2020 has been the year of Zoom, and with it came an abundance of desk time. It’s a good thing that this professional organizer loves being in her home office. It is the place I have virtual organizing sessions with clients, write blog posts, attend workshops, pay bills, and connect with family, friends, and colleagues. My space reflects a balance of the elements that are most important to me. When I’m here, reminders that help me focus, be productive, feel calm, creative, grateful, and supported surround me.

Organization at its best happens when our environment supports what we need and want to do. After all, when you’re struggling to find a pen that works, a paper to jot a note onto, staples to replenish your stapler or a cord to recharge your device, that searching adds undue stress in your life. When your surfaces are covered with non-essentials, they detract rather than help you focus on your intentions.

If your space lacks comfort, your body and mind will become exhausted. And if your place is void of the “you” factor, it won’t honor your uniqueness.

As we wrap up one year and head into the next, this is an excellent time to consider balance and its role in your physical environment. While I’m sure you have your list of what makes you feel organized and supported in your space, I thought you’d enjoy this behind-the-scenes view of my office and the elements that help me.

If you’re curious, you can read and see more photos of how my office space came to be in Dreams Need Help, Too. Continue reading for a behind-the-scenes look at Linda’s office.

10 Elements That Add Balance

1. Inspiration 

Inspiration is present in many forms. There are the small signs or words I display around my desk, like the Anna Quindlen quote card that says, “I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.” 

My favorite inspirational books are perched visibly on the shelves, including Mindset by Carol Dweck. Other favorites include I’ll Carry the Fork by Kara Swanson, Mindfulness by Ellen Langer, Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Resilience by Linda Graham, and The Little Book of Hygee by Meik Wiking.

These visuals encourage me to continue learning, be creative, and focus on what is meaningful.

2. Technology

My Apple device trio- the iMac, iPad, and iPhone helps me communicate and stay organized. They sync with each other, which helps with productivity. If a new contact or appointment is entered on my phone, it automatically syncs with my iMac and iPad. One of the keys to using technology is having confidence in your devices and knowing where and how to access the vast amount of information you are storing.

Tech balance comes from organizing my e-files for easy retrieval and having physical and cloud-based auto back-up systems. Over the years, I’ve become increasingly dependent on technology, which has its pros and cons. One way I manage that balance is by minimizing the beeps and dings so my devices don’t interrupt me when I’m working.

3. Comfort

While I’m committed to having non-desk time for activities like walking, yoga, or meditation, I’m actually at my desk a significant amount of the time. Part of balance includes being physically comfortable.

A few things make my desk life better. I have gel-filled wrist rests for my keyboard and mouse, a purple velvet footstool for my short legs, and a navy blue velour desk chair that is soft to the touch. Good-feeling fabrics and textures matter to me.

My lighting is also comfortable with various sources, including natural light. Don’t underestimate the value of improving a few physical office essentials to increase comfort. Your body and mind will thank you.

“Organization at its best happens when our environment supports what we need and want to do.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

4. Organization 

I can’t ignore the value of the physical organization of papers, files, and supplies in feeling balanced. My office was designed to hold all the items I use regularly.

There are filing cabinets for papers, open slots for ongoing projects, and closed cabinets to store supplies like the label maker, paper pads, printer cartridges, and notecards. There are drawers for stamps, mailing labels, and eyeglasses.

Everything has a place and is at my fingertips. Pens, stapler, sticky notes, scissors, and other frequently used supplies are visible and contained on my desk. 

5. Time

Managing myself involves being time-aware. This awareness enables me to be punctual for appointments, focus on projects, take breaks, and shift gears. The clocks and timers in my office support boundaries and balance.

My tech devices display the time digitally. However, it is my large yellow analog wall clock that I rely on most. I interpret time most easily when I can see the visual representation of time moving. I also use the Time Timer and the alarm setting on my iPhone Clock app to manage my time.

