While we can’t control everything in our environments, if we pay attention to what we can control we really can create spaces that are better both for us as individuals and for our work.

For help, Dr. Lindsay McCunn, a professor and researcher in the psychology department at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, B.C., suggests we turn to the rapidly expanding field of environmental psychology, a branch of science that has been studied formally since the 1950s.

Environmental psychology, also known as architectural psychology, is the study of the relationships between people and place, says McCunn. “We’re not operating in a vacuum.”

Light, thermal comfort, noise and aesthetics are just some of the more apparent environmental factors that can influence our mental and physical well-being, says McCunn. Other well-being needs include privacy and refuge (time to be alone), opportunities for spontaneous social interaction, and nature access.

Country Guide reached out to McCunn and Chicago environmental design psychologist Dr. Sally Augustin for their take-aways on how neuroscience can be applied to create places where people will thrive. Through her consulting firm, Design with Science, Augustin aims to create spaces — in homes, offices, schools, stores and health care facilities — that optimize user well-being and also enhance performance.

Using what we know about neuroscience, we can create environments that more effectively meet our needs, says Augustin. When we are in a positive mood, we think more broadly, have better problem-solving and creative-thinking skills, and get along better with others. Having a sense of control over our environment is fundamental.

If we want our homes to be havens where we feel very comfortable and can recharge, we can choose interior design features based on design science rather than what’s simply fashionable, says Augustin. With the pandemic, our homes are being asked to do triple duty with more family members working and schooling from home. Opportunities for recreation and socializing outside the home have been limited and may be slow to rebound.

Sensory inputs such as colours, textures, smells and shapes flow to our brains through sensory channels and combine to create a mood, says Augustin. The influence that a colour has on us depends on its hue, saturation and lightness/brightness. Hue refers to the wavelength such as blue or green. Saturation is the intensity where the most intense version of a colour is fully saturated and a more muted shade is less saturated. Finally, the lightness or brightness refers to the amount of white in a colour.

Augustin gives an example of how to apply colour theory in selecting the paint colour for the walls of an office. “I’d go with a not very saturated, but relatively bright green, say a sage green with lots of white mixed into it,” she says. “That creates the right emotional state for knowledge work-type thinking and generally for a relaxed positive mood. Green has been tied to enhanced creative thinking.”

Plus, by choosing a lighter colour for the walls, the space will seem a little larger than it actually is, which is generally a good thing, she adds.

When it comes to patterns in upholstery or drape fabrics, choose straight lines and geometric patterns to increase energy levels while curvy lines in patterns will have a more soothing effect.

We should stick to a few co-ordinated colours and no more than one or two patterns to strike a balance when it comes to visual complexity, says Augustin. “Our senses have developed for a happy medium.”

Augustin offers some additional design tips:

• Clutter should be minimized. Use opaque cupboard doors to keep clutter from view.
• Souvenirs, personal photographs or other meaningful items on display promote positive well-being, but these should be limited to a few items to avoid visual complexity. You can rotate these every month or so to cycle through your entire collection.
• Woodgrain is relaxing but should be limited to about half of visible surfaces.
• Lighting is an important factor to consider in room design. Warm light is great for creativity and relaxation while cooler light has been associated with concentration and alertness. You can integrate lighting into different areas by having lamps with both cooler and warmer light bulbs depending on how you are using the space.
• Natural light “does great things for us… It’s like magic medicine,” Augustin says. When possible, maximize views of natural landscapes by leaving curtains open.
• Views of nature, whether through a window, in a photograph or painting, can calm and refresh us. Likewise, having a few green leafy plants is calming and refreshing, and it enhances creativity.
• Nature sounds such as the sounds of gently rustling leaves, burbling brooks or birdsong also promote well-being. When it’s not possible to enjoy nature sounds through open windows, you can use an online streaming service instead.
• Scents can also be used to boost mood. Lavender is relaxing while lemon has been shown to enhance concentration.
• When our brains are tired, viewing a campfire, fish tank or nature scene provides mental refreshment and stress reduction. Even photographs or art depicting rolling meadows, trees or lakes will help rebuild cognitive energy.

A better workspace

Psychology design concepts can also be applied to create optimal work spaces. When people must work in environments that don’t meet their needs and employees don’t thrive, it takes the joy out of work and reduces productivity, explains McCunn.

