Clean Out the Clutter...Stop the Madness! Pass it on.

With the holidays rapidly approaching, we're all on overdrive. Scurrying to get presents on time, in the mail and ordered, we wait in line, in traffic and on the phone. We're late to everything because everyone is rushing around doing the same thing! It's madness out there and if you're anything like me, it's madness within your own house, too. In my hustle to get out the door to various holiday parties last week I left cooking utensils on the counter, wrapping paper on the floor and a various assortment of holiday trimmings scattered throughout my house. Santa has officially ransacked my lovely home.

I woke up this morning, completely geared up to get a full day of work done, except I couldn't find my files, my papers or my mind. I figured I must have left it with the kitchen utensils, right next to the coffee pot on the counter. So, I filled my cup and slowly waded back into my office, trying to decide which pile of leftover mess to tackle first.

When our lives get cluttered so do our minds. Ever notice how you are more forgetful around the holidays? Easily distracted? Quickly irritated? You're cluttered. Stop the madness. Seriously. Give yourself a few moments throughout the day to breathe in and breathe out with thought. Focus on your breath, focus on something that centers you and let it go. Life is far more accessible when your own mind is up to the challenge. Let alone your spirit!

Start with the messy rooms in your house and your brain will begin to feel less cluttered. Open space, open mind. Now, take your dog for a walk, because if you're anything like me, your pets are feeding off of your anxious energy and driving you mad! Tired dog, happy owner. I have a wise friend who says that.

Now, take some more deep breathing soul treatments and make a list of things that need to get done. Remove the stress of remembering it all and put it down on paper. Decide which needs to be first and get going. Enter the snow globe of swirling flakes *ahem* snowflakes and don't mind the hustle. The new, centered and profoundly calm you can now walk through the streets of downtown and not be bothered by the madness that has infected other holiday goers.

Gifting yourself with a positive, clean environment allows you to give back far more than your checkbook can. Caring, content, courteous you is making someone's holiday right now with a smile and breath of calm, fresh air. Pass it on.

Happy Holidays and Good Cheer to you and yours,
Coach Katie