6. Family

When we talk about work, the phrases work-life balance or work-family balance often emerge. Having a space that inspires and supports your work is great. However, remembering that life isn’t just about work is key.

Spending time with the people I love is essential. On display are photos of happy faces snuggled together and beautiful moments spent with my husband and kids. They exude love. My family lifts my heart and brings balance, meaning, and joy into my life.

“Having a space that inspires and supports your work is great. However, remembering that life isn’t just about work is key.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

7. Color

Color affects my mood. Even as a young girl, the color was how I interpreted the world. When curious about a place or thing, my first question was often, “What color is it?” By age five, my favorite color was purple, and it still is.

When it came time to design my office, I wanted to incorporate my color. I combined different violet hues, such as the red-violet pullout keyboard tray, the blue-violet cabinets, the muted purple filing cabinets, and the blue-fleck quartz desktop.

Being surrounded by my favorite color makes me feel happy, grateful, and balanced. How does color affect you?

8. Sparkle

Color is great, but color with sparkles is even better. I’ve always responded to light. There’s something so lovely about how sparkly things like glitter, glass, and other shiny objects reflect light. The undulating lightness brings balance and some whimsy to the darkness.

When I look around the office, my eye catches glimpses of shine from objects like the lavender glass cabinet knobs, the silver glitter-covered Eiffel Tower, or the purple sparkle pen cup.

Who says we can’t find balance in the sparkles?

9. Toys

Toys make me think about play, which is the opposite of work. A long tray of toys, which I affectionately call fidgets, is displayed under my computer screen. They include miniature buttons, clothespins, Legos, trolls, rubber ducks, maracas, egg timers, and other tiny objects. They represent a variety of colors, textures, and messages.

Why are they there? And what do they have to do with balance? When I’m in a meeting or on a call, playing with the objects helps me focus. Fiddling around in this tactile way improves my concentration. The other aspect has to do with my appreciation of small things and fun. My fidget collection provides a balance of focus and whimsy.

10. Nature

For me, feeling aliveness within extends into being surrounded by living things, like plants. So much is quiet and still in my office. Including greenery or fresh flowers adds vibrancy and balance to my space.

My oldest daughter, Allison, gave me a beautiful wooden stand that displays a miniature ceramic pot and an air plant. The plant is the sweetest little thing, and it makes me think of my daughter and how she has blossomed.

The tiny plant also reminds me to nurture and care for it and others. The balance lies in doing and not doing, watering but not overwatering, and nurturing but not smothering. 

As we end one year and shift to the new one, how will you bring balance into your life? Have you considered the ways your space supports or disrupts your balance? What one change can you make to improve your physical space? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

This week is Thanksgiving. We’re experiencing a collective array of emotions such as sadness and disappointment because we can’t celebrate in person with our family and friends. Or, on the other end of the spectrum, we might feel joy and resolve that we’ve figured out new ways to mark the holidays. This isn’t a normal holiday season with the pandemic still in full force. I don’t know about you, but as someone who looks forward to our family tradition of hosting a large Thanksgiving gathering, I struggled with not having it this year.

Recently, during a conversation with our oldest daughter, Allison, she said that we’re experiencing a collective cognitive dissonance. What our heart wants and what our mind knows the safe choice to be is in conflict. In that one sentence, she summed up what I was feeling. This push-pull of what I wanted versus what I knew was the right thing to do. I’m not judging. People will decide what “right” means for them. For our family, it meant not having an in-person gathering.

How do we shift from a place of sadness to one where we can enjoy this season in the midst of a pandemic? I have a five ideas to help. I’d love to know what you are experiencing and planning, so please share your stories too.

5 Ways to Enjoy Pandemic-Time Holidays

Express Gratitude

We often refer to this time of year as the season of gratitude. Let’s focus on gratitude for what is, instead of what isn’t. We can feel grateful for the people we love, even if we can’t be physically together. Those who have found ways to safely gather, and we can be grateful for our smaller pods. Gratitude is present in our connections, love, good health, breath, and humanity. There is so much to be grateful for, even during a pandemic. 