When planning a workspace, McCunn recommends that individual preferences along with how the space is to be used be taken into consideration. Introverts tend to have a higher need for privacy and find it difficult to work in an open concept environment, for example.

Other considerations include whether communal spaces are needed for social interaction or work collaboration. What level of noise is tolerated?

The soundscape also comes into play in workspaces. Gentle nature (meadow) sounds or white noise tend to be the best for working, says Augustin. Music, even when we pick it out ourselves, tends to be distracting.

The same principles apply to create inviting spaces in stores and farm markets. Warm colours make a space feel warmer, says Augustin. “People seen in front of warm-coloured surfaces are perceived as friendlier.”

Designs that incorporate woodgrain, natural light, diffuse artificial light and curvier lines create a welcoming space, she adds, while the use of straight lines such as on display cases projects a sense of efficiency.

If you are dissatisfied with your living or work spaces, McCunn encourages people to consider their needs and to make changes, where possible, to their environments. Even small changes can make a difference in stress levels.

McCunn says it starts with self-knowledge. Journal, draw or sit quietly and contemplate your optimal situation. Ask yourself questions such as: Where would you rather be? What would make you feel more comfortable? Are there small, simple strategies to get something similar? “Start plotting ways to get what you’re missing.”

Resources

• Designology: How to Find Your PlaceType & Align Your Life with Design (2019) by Dr. Sally Augustin
• Social Design: Creating Buildings with People in Mind (1983) by Robert Sommer
• Inquiry by Design: Environment Behaviour Neuroscience in Architecture Interiors (2006) by John Zeisel

The post Creating a better place to work appeared first on Country Guide.

We may mistakenly believe it’s our job to cheer up the grieving person, or to fix their grief when in fact, those are the two most common misconceptions around grieving, says Megan Devine, a Portland, Oregon grief counsellor.

It was Devine’s experience with the well-intentioned but misguided efforts of friends and family when her partner died suddenly at the age of 39 that inspired her to found a grief support website and to author the book, It’s OK That You’re Not OK.

Country Guide reached out to Devine for some tips and strategies for supporting a grieving friend. While emphasizing that there are no hard and fast rules, Devine offers us these strategies and practical suggestions.

Don’t make assumptions about what the grieving person needs. Devine recommends approaching the situation with curiosity and using your knowledge of the person to offer concrete solutions. For example, if you know the garbage truck comes on Mondays, ask if they would like you to get the garbage and recyclables out to the road for them. Devine’s chart on the opposite page is a useful guide.

Don’t say “call me if you need anything.” The grieving person likely doesn’t have the energy or capacity to figure out what they need, who could do it for them, and then overcome their aversion to asking for help to make a call.

Instead, Devine says it would be more helpful to tell your grieving friend you would like to know how you can best support them, and then, after suggesting a few options, ask: “Does any of this sound useful to you?” It’s important to ask their permission before going ahead and doing something.

Grief is not a problem to be solved. Your goal is to be a companion to your grieving friend, not to try to fix their grief. Let the grieving person take the lead, says Devine, noting it’s okay just to sit with them in silence.

Avoid platitudes. Devine advises against attempting to soothe your friend’s pain by offering clichés such as “your loved one is in a better place.” Instead, she recommends sticking to the simplest level. “This hurts. I love you. I’m here.”

And yes, you can support a long-distance friend. Even if you live at a distance from the grieving person, there are still many ways to be there for them. Remember, the same principles apply, says Devine. Some tangible ways to support your friend could include arranging a meal delivery campaign, calling the person every day at a set time, or listening to them if they need to rant.

If you’re finding it hard to support your friend, that’s not surprising, says Devine. “None of this stuff is easy,” she says. “It’s going to be awkward and that’s okay.”

Also recognize that even if you have experienced a significant loss yourself, it can be difficult to know how to support someone else, cautions Devine. We need to remember that each of us is unique, and each loss is unique, so what worked for us may not be what another person needs.

Grief is messy and the death will have an impact on many people, which can make it difficult to navigate relationships in the aftermath, says Devine. This underscores why it’s important to have those challenging conversations instead of making assumptions about what your friend needs.

Comfort in, dump out

Ring Theory can help us avoid saying the wrong thing, says Devine. While struggling with breast cancer, clinical psychologist Susan Silk developed the Ring Theory with the help of her friend Barry Goldman as a guide to help those wanting to provide emotional support to a friend or family member struggling with serious illness, the death of loved one, or other major life challenge.

