There are so many benefits to cleanliness and organization. You may not have control over everything going on in your life, but this is one thing you can control. This space is YOURS. Also, like I briefly mentioned earlier, physical clutter can add to mental clutter and make it harder to focus. Each messy item is just reminding you of all the other things you have to do. Peace comes with putting everything in its place. Lastly, a clean space can also promote healthier choices. In one study, when participants were placed in either a messy or clean room - the ones in the clean room chose healthier snacks and were more generous (Madormo, 2021). 

Did you know that here in America 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men will experience sexual violence at some point during the course of their life?

The above are all very real conversations I’ve had with myself, and two of them happen pretty regularly. Talking to ourselves is something we all do, maybe the most when we’re by ourselves.

I like a clean house. A house where surfaces are cleared off, items aren't "stored" on the floor, and things tend to lean toward the minimal versus cluttered. My kids do not share this desire. The table is the best place to put all the things.

Like many of us, I love a good checklist. The action of crossing something out or “checking” that box is satisfying! Being in school for years now, checklists are one of the only ways I can keep my sanity and organize my tasks.

One of the things that he said to us once stood out to me. He told us that fear gives us two options, which boil down to two acronyms created by author Zig Ziglar:

Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise

Have you ever found yourself lying awake at night while your mind swirls around something again and again to the point where you feel paralyzed to do anything about it?

I’m a total nerd. Geek. Weirdo. Whatever you want to call me. I’ve always loved fantasy movies, books, anime shows, etc. Let me age myself by saying that I was in elementary school when Pokemon debuted. It was a huge deal. Besides the show, everyone was collecting and trading Pokemon cards, too. Even at our age, fights broke out over this game. Pokemon trading was banned from my elementary school. Parents were called when cards were traded during recess on the sly. It was like the black market - seven-year-olds sneaking prized Charizard cards to one another under their winter coats, while hiding on the playground slide.

Last year, I had my first panic attack. At the time, I was dealing with the highest amount of anxiety I’d ever had. I had messed up on something important, and even though it could be easily fixed, at that moment, my body started to react. My heart rate spiked, my breathing started to become labored, and I was shaking. Thankfully, I noticed what was happening. I started to try and even out my breathing. In through the nose...out through the mouth. Over and over, until I had calmed down. Then came the tears. I probably sobbed for about 10-15 minutes, something I rarely do. I was so distraught about my anxiety, and I was stressed to the max.