Follow these Steps below to get an instant boost!

Step 1: Make a complete list of everything that is running around in your head taunting you with, “you’ll never get to me, you’ll never get to me.”

You know, things like that plant that needs repotting, or the thank you note that should have been written weeks ago, or that pile of papers that must be filed before something gets lost.

Now at least it is on paper and out of your head!

Step 2: Apply the Bag, Barter, Better It plan (from Martha Beck’s book, The Joy Diet) to each item.

Bag It—simply cross off anything that in the grand scheme of things is unimportant.

Barter It—find someone to do it for you.

Better It—do the task ASAP and reward yourself during or after for getting it done.

Here’s the plan in action. Bag repotting the plant because if it needs replanting it is obviously growing and thriving just fine in its current pot. Barter the filing or pay your son to do it during his free time over the Thanksgiving holiday. Better the writing of the thank you note by doing it while enjoying your favorite cup of tea, listening to your favorite song, sitting in your favorite chair and writing on your favorite and most beautiful stationary.

Step 3: Take a deep breath and enjoy the surge of energy you feel because you just tackled at least 3 things on your list.

Step 4: Keep a notebook with you and when more To Dos pop into your mind, write them down. Again this keeps them from taking up your mental space and clear mental space always equals more energy.

Still have questions about how to boost your energy sans caffeine? Ask away. Leave a comment or question below…

Santa is not the only one who needs to make a list and check it twice. That is something I am currently doing myself. And it’s not in relation to buying Christmas gifts. This year, as I have been involved in taking my business to the next level, I have arrived at a place I’m not sure I wanted to be…The Land of Overwhelm. I’m one of those people who LOVES most ideas in the moment I hear them and signs up immediately, only to wake up the next day asking, “What was I thinking?”

Have you had this experience? Do you say yes to too many things at once and then curse all the project details as you run around like a chicken with it’s head cut off trying to actually accomplish all the items you’ve stuffed onto your To Do list?

Maybe I’m the only one with this habit, but I think probably not. So here’s what I’m doing to remedy my current state of overscheduled delirium. I’m getting quiet—really quiet. I’m getting back to the practice of taking a DEEP breath, tuning into my body and getting my answers from my inner guidance system, rather than from my head, which seems to have no off switch lately!

It may seem counter intuitive to stop doing just when you have many more things to do, but that is precisely the point. When doing stops working, it is time to BE. Actually it is always most helpful to BE first, then you won’t get into a state of over-DOING.

So join me, won’t you?

Stop, breathe, and make a new list. This time only include the items that are in alignment with your body’s wisdom, which takes cues directly from your soul. As one of my mentors, Life Coach Michelle Woodward told me yesterday, give To Do list items the 24-hour test. When you hear the “next big idea,” put off deciding about it for 24-hours.

Giving yourself a break between hearing and committing, allows time to check in with your body compass.

When you check with your body, does the idea of saying yes to this or that project feel burdensome or freeing? Let that be your guide. From that centeredness, everything will fall into place, EXACTLY as is best.

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Apparently Marie Claire magazine, at least according to the TODAY Show interview I saw this morning. Marie Claire has published a story in their latest issue, about women who smoke pot on a regular basis as a form of stress reduction. The Book Editor in the TODAY Show segment reported that she smoked a joint often rather than drinking wine. When I visited the TODAY Show website for more info the headline for the story was “Professionals smoking pot: Cool or taboo?” How about “Dumb or Dumber?” Sorry I meant to say “Healthy or Unhealthy?” Obviously, I realize that I am surely pressing someone’s hot buttons here, but have we forgotten about the health risk of such behavior? I know that there are many angles from which to debate the pros & cons of marijuana use, but as a Wellness Coach I must surely look at it from the perspective of its effects on a person’s health.

When I checked the NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) website I found this information:

Effects on Lungs:

…marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, and a heightened risk of lung infections.

Effects on the Brain:

… Research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on learning and memory can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off.² As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a suboptimal intellectual level all of the time.

I don’t know about you, but I need all the brain cells I can get firing at an optimum level at all times. And I hope the many people who make critical decisions at their jobs everyday that affect my life and yours, feel the same way.

Responders to the TODAY Show pole about the subject voted 88.3% for this answer,

“Oh honestly, who cares? The taboo around pot-smoking dissipated ages ago, and this is a completely private and personal matter.”

I get that, but again from a wellness perspective I also get that people like to eat fried oreos over apples, but I don’t suggest that on a regular basis either. To me the point is this. Aren’t there better, more effective and healthful ways to “get your relaxation on”? If life is so stressful, and I know from talking to my clients that it is for many people right now, is introducing a potentially problematic substance—be it marijuana, ice cream or wine into your daily routine the best solution to the problem? I’m just saying…how about the tried and true avenues of meditation, exercise, service to others, reading, and I could go on and on. Seems to me that the issue is not how we’re “medicating” ourselves, but rather the fact that we are treating the symptoms not the problem. If stress is your problem, find long-term ways to reduce it in your life, not simply cover it up.

Just my simple thoughts on the subject, but please share yours and pass this along to your friends who might have an opinion as well. Can’t wait to hear what you think and would love to know…

How do you reduce stress?

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