This is how it works. The person experiencing the crisis is in the centre of the ring. If you draw a circle around that person, those most affected by the crisis, the spouse, children, or parents, are in that circle. The next most impacted level of friends, family, colleagues, etc. are in the next concentric circles, in order of impact. Intimate friends would be in the smaller rings, less intimate friends in the larger ones.

“When you are talking to a person in a ring smaller than yours, someone closer to the centre of the crisis, the goal is to help,” write Silk and Goldman in a 2013 Los Angeles Times article, “How Not to Say the Wrong Thing.”

“Listening is often more helpful than talking. But if you’re going to open your mouth, ask yourself if what you are about to say is likely to provide comfort and support. If it isn’t, don’t say it. Don’t, for example, give advice. People who are suffering from trauma don’t need advice. They need comfort and support. So say, ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘This must really be hard for you’ or ‘Can I bring you a pot roast?’ Don’t say, ‘You should hear what happened to me’ or ‘Here’s what I would do if I were you.’ And don’t say, ‘This is really bringing me down.’

“If you want to scream or cry or complain, if you want to tell someone how shocked you are or how icky you feel, or whine about how it reminds you of all the terrible things that have happened to you lately, that’s fine. It’s a perfectly normal response. Just do it to someone in a bigger ring. Comfort IN, Dump OUT.”

An epidemic of unspoken grief

Some forms of grief go unrecognized in our “grief phobic” society, points out Devine. In her practice, she sees many people who are still grieving years after the death of a sibling or friend because the loss was never acknowledged.

Unresolved grief from these “invisible losses” can lead to other problems such as addictions, anxiety, depression, interpersonal violence, or social isolation, and it applies to many kinds of pain, not just grief from losing a loved one.

Says Devine: “We have an epidemic of unspoken grief with its roots in not being heard.”

Supporting a grieving person in the workplace

It can be difficult to know how to support a grieving person in the workplace. Melina Pearson, outreach co-ordinator with the Kitchener chapter of the grief support organization Bereaved Families of Ontario, offers some guidance.

It’s important to understand that grief affects a person not only emotionally, but also mentally and physically, which in turn can impact productivity, says Pearson. “The grieving person may feel hazy, or have difficulty comprehending what you’re saying,” she says.

On the job, when a person returns from the standard three to five days of bereavement leave, their grief is just beginning, says Pearson. Since grief can look different for different people, Pearson recommends having a conversation early on to let the grieving person know that you are approachable and responsive to their needs.

Flexibility and a modified work schedule may make the return to work easier for them along with the understanding that their needs may change from day to day.

A few months after the loss when the shock wears off it may actually become more difficult for the grieving person, points out Pearson. The bereaved person’s grief may also be triggered by special occasions, holidays, and the anniversary of the death.

Pearson also advises managers to be on the lookout for overworking. Some people may throw themselves into their work but this can be an unhealthy coping mechanism.

Pearson has one final piece of advice. Co-workers often avoid saying the name of the person who died, fearing it will upset the bereaved person but Pearson says in most cases, they like to hear their loved one’s name, knowing they haven’t been forgotten.

Resources

• Grief counsellor Megan Devine’s website provides many resources for both the griever and the person supporting the griever, along with a link to Devine’s book, It’s OK That You’re Not OK.
• How not to say the wrong thing (an explanation of Ring Theory via the Los Angeles Times)

The post How to help a grieving friend appeared first on Country Guide.

For some strategies on how to get more control of our time, I contacted Philadelphia-area time management and productivity guru Laura Vanderkam. As a busy author and public speaker who travels frequently for work, and with four children under the age of 10, Vanderkam also has first-hand knowledge of the need to make best use of her 168 hours each week.

In her most recent book, Off the Clock – Feel less busy while getting more done published earlier this year, Vanderkam shares the findings of her latest time-diary study involving 900 people who work at least 30 hours a week for pay and have young children at home.

Vanderkam found that when people are very mindful of their time, they feel like they have enough.

“They know where their time goes,” says Vanderkam, who also noted other common patterns. Such people build adventures into their lives, scrub their lives of anything that does not belong there, linger in moments that deserve their attention, let go of expectations of perfection, and spend quality time with friends and family.

