Christmas and a brand new year are just around the corner, and hopefully you will get to take a break and be able to relax and wind down. I will be having a break, although I’m certainly ‘on call’ if you want to do some decluttering and/or organising of your home, office or even the garage.

However, while I’m relishing the idea of there being nothing I have to do, and nowhere I have to go, I also like to make my time off a bit productive. So I’ve made a list of what I want to accomplish over the holiday period. The Christmas/New Year break is such a nice time to complete some projects that you may have been thinking about but just not got around to during the year. And when you don’t have huge demands on your time you’re able to focus on any projects with ease and with a few less interruptions.

[Read more…]

After our strange Spring weather, it now feels like Summer is here and we can enjoy these glorious sunny days. And now it’s warmer, it’s the perfect time to put away those heavy Winter clothes and shoes. I have always made it a practice to archive my out of season clothes partly for reasons of space, but also because I only want to see this season’s clothes in my wardrobe. It means I’m not rummaging through my entire wardrobe trying to find something to wear.

Some of you will know that my dear sister passed away a couple of months ago. While it has been a hard time getting used to no longer having her physical presence here with us, she is definitely with me every day. One of the ways she is so present is through all of the beautiful clothes I inherited from her. She was adamant that her daughter, Jo, and I should go through her wardrobe and take and enjoy her belongings. It was not a morbid process, Jo and I instead reminisced about the many fun times we went shopping with Heather… she adored shopping and her wardrobe was vast. Needless to say, Jo and I gained enough clothes between us to open a small shop.

Being a diligent declutterer, I saw this as an opportunity to update and fine tune my own wardrobe, culling the clothes I was tired of and no longer wore, and integrating Heather’s. [Read more…]

I often talk to my clients about the need for balance in life. Collins Thesaurus provides some lovely synonyms for the word ‘balance’, such as stability, composure, steadiness, and equanimity. I gained a more in depth understanding of ‘equanimity’ over a decade ago when I did my first 10 day silent meditation retreat – equanimity means calmness of mind. This concept takes on a whole new meaning when one is sitting in meditation for most of the day, in utter silence. There may be bliss in the silence, however the body complains bitterly when forced to remain in a still seated position for hours at a time. This is where one learns equanimity at a deep level.

So what does this have to do with balance? Well, I think it is important that we take time out in our busy day to take a breath, be at peace and find that calmness of mind.

Balance encompasses all areas of our lives, from business to family, friends, exercise, learning and education, and of course hobbies and fun. [Read more…]

I read an interesting article this morning in the current ‘Next’ magazine regarding the 5/2 diet, which is essentially about being ‘good’ for 2 non-consecutive days of the week, and then doing what you want to do for the remaining 5 days. The principle around the 2 non-consecutive days is that you don’t feel deprived as you know you are only doing the detox practice for 24 hours at a time.

Here are some examples given in the article: 5/2 days diet where you eat normally for 5 days of the week and have 2 days of light healthful eating; 2 days a week positively working on your relationship; 2 days a week focusing on a fitness regime; 2 days a week with no technology [that would be tough for most of us]; and the alcohol detox where you don’t drink at all for 2 days of the week. What a great idea and I think this could actually be applied in many areas of our lives.

What I love about the idea is that we’re basically thinking about good habits and actions for 2 days out of 7, which with time can potentially become practices that we decide to incorporate into even more days of the week. [Read more…]