Controlling environmental stress begins at home. For most of us home is a haven, a safe harbor, where we can lick our wounds, and rest and restore our energies before returning to the fray. Hassles in the house rob us of this haven. When the kitchen is piled with dishes, the table is covered with magazines and mail, the floor strewn with toys, and the cat box hasn’t been emptied all week, home is no haven.

Take control of those daily hassles and create soothing and beautiful surroundings can reduce your stress and provide you a place for renewal.  

When you can’t even see where to start with your house – if every room is needing attention, and the garden and attic are about to fall apart, remember to call on your goal setting skills.  Just thinking about it is not enough!

• You have to know what it is that you want to accomplish. If you’re not sure, sit down and think about it for awhile.
• Once you’ve come up with your overall goal, set up sub goals that will lead you to achieve it – getting the right equipment, or getting help on certain days (such as for moving heavy furniture).
• Don’t start until you know what it is you want to accomplish and how.
• Write down a date line for works – if you have a deadline, then you have a concrete point to work towards.
• Begin one job at a time, in a logical way, and seeing one room done, then another, will give you the impetus to carry on. Good luck!

A few reminders:

• Don’t forget to get the kids involved – get their help in sorting out the garage, or tidying up the garden.
• Kids might be more enthusiastic about cleaning their room, if they are allowed to choose the color scheme and help paint it!
• Use time management skills – even just a one-hour blitz twice a week (with no interruptions) could make a big difference on your stress level.