A big proponent of tracking her time, Vanderkam says, “Knowing where the time goes keeps us accountable for our time.” She has found that even extremely busy people often have some space they can re-deploy for enjoyable, meaningful things.

“Time is finite, so we must make smart choices about it. But time is also abundant: there is enough for anything that truly matters,” says Vanderkam.

Our bad habits around using modern technology are some of the biggest time wasters, says Vanderkam. One survey found the average social media consumer spends almost two hours a day on social media sites while another found that people were checking their phones every 12 minutes. The reason modern types feel so busy, and yet have such trouble getting things done, is that we let ourselves become dependent on constant stimuli, she says.

Vanderkam shares several practical tips for spending more time on what really matters and less on the things that don’t.

Keep a time log (available at LauraVanderkam.com).

Write down what you’re doing a few times each day. If there’s a category you are concerned about, you can track it more closely. Recording a whole week is best but even a few days can be helpful. Track both weekdays and weekends.

Tend your garden

After tracking your time, look back over your schedule and ask yourself a few questions. What did I like about my schedule? What would I like to spend more time doing? What would I like to spend less time doing? How can I make it happen?

Create daily intentions. If you did nothing else today, what three accomplishments would make you feel like you got a lot done?

On Fridays when you make your goals for next week, make sure there is something for each of the three major categories of your life: career, relationships and self.

You can also build space by practising “calendar triage.” On Friday afternoons, look at what is on your calendar for the following week. “See what you can jettison,” she says. Or can your time be used more efficiently by reducing the gaps between appointments?

Make life memorable

Make a list of adventures you’d like to have, both big and small. Where can you fit these into your schedule?

Carve out time for evoking memories. Look at an old photo album. Listen to music that was important to you during a certain period of your life. Visit a place that was formative for you and write down the memories that bubble up.

Don’t fill time

Look at the activities and commitments that currently fill your time. If you were starting from a blank slate, which of these would you add now? For everything else, is there a way you could wind down your role over the next few months?

Toss activities that serve no purpose. “We’ve always done this” or “everyone else does it” are not good enough reasons to keep doing something.

We can free up an incredible amount of time by being careful with all future uses of the word “yes.” One reason we overburden our future selves is that we view them as different people. Future me can worry about that. A better question when asked to take on something in the future is: “Would I do this tomorrow?” If not, then maybe the answer is no.

What activities do you do frequently? Can you streamline the logistical aspects of these activities to open up space?

Put the phone into airplane mode. If you avoid social media, what could you do with that time instead?

Change your story

When we walk around with the story that “we don’t have time for anything” we start to believe it. This is why people who watch two hours of TV a night still claim they don’t have time to exercise, read or do hobbies.

Calling something “work” doesn’t make it a more noble use of time than anything else. Work that doesn’t advance you toward the life you want is still wasted time.

Checking email every time a new message appears almost guarantees you will get nothing else done even though you will feel incredibly busy.

Linger

Look at your calendar for anything coming up that you know will be pleasurable. Think about ways to deepen the experience. Make a mental note of the sights, sounds, smells. Tell someone else about it.

To increase your enjoyment of normal life, try creating a constructed contrast. Can you picture some moment in the future where you will miss your current daily activities?

Try creating a mini daily vacation. Can you build a few minutes into your life today to consciously savour something? It could be something as simple as smelling a flower or reading a good book.

In other words, invest in your happiness. Look at your time log and figure out particular pain points in your life. What can you do to reduce these? What are your favourite treats? Could you put more of these into your life more frequently?

Let it go

Notice which topics take up a lot of mental space. For what low-stakes matters in your life could you lower your standards?

What good habits would you like to build? How would you have to lower your expectations to feel no resistance to doing that habit daily? For example, someone wanting to exercise might decide to do 10 minutes daily.

And remember, people are a good use of time. Which relationships would you like to invest more time in? What activities would enhance the time you spend with people you’re close to?

Resources

• Off the Clock — Feel less busy while getting more done by Laura Vanderkam (Portfolio/Penguin, 2018)
• Time Logs and time management tips available at lauravanderkam.com

The post Lots more time appeared first on Country Guide.

Our usual first impulse is to put the photos into a timeline. But that may not be so easy, says certified photo organizer Daina Makinson from Guelph, Ont. You’ll likely find that many of the print photos can’t be dated.

