Do you get upset because you feel out of control? Maybe your daily routine feels scattered, your home is disorganized, your lawn needs work, or your bills are getting misplaced.
What you might need to fix your stress are "tools." You need some gadgets or systems to bring order to your day.
For example, it's amazing how the right wallet can help organize your credit cards. Or, the right size monthly planner can help you organize your daily activities.
Tools that help life flow better include: the right cell phone, good scissors, a great hair styling tool, reading glasses, bookshelves, baskets to hold clutter, discount cards for shopping, or the right garbage cans.
It's a good idea to make a list of everything in your life that's slightly out of control. By taking a hard look, you might can either buy or invent a "tool" to change what's going on.
"One of my favorite tools is this: I've learned that storing my incoming mail and bills in brightly colored folders helps me," says a mother of four who works part-time from home. We'll call her Sandy.
"I put my bills that need attention soon in a bright green folder," says Sandy. "My receipts and paid invoices go into a yellow folder. Our doctors' appointments, notes and medical papers go into a red folder. These are stored in a square basket on a shelf in my home office."
The wife of a retired doctor, whom we'll call Maryanne, says a vibrating watch has helped her mornings go better. Her husband recently had heart surgery, and she hates to set the alarm clock.
"My husband retired, but I'm still working," says Maryanne. "I get up at 5, so I feel nervous using an alarm clock when he has trouble sleeping anyway. When I learned about a vibrating watch, I knew this would help. I can set it for 5 a.m., slip out of bed, and never disturb my husband."
These ideas can help you improve tricky problems by utilizing tools of some type:
_ Ask yourself: What would make me feel safer? This might mean you'll buy a security camera or motion lights to protect your property.
_ Select gadgets to improve your daily routine. For example, would a special container help you drink more water throughout the day? Or, would you exercise more if you had the right type of shoes?
_ Look for online systems that can save some time. This would include online banking tools, email confirmations that your bills have been paid, or social media websites that help you stay in touch with family and friends. Be aware of what works and what doesn't, so you won't waste time tracking too many things.
_ Use time slots during the week as a tool. For example, sit down for 45 minutes on Sunday evenings to go over your finances. Spend 20 minutes every evening cleaning up clutter throughout your home. Walk with your spouse for 30 minutes before dinner every night.
"Looking back to our grandparents, we can see tools they used to hold the family together," says a marketing professional we'll call Adriana. "My grandmother used Sunday dinner as the glue that held our clan together."
Her grandmother cooked enough for twenty-five people every Sunday after church. "We all came at least three Sundays out of four," says Adriana. "The ritual was the spiritual tool that made us feel we belonged. If you cook well, this is a great tool for ensuring people show up."
