you can do in a day, but decreasing the amount of trash you produce is something that can happen right now with a few simple steps. You might even find that you save money, have more time in your day and feel great!

The post Here’s how you live a trash-free life appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

We are overwhelming ourselves at the moment. We have been convinced for a long time that more is better. And I certainly applaud the effort that is being made to help people get it under control. But the truth is I have yet to see an article that deals with the root cause, which is two-fold.

Stop hoarding!

As long as we keep bringing in and getting more stuff, feeling like our value is in things, the clutter and the feeling of being overwhelmed will never go away.

Consumption has become the American way. It defines us. And, as an American, I see how my country has bullied the world into the same insanity. America needs to change this image for it is in an identity crisis. Not only does our obsession with possession cause us stress and confusion, overwhelm us and take our time, money and energy, it is also the cause of the depletion of our natural resources. It’s all connected.

We are overwhelming ourselves at the moment. We have been convinced for a long time that more is better

A few years ago I helped lead a spiritual tour to India and now a piece of my heart will forever beat there. I experienced both, the profound poverty and newfound affluence, a shocking juxtaposition. I also experienced what I think of as the ‘soul’ of India. It is a kind of humble simplicity, a purity of heart. The ancient wisdom of the Vedas still moves through and affects daily life. Meditating on the shores of the river Ganges at sunrise is a favourite memory of mine that I constantly go back to. Watching the yogis practice in the golden light, listening to the recognisable chanting and the ecstatic shouts from those who joined in, plays over and over again in my mind like a favourite song.

It is my heartfelt prayer that abundance continues to come to India for there is great need there too. However, the insane truth is that we in America need what India has as much as India needs what we have. Maybe we can meet each other in between.

Do you really ‘need’ that?

The root cause of all the clutter is a poverty of the soul. We keep thinking, here in America, that we can buy our happiness. That we can buy our children’s love. That with enough money, and the stuff it buys, we can fix anything. Well, we’ve tried that. We’ve beat that idea all to heck and it hasn’t worked. I believe we are starting to come full circle though. Yoga and meditation is becoming more popular every day. But it can’t happen soon enough. We must slow down and breathe. We must find our essence once again.

While in India, I learned a very painful and profound lesson. I did not consider myself a greedy person. I don’t think many of us do. However, my definition of greedy has changed. I now define greed as what is seen anytime someone has way more than what they actually need, and yet they still use the word ‘need’ regularly when referring to things like clothes, pizza, sunglasses, cars, art, electronics, and so on. This use of the word ‘need’ has no relationship to the actual definition of the word. When I use the word in this way, then I have become greedy in my neediness. I call it ‘needy greedy’!

There is another word I have often misused which is similar to need: starve. When I say ‘I’m starving’ when referring to food, it’s like saying ‘I need’ when referring to a pair of pants when there’s a closet full at home.

The root cause of all the clutter is a poverty of the soul. We keep thinking, here in America, that we can buy our happiness

Moment of truth

While co-facilitating the spiritual pilgrimage to India, it was actually on the way to the river Ganges where my mind was forever altered. There was a thick fog as we wandered through the dirt roads and skinny alleyways in the old city of Varanasi. As the sun pushed through, it appeared that the fog itself was emitting a golden light from within. This light reflected off the old walls and temples that make up much of the cities in India. The only sound was that of our footsteps on dirt as we meandered toward the river.

There were 40 or so of us tourists wearing fanny packs, sneakers and sunblock. I hadn’t had much to eat for several days because, when in India, I discovered, you eat pretty much the same food every day. And I, unfortunately, was no longer feeling very grateful for my meals. I had even skipped breakfast that morning. As we neared the ‘Mother Ganga’, I thought several times to myself, I’m starving! I had said this more than once out loud over the last few days.

Then many yards in front of me, from out of the golden light, a person came into view pushing an old wheelbarrow. The dark shadow, silhouetted by the sunlight behind it, looked like a skeletal hanger whose ragged clothes were draped over it. There was something in the wheelbarrow, but I couldn’t make it out, maybe it was wood for one of the many cremation ceremonies.

Whatever it was, we were headed right for one another. I wanted to change trajectory, but my efforts were thwarted by something bigger than my own will. Just a few feet away from the wheelbarrow now, I strained to see what its contents were. As I glanced downward, it moved. A man, who looked older than life itself, struggled to lift his head and open his eyes. He was starving to death, with less skin and bones than the emaciated person pushing him. As we passed, just inches from each other, our eyes met. I saw pain, pleading and death in his eyes. Suddenly, a pang of hunger entered me that was so powerful it sucked the life force right out of my body. I felt faint and dizzy as my eyes glazed over, accompanied by a humming in my ears. I staggered over and took five steps while my left hand reached for the nearest wall to lean on. “What’s happening to me?” I thought, “God help me.”

And I believe God had done just that, but not in any way I could have known at the time. For a moment, I was starving. This is one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. Then, as soon as it came, it was gone. Simple hunger once again. Since that day I do not say “I’m starving” or “I need”. To say so is untrue. When I feel those words coming, I replace them with the truth: “I’m hungry” or “I would like”. This changes me. Then I take a moment for self-inquiry. I try to understand what my motivation is behind the “wanting”. Half the time, the truth is I don’t really want anything. I say a quick prayer for the millions of those on the planet who are actually in need and truly starving.

The gift I received from the man in the wheelbarrow that day was, maybe, the most precious gift of all—compassion. Through it, we can heal ourselves and that’s the start to healing the world.

Do not purchase or accept anything into your life unless you are sure it supports your “soul”. All the rest must go!

A time for reflection

When we say “I’m starving” or “I need”, we are giving a powerful message to our subconscious mind. The subconscious does not discern between exaggeration and truth. It takes what we think and say at face value and manifests it into our life as it sees it, taking great liberties with interpretation. “Starving” and “need” denote lack. They point to the experience of desperation, emptiness, drama, and loss. One way or another, to the degree that we say and think such things, they will play themselves out in our lives in its many and various disguises.

So, step one: Stop bringing stuff in! Do not purchase or accept anything into your life unless you are sure it supports your “soul”. All the rest must go!

And step two: You are perfect and whole, just as you are. A miracle to behold. There isn’t anything “out there” that is needed to complete you. Don’t fall for that trap as countless millions of us in America have. It truly has led to our suffering.

And so, my friends in the mystical and rapidly-changing land of India, it is my prayer that we examine the directions our lives are taking and meet somewhere in the middle. Namasté.

The post Consumerism: What do you really need? appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.