Instead, she recommends sorting them into “stories” such as people, places, holidays, etc. She suggests writing category names on index cards, laying them out on the dining room table, then picking up a bunch of photos and sorting them into piles accordingly.

If a pile gets too big, you can subdivide it into sub-categories, say Makinson. For instance, the “people” category can be further subdivided into immediate family, cousins, and grandparents. Holidays can be subdivided into Christmas, Halloween, etc. If a photo fits into more than one pile, don’t get stuck, Makinson warns. “It doesn’t have to be perfect.”

Makinson also recommends “editing” the number of photos you save as you go along. “Not all photos are worthy of keeping,” says Makinson, who uses four criteria when deciding if a photo should go.

• Does the photo evoke an emotion?
• Does the photo tell a story?
• Does the photo have historical importance?
• Is it the only one? (A blurry photo of Uncle Fred is worth keeping if it’s the only one you have of him.)

If you don’t know who is in a photo, and no one else knows who it is, Makinson says you shouldn’t feel obligated to keep it.

If you have doubles of a photo, Makinson suggests sharing them with others. Keep the doubles in a basket by the door to give to visitors as they leave or include them with your Christmas cards, she suggests.

Once you’ve made your piles, the photos can be scanned and made into photo books using a site such as Blacks for convenient display and sharing.

Digital copies should be backed up but don’t throw out the originals, warns Makinson. The original photos are still the most reliable form of backup since digital files can become corrupted or outdated. The originals are best stored in an archival box in a fireproof safe or archival location, she says.

What if your photos are in sticky back magnetic albums? Cindy Sinko, archives technician at the Stratford-Perth Archives in Stratford, Ont., recommends removing photos, if possible, from such albums because the acid leaches into the photos and the plastic sheeting tends to stick to the pictures.

Before dismantling albums or scrap books, she advises taking a picture of them. But also be cautious. If photos cannot be easily removed, it is better to leave them be.

If you want to put some of the old photos on display so you can enjoy them every day, Sinko recommends following some steps to minimize damage to the photos. First of all, use ultra violet filtering glass or acrylic in the frames. Limit the amount and intensity of light the photo is exposed to by using a lower intensity of light, turning off lights when not in use, and placing shades on windows to block the sunlight. For best results, seek the advice of a professional framer.

Those digital photos

What about the thousands of digital photos lurking on your hard drive? Makinson’s method for managing digital photos starts with gathering them into one folder. She then recommends using special software to remove duplicates. Using the date stamp associated with each digital photo, the pictures can be sorted chronologically.

Keep only the best photos, Makinson recommends, and rename these files with the names of the people or places in the photos which allows you to use the search function to find them more easily in future. Other photos can be moved to another folder.

All photos should be backed up, ideally in more than one location, to prevent loss in case of fire, flooding, etc. Makinson also likes to create photo books with digital photos to make it easier to enjoy them and share them with others.

Working with old photos and documents

From Cindy Sinko, archives technician, Stratford-Perth Archives, Stratford, Ont.

When it comes to storing papers and photographs, the storage conditions are critical. Heat will make paper brittle and dry while moisture can cause mould and mildews to grow, and invite insects which can eat away at the paper.

Avoid storing photos and papers in garages, attics or basements. An interior room of the house where fluctuations in temperature or humidity are minimized is best. Keep documents and photos away from the light which can cause the writing on paper documents and photos to fade. Beware of mould which can be dangerous.

When handling family papers and photos, be sure to have a clean, clear workspace before taking the items out of storage. Don’t eat, drink or smoke around originals. Wash your hands before handling paper and don’t apply any lotion, which can stain paper. Wear nitrile or cotton gloves when handling photos.

Remove fasteners such as staples, elastics and paper clips. Store papers in archival quality boxes and enclosures. Folders and papers used should be acid-free — acid is the enemy of paper made from wood pulp because it causes the strands in the cellulose in the paper to break down into smaller pieces.

Don’t crowd the papers in file folders or boxes, and make sure the items fit in the enclosures.

If possible, remove photos from sticky back albums since the acid leaches into the photos and the plastic sheeting tends to stick to photos. Unwaxed dental floss can be used to remove stuck photos. A small metal spatula heated by a blow dryer could also be used. If photos cannot be easily removed you are better off to leave them be.

