Try this Unique Self-care Tip!
Many of us, busy professionals and/or parents, are experiencing feelings of chaos in our lives. We are juggling day jobs, household responsibilities, childcare, and care for our elderly parents while simultaneously trying to maintain personal health and sanity. ✨
New year's resolutions may be already forgotten, and it feels like we are back on the hamster wheel of life - overthinking, managing stress, and juggling hectic schedules. 😓
With so much to accomplish daily, how can we maintain a sense of calm and order? 🧘🏾♂️
Here is one tip that will help you!
Declutter and organize your house.
It might not sound very efficient or intuitive. Why would you add more work to your life when it's already busy?
Our friend and organizing expert Shira Gill, the author of Minimalista, talks about organizing as a form of self-care. I couldn’t agree more! Clutter makes it harder to relax, both physically and mentally, and even small steps to tame it can have a big impact.
If you’ve seen me cook in my kitchen, you know I am an organize-a-holic. I spent most of the 2020 quarantine organizing our house from top to bottom. It was getting to the point where my family banned me from buying more containers and purging items!
I admired Marie Kondo's techniques because of this exact reason, my obsession with organization. When you are surrounded by the things you love, it feels like a cultivated safe space just for you.🧼
When I teach Reset & Integrate, this is one of the things I focus on. We start with food- we temporarily eliminate certain things that may not be serving us. Eventually, you will realize which items are good for you and which are not. 🫐
You end up surrounding yourself with things that are life-enhancing and energy-boosting so it is more sustainable and you feel great about yourself.
Eventually, people start to do the same technique in their surroundings, not just related to food. We work on organizing the kitchen, starting with the refrigerator. It usually gets quite addictive, and you may want to organize the entire kitchen. Then your closet. Maybe your garage. 🏡
An organization spree has a trickling effect on life itself. Some of my clients have…
Quit their jobs because they didn't love them. 💼
Moved away from the Bay Area because it was not bringing them joy. 🚛
Or even left their spouses and found the love they truly deserved. ❤️
Feeling stuck in a Rut? Try to do a Small Organizing Project!
As a part of my reset, I created this mini video on how to clean the kitchen. It may take some time, especially if it's not a regular task! You will end up feeling so much better once you do it. 🧹
Try to fill the clean fridge with healthy food. Make it colorful and pretty! And see how it affects the way you eat.
If you happen to find split peas that have been sitting in the cupboard, try the recipe below. It is a traditional dish in Greece- super easy and delicious!
Hopefully, this will help you motivate yourself to declutter the rest of your surroundings, and eventually, you will find calmness through this process. ⭐️
One of my 2023 intentions is to streamline my surroundings. I just dropped off multiple large trash bags full of clothes purged from my closet. 🧤
My Mantra, Less Clutter = Calmer Mind.
Let me know how it goes!
Love,
Ai ❤️
PS. Decluttering and organizing the kitchen is part of my Reset & Integrate program, too!
PPS. Yoga students! I teach every Wednesday at noon and Saturday at 9:30am at The Green Yogi MLK in Berkeley. Hope to see you!
Greek Fava Dip
Ingredients
2 C yellow split pea
2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic
2-3 C water (depends on the consistency you like, adjust the amount at the end by adding more water. If you have soaked the peas overnight, you need less water)
1-2 lemons, juiced
4 TB. olive oil
Thyme, fresh or dry
Salt and pepper
Directions
Rinse the split peas well. Put them in a pot with the onion, garlic and water.
Bring to a boil and skim any foam that appears at the surface. Cover and simmer until the peas are very soft, about 45-60 minutes, adding water as needed.
Blend until smooth with the lemon juice, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Adjust the consistency with more water and the seasoning to taste.
Serve drizzled with olive oil and enjoy!
