Some of us get pleasantly jazzed up when we are going through change. We feel enervated and excited about what is and will be happening. However, more often, I notice that people (including me and my clients) experience a lot of stress and anxiety with change. Even if we know that we will be just fine on the other side, the not knowing and transition parts can unnerve the calmest of us. Do you remember a change you went through recently? How was the experiencing part for you? Did things go smoothly? Or, did you, at times, feel stressed and out of sorts?

As a professional organizer, the work I do with my clients is all about change. We are changing habits, transforming spaces, and rethinking busy schedules. We are working towards desired changes. It is the work and the “changing” part that can be stressful. 

How does the change-related stress show up? It might look like:

• A short fuse

• An angry burst

• Frustration

• Sadness from loss

• Overwhelm from too many choices

• Exhaustion

• Worry

• Pushback

• Canceled appointments

• Slow-paced organizing sessions

• Indecision

• Crying

• Digging in

The bottom line is that very often, when we are experiencing change, we aren’t at our best. This can be magnified if the change is unexpected or imposed on us. When we choose to change, it can still be stressful, but sometimes that positivity and motivation can help reduce the stress factor.

The situations that seem most stressful for my clients are:

• Moving

• Renovating

• Downsizing

• Losing a loved one

• Going through divorce

• Experiencing a health challenge

How can you alleviate some of the change-related stress? You can do one or more of the following:

• Acknowledge that you’re going through a transition.

• Be extra gentle with yourself.

• Focus on the basics of sleep, exercise, nutrition, and hydration.

• Reach out for professional and personal support.

• Practice saying “no.” 

• Reduce the scope of your commitments.

• Meditate.

• Adjust your expectations.

• Do something fun.

• Do something relaxing.

• Celebrate the small successes.

What else have you experienced or noticed in yourself or others when going through change? What helps you alleviate change-related stress? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to comment and join our conversation.

We’re all human, which means that worry is part of who we are. Some of us worry more than others, don't we? Perhaps that’s how we were born (nature), or maybe it’s due to how we were raised (nurture), and more likely it’s a combination of both.

There’s certainly plenty to worry about. We worry about the weather, the future, the past, what other people are doing, or not doing. We worry about our friends and family, our weight, our health, our schedules and appointments, being late or on time, and our full or empty plates. We worry about the things we have control over and those we don’t. We worry about what might happen and what didn't. There’s no shortage for the things we worry about.

One of my favorite phrases that my Uncle Lew says is,

“Let’s leave worry as a last resort.”

I love his philosophy that we don't have to rule worrying out all together, but let’s focus on the positive and only pull out the worry card if absolutely necessary.

In The Worry Cure by Robert Leahy, Ph.D., he sites one study where

“. . . worriers were asked to write down their worries over a two-week period and predict what would happen. In fact, 85 percent of the actual outcomes were positive.”

When I was in Toronto last month for the POC conference, I explored one neighborhood that was filled with artistic graffiti. I came across the “Don’t Worry!” sign spray painted on one of the buildings. I loved the strong message.

On my desk, I have a small purple eraser from the whimsical office product company, Poppin. On the eraser, printed in white letters it says,

“work happy.”

So I leave you today with these thoughts…let the worries flow elsewhere and allow the happy to come your way. I’d love to hear your thoughts. How do you manage the worry and happy in your life? Come join the conversation.