Use mylar sleeves for paper documents such as deeds, wills, letters, post cards, newspaper clippings, marriage, baptismal or death certificates, receipts, and diaries. These allow you to handle and view the documents without touching them.

Never use scotch tape or pen on photos or documents. Use only acid-free glue such as a UHU glue stick.

Resources

• To find a professional photo organizer in your area, go to the Association of Personal Photo Organizers.
• For DIY courses, check your local community college, school board, library or other community organization for courses and workshops.
• Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) has several tip sheets on how to clean and store paper documents and photos, as well as training opportunities.
• The American National Archives has tip sheets on preserving photos and documents.
• This Smithsonian Institute video shows how to remove photos from magnetic sticky back photo albums.

The post Preserve those family memories appeared first on Country Guide.

Even worse, as our children spend more time indoors or on screens, they are losing out on the benefits of being outdoors too.

While intuitively we know that being in nature is good for us, there is now hard evidence that time spent in nature reduces stress while increasing our productivity and creativity.

But how much time do we have to spend in nature to get the effect? And just how natural does it have to be to make a difference? Do we have to backpack our way into pristine wilderness, or will taking the time to watch the sun set over the fields count?

These are the kinds of questions Washington, D.C. environmental journalist Florence Williams set out to answer in her new book, The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative.

Williams had felt the impact of not spending enough time in nature firsthand when she moved from Colorado’s Rocky Mountains to urban Washington, D.C. “After the move, I had more trouble sleeping and I became more anxious,” she explains.

Williams travelled the world to find out what scientists had learned about Nature Deficit Disorder, a term coined by author Richard Louv in his groundbreaking 2005 book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder.

Williams’ research took her to countries where the appreciation for the connection between nature and well-being is already well recognized. She travelled to Japan where the Japanese practice what they call forest bathing. Williams describes this as strolling in the forest with total sensory engagement — listening, feeling, smelling and hearing the elements of nature.

The Japanese Forest Agency has dozens of Forest Therapy Rangers who lead people on guided walks on forest therapy trails, she says.

The research shows that our nervous systems begin to respond to nature in as little as 15 minutes, says Williams. Our blood pressure drops, our stress hormone levels drop, our parasympathetic system (also called the “rest and digest” system) becomes more active and our sympathetic (fight or flight) system becomes deactivated.

The most restorative environment is one that is interesting but not too interesting, says Williams. Watching a sunset or watching the rain are generally soothing to most humans as are nature sounds, especially wind, water and birds. Surveys indicate people are most attracted to water followed by trees, she adds.

How much time in nature you or I might need for optimum health varies between us as individuals. Some people do not de-stress in nature, whether it’s because of the bugs, the heat or the cold, explains Williams. However, Finnish research indicates on average a minimum of five hours per month is needed to stave off mild depression. Participants who spent at least 10 hours per month in nature experienced even more positive benefits.

Williams has determined that her sweet spot is a minimum of 30 minutes per day spent walking on a trail near her home. To get the most benefit from time spent in nature she recommends being mindful of the experience. “Take out your earbuds and put away your phone. Engage with the natural elements, search out birds and other wildlife,” she says. “Pay attention to what makes you feel good.”

And be sure to soak up the smells, Williams says. “The nose is a direct pathway to the brain.”

Although a walk in an urban park, a view of greenery through a window, or even watching nature videos can have some benefit, there is more positive impact when you can “escape into a more fully immersive natural environment,” Williams adds.

To rank the health benefits of different types of natural environments, Tim Beatley of the University of Virginia developed the Nature Pyramid, modelled after the Food Pyramid used for healthy eating guidelines. At the base of the pyramid are the daily interactions that can help us de-stress and reduce mental fatigue. This is what Williams calls “nearby nature,” such as the trees and birds in our immediate environment.

Going up a level in the pyramid would be weekly outings to more natural forested areas and water bodies. Further up would ideally be to escape one weekend per month to a restful natural area. At the pinnacle would be an annual trek for multiple days to a more pristine wilderness.

This is, of course, the ideal, but even if you can’t achieve the ideal, it’s certainly good to be mindful of the recommendations. Just as we plan for healthy eating and regular exercise, we can make time spent in nature part of our schedule. And if you’re experiencing burnout, spending some time at a cottage or camping in the back country might help restore your resilience.