Give Permission

My friend and colleague, Yota Schneider, offered a “Home for the Holidays” retreat to create a space for people to process their thoughts and feelings about this atypical holiday season. I signed up, and it was just what I needed. I felt camaraderie with the other attendees as we shared our challenges, ideas, and possibilities. Yota is so wise. She said, “Our capacity for love and celebration cannot be diminished.” She asked us to consider, “Can I give myself permission to celebrate in a new way?”  At that moment, something released within me. I wrote down, “Permission granted.  – Linda S.” That single question helped me open my heart and thoughts, and to gift myself permission to lean into celebration without judgment, doubt, or reservation.

“Our capacity for love and celebration cannot be diminished.”

— Yota Schneider

Get Creative

Maybe you’re like me, and you’re not having a large Thanksgiving gathering this year. My husband and I have hosted this holiday for many years, and it’s one we love and look forward to. To keep everyone safe, we knew it was a no-go. With help from our daughters, we figured out another way of celebrating. We’re having a virtual Thanksgiving meal with our daughters and their partners.

We’ll cook in advance in our own homes. We’ve exchanged one recipe each and will make those basic four recipes and then anything else we want for our meals. We’ll have the same “shared” food and some different dishes too- sausage stuffing from Steve, a special salad from Allison, brown butter cardamom cookies from Cassie, and cranberry sauce from yours truly. Then on Zoom, we’ll eat, talk, toast from our homes, and be together in a safe yet connected way.

We also set up two Zoom calls for the Friday after Thanksgiving to “be together” with our kids, siblings, nieces, and nephews.

Make Favorites

Aside from being with family and friends, Thanksgiving is about the food. I’m salivating just thinking about the smells and tastes of turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and apple and pumpkin pies. Steve and I realized that we could still make our favorite dishes even if we didn’t have the entire crew over. Why not? Since it will just be the two of us, I thought that I should scale back and only make one pie. But I’m going to lean in, go for it, and make both. It’s not just about eating, but the enjoyment of baking too. We’ll have lots of yummy leftovers.

“The initial sadness for not being able to gather has morphed into positive anticipation for the ways we’ve reimagined the holiday.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

Anticipate Celebration

The unexpected outcome is that I’m now enjoying texting, emailing, and talking with the family about our virtual get-togethers and plans. Everyone is happy that we’ve found a way to share the love and connect, even from a distance. My heart feels full, like it usually does before, during, and after in-person events. I’m feeling that holiday spirit and extra warmth that comes from spending time with our family. The initial sadness for not being able to gather has morphed into positive anticipation. I’m looking forward to the way we reimagined Thanksgiving this year. 

How are you doing with your holiday planning? Will your holidays be different this year, or the same as usual? What changes have you made? What are you looking forward to? I’d love to hear your thoughts and stories. I invite you to join the conversation.

Another week has passed as we navigate and adjust to the rapidly changing COVID-19 world crisis. More schools, local stores, restaurants, and industries have shut down, and additional closures are coming. We’re learning how to stay in place as we manage the new realities of family, health, work, or the lack thereof. Each one of us will be touched if we haven’t already, by loss of loved ones, income, and life as we knew it. People have described the “brain fog” and a general sense of anxiety they’re feeling. Others have shared how essential their need to stay connected to “community” is, especially at this time.

Each day brings a new awareness about how to cope with next, given all the uncertainty. I continue to learn and be inspired by you and the ways you are facing each day of unknowns with grace, compassion, and humor. None of us know how long this pandemic will last or in what ways our lives will be changed. We only have today. It is what we do today that matters.

Several things happened this week that helped me cope with next. I hope some of these will help you in the weeks ahead.

