reduce stress | List Producer

Limit Your Options And Get More Done

July 29, 2014/1 Comment/in Apps, Benefits of List Making, Food, Happiness, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, Reduce Stress, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

(Photo credit: maclauren70)

We often think that the more choices we have the better. That’s the whole idea behind bigger supermarkets and larger malls – more choices. But is that really what’s best for us?

For example, if you’re a bridesmaid picking your dress can be a fairly daunting task, especially if the bride has told you to wear whatever you like. You know very well that she’d be unhappy if you really did wear whatever you like so you second guess every option. But if the bride narrows it down to a specific color and designer — the choice suddenly becomes much easier.

This concept is called decision fatigue – the central premise being that the more decisions we make the less likely we are to make good decisions. Once you accept that fewer choices are better you can start being more productive and improve your judgement.

Follow the items on this list to limit your options: Read more

7 Foods to Eat Your Way to Productivity

July 22, 2014/1 Comment/in Boost Memory, Food, Health, Reduce Stress/by Paula Rizzo

When we think about the different ways to get more out of our day, we don’t often think about changing our diet.

Put down the donut and try these yummy productivity boosters instead.

Blueberries – If there were such a thing as ultimate super fruit, it would be blueberries. They’re high in antioxidants, high in fiber and low on the glycemic index. Plus a recent study shows eating blueberries can help ward off degenerative diseases such as Alzhiemer’s disease. Which means there’s a good reason to indulge in blueberry pancakes for breakfast today! Read more

Checklist for Bringing the Suburbs to the City

July 10, 2014/0 Comments/in Decorating, Food, Holidays, Home, Movies, Saving Money/by Paula Rizzo

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I grew up in the suburbs so moving to the city was a bit of a culture shock for me. It’s always a bit of worry when you’re moving to a completely different town or city. You have no idea what to expect.

Grow your own vegetables – My dad has a garden that is his pride and joy in the summer time. He grows tomatoes, kale, basil, peppers, zucchini and lots of other veggies. So going outside to grab an eggplant or a squash was super easy growing up. But now in the city it’s a bit more challenging to grow a garden.

Host a garden party on your fire escape – Okay, so it won’t be your typical garden party with gazebos and fancy hats – but it is possible to bring a relaxed, outdoor vibe to a fire escape or roof deck near you.

Sign up for a farm share – To get that home grown feel in the city, why not join a CSA. Farm shares work with family farms to deliver organic and naturally-grown produce from a small local farm directly to your door. The shares allow you to become a “member” of the farm for a season. It’s great because as the harvest changes you get to discover plenty of new tastes and foods.

Watch an outdoor movie – You can’t get much more suburban the laying in the grass, stargazing and watching a movie with friends. Now you can experience this in the city too. Bryant Park runs a summer film festival every year showing all of your favorite classics.

How do you bring the suburbs into your life?

7 No-Cook Recipes To Try This Summer

July 8, 2014/0 Comments/in Food, Health, Reduce Stress, Saving Time/by Paula Rizzo

There are so many things I love about the summer like going to the beach, drinking wine and Summer Fridays (in theory because I don’t really get to partake.) However, on hot days the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven, which is one of the reasons no-cook recipes are so appealing. They also drastically save on cooking time, allowing me to make the most out of my evenings.

Here are a few go-to recipes to try out this summer from RealSimple.com.

Sesame Lime Chicken Salad

1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 red chili pepper sliced
1 small head romaine lettuce
2 carrots, grated
4 cups shredded chicken
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 cup crispy Chinese noodles
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Whisk together the canola oil, lime juice, sugar, sesame oil, chili, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl.
Add the lettuce, carrots, and chicken and toss to combine.
Serve the salad sprinkled with the sesame seeds, noodles, and cilantro. Read more

7 Ways To Eliminate Time Wasters

July 6, 2014/0 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Decision Making, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, List Making, Reduce Stress, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

(Photo credit: openDemocracy)

When you think about how much time you waste, you tend to think of the big things, like the hours wasted binging on Netflix (I’m obsessed with Orange Is The New Black,) paging through social media or wandering
aimlessly around the mall. When something only wastes a minute or so we don’t think about it as much. But when you add all those things together you could potentially be throwing away hours of your day.

I’ve come up with a list to help you combat the small time sucks in your life: Read more

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