Don’t forget the children

As our schools cut recess time and pave over school yards, there are implications for our children, especially since they are generally less active and spend more time on digital devices than in years past.

Many northern European schools are moving in the opposite direction. Williams travelled to Scotland and Sweden to witness Forest Schools in action. There, children spend a good part of their day playing and learning in nature. “This is how brains grow and learn,” says Williams, who was impressed at how, in the forest schools, curiosity drives learning and the kids learn to get along. “It’s so sad to put little kids in school with four walls and make them sit inside all day.”

In Scandinavia, 10 per cent of children already attend Forest Schools, and the concept is becoming popular in Germany and the U.K. Now it has even spread to Victoria, B.C. where there are two Nature Kindergartens.

It shouldn’t surprise us that our minds and bodies are most at ease in natural surroundings, says Williams. “This is where we evolved and our physiology is still adapted to being in nature.”

Fortunately, living in the countryside means that the restorative benefits of nature are never too far away… as long as we make an effort to tap into the resource that is all around us.

Resources

• The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative (2017) by Florence Williams.
• Biophilia (1984) by E.O. Wilson.
• Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder (2008) by Richard Louv.

The post Get your nature fix appeared first on Country Guide.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are not alone. A 2012 survey by the Professional Organizers of Canada showed 70 per cent of us are not nearly as organized as we’d like to be, says Nathalie Pedicelli, a professional organizer in Montreal.

To make matters worse, adds Kim Eagles, a professional organizer in Moncton, N.B., we all have different comfort levels when it comes to clutter, which means clutter can mushroom into a big source of conflict if one person wants to keep everything, and the other wants to get rid of it.

The important thing, Eagles says, is to not judge or attack the other person. Through communication it is possible to come up with solutions that everyone can live with, she says.

Maybe the easiest solution is simply for each person to have their own individual space which they can keep as they like, says Eagles. Clutter is only a problem when it’s stressing people, she emphasizes.

When clutter is a problem, it can help to understand where it’s coming from. Eagles suggests you start by asking yourself a few questions: What is this stuff? Why is it here? How did it get here? “It’s usually about unmade decisions, things that don’t have a home or that you haven’t dealt with,” she says.

That’s how so many things get piled in the home office in a kind of “stash and dash” reflex, agrees Pedicelli.

When visiting new clients, Eagles sees common patterns in the things that have accumulated. In our consumerist society, these include old décor items, books, hobby items, and unwanted gifts. Sometimes we have too many of one thing so the containers we have for them are overflowing. We also have trouble getting rid of stuff with an emotional attachment, such as family heirlooms or things we used to like.

Sometimes clutter gets out of control when we’re going through a difficult time. After a divorce, illness, death, or having kids, it can be difficult to catch up. Pedicelli says, and she adds that memory loss, aging, loss of mobility or a diagnosis of depression, OCD or ADHD may also hamper our ability to stay organized.

In some cases, people have never learned organizational skills so they don’t know where to start, and both Pedicelli and Eagles encourage those who are really struggling to seek professional assistance.

Pedicelli uses the “3 Cs: Curate, Contain and Control” to tackle clutter. The first step in this clutter-busting strategy is to curate your stuff. To explain what she means by curate, Pedicelli uses the example of someone who collects John Deere merchandise. You start collecting a few things and then the family buys you more, she says, and the next thing you know you have a house full of John Deere stuff.

“But there’s a fine line between a collection and clutter,” she says.

Start a “Maybe Box”

Pedicelli’s solution is to set a timer for 15 minutes, get a basket and round up all of the items. Keep the ones you really love and for the rest, ask yourself if you really need that many. “If you have a dozen hats, do you need to keep them all or could you keep just three?” she asks.

If you aren’t sure, then start a “Maybe Box.” After a few weeks, revisit the Maybe Box and see if you are ready to let it go now.

The next step in Pedicelli’s 3 Cs strategy is to contain the clutter. Just as it’s easier to count your cattle in a pen than when they are out in the pasture, it’s easier to see what you have if you store it all together, says Pedicelli. But don’t rush out to buy containers, she says. Most people already have enough containers around the home, and some containers can be repurposed such as using empty mason jars to store office supplies.

Things that you use together should be kept together, continues Pedicelli. For example, in her home she has a Breakfast Station where she keeps butter, peanut butter, and bread, and a Coffee Station for coffee, mugs and sugar. The Launch Pad is an area by the back door where she puts everything she’ll need the next day.