7 Uplifting Discoveries That Will Help You Cope With Next

1. Be Compassionate

Extending compassion to others comes in many forms, from offering a listening ear to sharing a smile with a stranger, to bringing groceries to someone who is homebound. One of my girlfriends told me about her friend that just started the initiative, Million Gallons. Their goal is to provide food security for restaurant, hospitality, and other workers that have been displaced by the coronavirus in Westchester County and New York City. A Million Gallons hopes to make and distribute one million gallons of soup. I am in awe of how quickly they mobilized with compassion and purpose to help those in need. To learn more about their compassion-driven cause, watch the video. What act of kindness have you experienced?

2. Identify Feelings

You might be feeling all kinds of emotions. Some of them you can easily name, while others are harder to identify. One of the feelings that surfaced in several conversations this past week was grief. On a Zoom call with my organizing colleagues, after listening to them share how they were feeling, it was clear that a few were experiencing grief. Their grief was not over the loss of a loved one. Instead, it was from their loss of purpose, of working, and of helping their clients. Later in the week, both my yoga teacher and Rabbi referenced the Harvard Business Review article, That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief. In the article, David Kessler, the preeminent grief expert, explored how to acknowledge, manage, and find meaning in the pandemic-induced grief you could be experiencing. It’s an insightful piece that helped me feel gentler towards others and myself. What are you feeling right now?

3. Find Humor

In this time of social distancing and isolation, we are finding different ways of being engaged with the world. I’ve become more aware of how institutions such as museums, aquariums, and zoos are keeping us connected through video. One segment I saw this past week made me smile from ear to ear. Two penguins from the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago were allowed to run loose as they wandered around and toured the exhibits. It was so much fun to watch! What added humor to your day?

4. Notice Indicators

Being that I live in New York, which is one of the current COVID-19 outbreak hotbeds, my husband and I have been staying put. We only go out to get groceries, pick-up food from local restaurants, go on walks, take a drive to nowhere, or do yard work. When I’m out, I notice changes, especially at the grocery store. Several weeks ago, I saw shortages of toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes. As the weeks continued, additional items came into short supply like hand soap, dish soap, paper towels, tissues, cleaning supplies, ice cream, eggs, Tylenol, chicken broth, and chicken. And this week, when I went to the market, the chicken and ice cream had been replenished, but the entire supply of chocolate chip morsels had been ravaged. Those shelves were completely empty. I realized that one of the home activities parents were doing with their kids was baking cookies. A happy feeling ran through me, as I was flooded with love-filled memories of baking with our daughters. What indicators are you noticing?

5. Get Creative

It’s been fascinating to watch how companies and individuals are using the pause to get creative with projects, how they do business or infuse creativity in their days. Baked By Susan, one of our local bakeries, put together “decorate your own cupcake” kits. One of my friends is busy knitting a complicated cardigan. I’ve been testing out some new recipes, writing, taking photos, and creating organizing videos. One of the recent recipes I tried from the Yotam Ottolenghi’s Simple cookbook that my daughter, Allison, gave me was mashed sweet potato with lime salsa. It was so delicious and easy to make. If you’d like the recipe, let me know in the comments, and I’ll share it with you. What creative outlets are catching your attention?

6. Seek Connections

You might be isolating, but you are not alone. There are different ways that we connected with people before the pandemic. And temporarily, many of those intentional and casual points of contact have now been cut off. But we are social beings. We need one another. One of the things that have kept me sane is finding new ways to connect and “be with” the various communities and people in my life. Zoom has been a positive and satisfying way of staying connected with family, friends, colleagues, yoga, organizing, and spiritual communities. I recognize that not everyone feels connected to a community. If you are struggling, feeling alone and isolated, the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline is 844-863-9314. What way has connecting changed for you during this time?

7. Explore Nature

We experience many positive benefits for our wellbeing when we spend time in nature. Can you recall a recent time when you walked in the woods, felt the fresh air and sun on your skin, or dipped your toes in the sea? Being surrounded by nature can be restorative for our minds and bodies. Lately, I’ve mostly been walking in the woods since the path is less crowded than other local spots. But this week, I walked along the Hudson River path. I loved being by the water, hearing the birds sing, and seeing the spring foliage just beginning to bloom. I know that not everyone has access to or the desire to be outdoors. One of the other discoveries I made this week was from the New York Botanical Garden. Like many institutions, they too have temporarily closed. However, you can take a virtual tour of their magnificent orchid exhibit. So if you love seeing, but not being in nature, try a remote viewing. In what way does nature improve your wellbeing?

