Spring clean your life

Many of us have mortgages and bills to pay. Many of us have a full time job to hold down. Many of us are trying to be the best possible parents we can be. Others are just struggling to balance their careers, health, family, friends and finances.  It’s no wonder life can be demanding and stressful!

Indeed, I am trying to grow my own coaching business, raise my young daughter, and have a healthy marriage, whilst making time for my own personal development. The list goes on and on. It’s good to grow and expand, as I believe it’s essential to our over-all happiness. But like all things there is a balance.

A great tool to apply is the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule. The principle states that for many things in our life, 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. For example, 80% of a company's revenue would come from 20% of their customers.  I don't believe this rule hold true for everything in life, but I believe it carries with it a critical message.  Spend your time, effort and focus on the areas of your life that really matter.  We all tend to squander a large part of our time on trivial tasks that stress us out and ultimately make us feel fed-up.

So how can you reduce your stress levels? Easy, by de-cluttering and simplifying your life!

I made a decision in January of this year that I would live a simpler life; I wanted less stress, more harmony and most importantly I wanted to spend more time doing the things I really enjoy. Why not join me.

Below are my four favourite tips for reducing stress and Spring-cleaning your life.

Sort your finances out

We all know that money plays a huge role in our lives and can cause no end of tension, worry and anxiety. Having your money in check really does lead to a less stressful and harmonious existence. Create a budget sheet and make a commitment to eliminate all non-essential spending. Also, produce a plan of action for paying your loans and cards off or better still why not create a strategy of how to pay your mortgage off early!

Clean out the cupboards

Might sound obvious, but as the saying goes, clear house equals a clear mind. If you’re consistently looking at unfinished DIY every day or have a cascade of crumpled clothes fall on your head each time you open the wardrobe doors, then it’s only going to add to your stress levels. Make a list of all those niggling jobs you need to do that you’ve been putting off for years and pin your list on the fridge door! But more importantly make a concerted effort to tick at least one item off every week.

Spend more time doing the things you love

Probably the simplest of them all. I believe the purpose of life is to be happy, so why fill your life with things that make you miserable? Each and every day, do something that makes your heart sing. From spending time with family, going for a walk or listening to your favourite music.

Turn off the TV!

Did you know that we watch on average 6 hours of TV a day? That’s 42 hours a week! That’s more than most people’s working week. Imagine how time-rich you’d be if you stopped watching TV, playing on the computer or gossiping. Instead, spend time talking to your family about their day, maybe cook a meal together, play games, but most of all communicate more and enjoy each others company.

Remember, all stress is self-created, so it’s up to you to take control,  de-clutter and create a simpler and happier life.

Content provided by Louise Presley-Turner
http://www.thegameoflife.co.uk/

Louise has a whole host of life coaching tools to help you, from personal one-to-one coaching, group workshops to weekend retreats. Also, why not download your FREE ‘2010/11 Life Planner’ visit www.thegameoflife.co.uk for more or call 01746 71 61 51.

‘THE GAME OF LIFE’, Louise’s latest ‘how to’ self-help book is now available to buy directly from www.amazon.co.uk