In the shop, a peg board with outlines of the tools that are supposed to be there lets people easily see what’s missing and know where the tools belong.

The last step in Pedicelli’s 3 Cs strategy is to control the clutter. For example, when dealing with mail which is a common source of clutter, Pedicelli recommends having a sorting station in the area where you open the mail. Immediately put items you don’t want into the recycling bin, trash or shredder. For unsolicited mail from charities, write “not interested” and Return to Sender on it.

Pedicelli keeps several tall upright laundry baskets lined with plastic bags in her garage for things she is discarding. She has one for hazardous wastes, one for donations and one for garage sale items. “Label the laundry baskets and keep them in a designated spot,” she says. When a bag is full, you can deal with it appropriately.

To reduce the amount of paper work you’re keeping, she recommends going on a “filing diet.” Work on a few folders at a time. Sort items into a few piles and keep a paper shredder handy. For instance, separate bills from non-bills and then separate the bills into paid and unpaid. If it’s not paid, file it in an Action file to be paid. Separate school papers from other items. One plastic tote per child should be enough to save artwork.

Keep up with maintenance

The final step in Pedicelli’s decluttering program is maintenance. Here are some of her favourite strategies for maintaining order.

Use a timer and choose one bite-sized task to focus on, such as organizing the top desk drawer.

For teens, she likes to set up a give-away box. When they have something they have outgrown or a book they no longer read, it goes into the give-away box. Every few weeks, go through the box and add it to the appropriate bins in the garage.

With kids in the household, the other system Pedicelli likes is the Sanity Basket. She puts the things the kids have left lying around the house into the Sanity Basket. Once a week, for example on Sunday afternoon, she cleans it out and donates whatever has been left in there. Eventually kids will fetch their stuff back from the box, she says.

If you don’t know where to begin, Eagles recommends starting with what bugs you the most. What do you most want to see improved? Do you long for a tidy entrance? Or is it the kitchen that drives you crazy? Another way to look at the situation is to focus your attention on what you don’t want. Are you tired of tripping over shoes? If so, concentrate on creating a storage area for shoes. Having that dream or end goal in mind will keep you motivated.

Next, plan how it will happen, says Eagles. Who is going to help and when is it going to get done? “Enlist all of your family members’ ideas in creating new systems,” she advises.

The important thing is to make organizing a habit while also keeping in mind that it’s hard to change habits, says Eagles. “Don’t expect too much change too fast,” she says. “Start with small easy changes.”

It’s easiest to create habits if you tie them to routines such as morning, after-school and bedtime, says Pedicelli. “And it helps if you start the routines when the kids are young,” she adds.

The key, both our experts agree, is to keep your goal reasonable. It isn’t perfection. Instead, happiness is progress.

Clutter? What clutter?

Clutter usually falls into one of five categories that spell BRASH, says professional organizer Nathalie Pedicelli. Understanding the source of clutter can help tame it.

B — Bargain. Things you buy because they were on sale but that you don’t really need, or things that you bought too much of because of the price. It isn’t a deal if you don’t use what you bought. Think twice before making a purchase.

R — Reminder. Items you leave out to remind you to do something such as leaving out a pill bottle to remind you to take meds. Instead, put a reminder on your calendar.

A — Aspirational. Things you buy for a hobby or a sport, books we hope to read, clothes that no longer fit. Instead of hanging on to books we hope to read one day, make a list and go digital or borrow them from the library. If you’re hanging onto clothes that no longer fit, be realistic about whether you’ll wear them again.

S — Sentimental. If you have an item that belonged to a relative that you don’t use but can’t bear to part with, can you repurpose the item for another use? Could you take a picture of it and then sell the item and use the money to buy something for the family? Do you have boxes of old family photos that you could you pay a teenager to scan?

H — Home. Everything needs a home to go to when not in use. In other words, if it doesn’t have a home, give it one.

Resources

• Professional Organizers in Canada
• Nathalie Pedicelli’s website Organize.Thrive.Monetize. She also offers a free 30-minute clutter diagnostics session.
• For a copy of Kim Eagles’ e-book, Release the Clutter, visit Release the Clutter. You’ll find helpful tips on her blog at kaossolutions.com.
• One of Kim’s favourite blogs to follow is orgjunkie.com.

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