When we are experiencing grief and other strong emotions, it’s hard to think about next. In this time, next might need to be a big dose of self-compassion. Or, perhaps it will be you reaching out to someone else that is hurting. Regardless, there are ways to cope and simultaneously uplift yourself and others. What have you discovered? What has inspired you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to leave a comment and join our conversation.

It started Sunday morning with bananas. Instead of focusing on the anxiety of all things COVID-19-related, I found inspiration in my next choice. As I entered the kitchen, I noticed the browning bananas sitting on top of the fruit bowl. They looked perfect for baking. The thing is, I haven’t baked in a while. Don't get me wrong. I love to bake, but I’ve been staying away from bread and sweet things these days. However, at that moment, the next thing I felt like doing was to make banana muffins. So I did, and added some dried sour cherries to the batter too (so delicious!)

Baking has always been fun and therapeutic, and this batch of muffins didn’t disappoint. I measured, mashed, mixed, and scooped. My spirits lifted as our home filled with the wafting, delicious scent coming from the oven.  And what fun is baking if you can’t share it? Together, my husband and I enjoyed the warm muffins and berry fruit salad breakfast.  We followed that with a nice long walk in the woods.

If I could, I would give you a banana muffin right now. Instead, I’ll share my recipe with you.

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Linda’s Banana Muffins

Oven: 400° | Yield: 12 muffins | Bake:  20-25 minutes

In a bowl, stir together and set aside:

1-3/4 cups flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground clove

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

In another bowl, mix together

1 beaten egg

¾ cup milk

1/3 cup canola oil

In third bowl, mash

2 ripe bananas

Pour egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir. Stir in bananas. If desired, add 1/3 cup of dried sour cherries, dried cranberries, raisins, or chocolate morsels into the batter.

Grease cupcake pans with canola spray or butter. Fill cups one-half or more full. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes.

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My impromptu baking made me think about the week of adjustments we’ve all had. With an increase in closures, cancellations, working from home, and staying in place orders, we’ve experienced unprecedented disruptions and change this week. Teachers were getting accustomed to teaching online, restaurants were retooling for curbside pick-up only or closing temporarily, loved ones were getting ill, trying to get tested, or stressing over if they had been infected or infected others. People that had never worked from home were navigating how to do that.

Most of us were figuring out ways to cope and self-soothe in this anxiety-laden time. Collectively we were doing things like walking (a lot) meditating, practicing yoga, crocheting, organizing, puzzling (as in doing jigsaw puzzles) journaling, jogging, watching, reading, gardening, checking in with others, and sleeping.

I also noticed that collectively we got inspired and creative about the new reality. We started experimenting with doing things differently because life changed overnight. It’s been fascinating to observe and partake in. Especially with next being more uncertain than ever, making choices that foster happiness and calm is essential. It’s a crazy, scary time. Yet even with the tumult, we have opportunities to get inspired, be creative, to experiment, examine our priorities, and express gratitude.

Like many of you, I miss the physical presence of being with my family, friends, and clients. Social distancing and isolation have been challenging for many of us. However, there too, people are getting creative about staying socially engaged, despite the distancing. This past week I Face Timed, which I don’t usually do. Using Zoom, I video-chatted with family and friends, had virtual organizing sessions with clients, took yoga classes, had breakfast with a group of girlfriends, and hosted a virtual cocktail party (so much fun!)

What has been different for you this week? Have you felt more creative or been inspired by your next choice? My heart is with each of you as you navigate and find your way during this unprecedented time. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Be well. Stay healthy. I invite you to join the conversation.