reduce stress | List Producer

A List to Lift Your Spirits This Fall

September 28, 2015/0 Comments/in Happiness, Holidays, List Making, People, Reduce Stress/by Paula Rizzo

September is coming to an end and there’s definitely a chill in the air here in New York. It’s that “back to school” weather finally kicking in. My husband Jay hates winter! Around this time of year he starts getting sad about the colder weather and says we need to move to California for some sunshine!

The winter blues aren’t just a feeling – it’s a real problem called seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and it’s caused by a lack of vitamin d. So what else can you do to lift your mood this fall? Short of moving to California? Read more

I’ve Never Had So Much Fun Cleaning Out My Closet

September 21, 2015/5 Comments/in Books, Decision Making, People, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

My closet before!

I truly believe I’ve found my spirit animal — it’s Marie Kondo.

I’ve written before about her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. But this week I finally got around to listening to the entire audiobook and I have to admit I’m a convert (mostly.)

Now I understand why she’s such a rockstar in Japan and why there is a waiting list to work with her!

In her book, Marie explains that she started “tidying” when she was 5 years old. Like a classic middle child she did it to get attention and praise from her parents. Since then, for Marie, tidying has become a celebration. She even dresses up for the event.

Marie says everything you own wants to be of use to you. Isn’t that such a nice way of thinking about it? That was a huge mindset switch for me. Read more

Make This List to Get More Out of Your Day

September 14, 2015/1 Comment/in Benefits of List Making, Books, Decision Making, Fellow List Producers, Happiness, Learning With a List, List Making, People, Reduce Stress, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

From CEOs to janitors, we all have the same problem – we don’t have enough time.

In fact, when you think about it, time is an equalizer. That’s because we all only get 24 hours.

Even the President is forced to squeeze all his tasks into that 24-hour time frame.

So how do we do it?

I recently visited the Google headquarters with my husband in Mountain View, CA. Our gracious guide Gopi Kallayil discussed this conundrum with us as he showed us around the gorgeous campus.

At one point he asked us, “If you only had one hour what would be the next one thing you would do with it that would maximize the quality of joy, presence and life?”

It’s a great question for unveiling your true priorities.

Often you’ll be surprised by how little time you dedicate to the things you would put at the top of that list. Read more

Be Less Forgetful With These Apps

August 31, 2015/3 Comments/in Apps, Increase Productivity, Reduce Stress, Technology/by Paula Rizzo

Here’s a secret — I’m pretty forgetful. I really need to write things down immediately or they fly right out of my head. Between working as a news producer and managing this blog I have a lot to remember. I rely heavily on lists of course and programs like Asana, but sometimes things fall through the gaps. So I’m always looking for new technology to help me keep track of everything I need to remember.

Here are some of the new apps I’ve been trying lately: Read more

9 Instant Ways to Boost Your Mood Now

August 24, 2015/0 Comments/in Happiness, Home, People, Reduce Stress, Tea, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

I’m generally a positive person, but I have my off days like everybody else.

When we’re feeling down or a little sluggish we tend to go a bit slower, and we’re more likely to put off important tasks. There’s nothing wrong with being sad from time to time – as we learned from the movie Inside Out (how cute are those characters?) But sometimes you need a quick pick me up to get your day going again.

Here are some ways I make my day better instantly:

1. Dance it out – Solo-dance parties can be the best, it’s all about you and the music. No one can judge your dance moves, no matter how crazy. So put on your favorite track and get moving.

2. Keep a gratitude journal – Remind yourself of what you’re thankful for! It’s easy to get caught up in things and forget at times, but many studies have found that those who are grateful for what they have feel a higher sense of happiness than those who do not. I make a habit of writing in my gratitude journal every night. Read more

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