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 Creativity comes mostly from our dream state. Invention, ideas and artist images are seeded in our dreams. When you awake in the morning take time to reflect on your dreams and see if you can bring some of that world into this one. You will be amazed at how many wonderful ideas you will get while asleep and dreaming. It is great practice to keep a dream journal by your bed so that when you awake you can jot down what you remember. Many people complain that they do not remember their dreams. Well that is because it takes practice. Every time you awake concentrate on remembering. It may take a moment but you will come back to the dream state and remember bits and peices or whole segments of your dream. Practice makes perfect. We are being taught lessons during our sleep so our lifestyle can improve. We are also getting warnings about what to do and what not to do in life. We are also being rejuvenated during our dreams to increase our creative flow. Many inventors have claimed that they "dreamed" their inventions. Einstein was a known day dreamer who thought of major inventions in a flash of thought. Salvidor Dali was known to paint images he saw in the dream state.
Your sleep and insight into your dreams will give you ideas on how to stay organized and clear headed. Taking a moment every day to reflect or day dream creates a clear path for strong organizational skills, and a postive flow to work and play. Day dreaming and contemplation which are still activities are not the same as being "lazy". Without day dreaming and reflection an artist or creative person would be empty and without any new and creative thoughts. So dream and daydream your way to creativity and organized patterns of bliss! We also will dream big for you and create home organization systems, decor and feng shui spaces that will delight all of your senses. www.i-deal-lifestyle.com Marla Stone Orange County Professional Organizer helps you get your home, office, and business organized! We serve all of Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Diego. We also serve your area by special request. Please call 949-709-7000 for a free 30 min. phone consultation. Marla Stone Lifestyle Expert is featured in the Orange County Register as the clutter buster. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/stone-370146-says-carbone.html Can Your Health Challenges Mess up Your Life and Space?  Mental, Emotional, Physical Wellness versus Mental, Emotional, Physical Illness is a positive way to talk about Mental Health Challenges. I also like to talk about the difference between mental health vs. emotional health vs. physical health because they all work together. Emotional Health is all about feelings, feeling balanced and whole, being happy and satisfied with life, and having a good mood. Mental Health is all about how your mind, thoughts and cognitive processes are working. Physical Health is all about how your body is operating and staying healthy and balanced. The seperation of Mental, Emotional illness vs. Physical illness has always confused me. Why are brain (mental health/emotional issues and physical health issues split into two categories? Psychiatry which started in the 1800's stated that it was the "medical" treatment for "the mind". Why didn't medical treatment for the whole person, mind, body and spirit ensue? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychiatry. Isn't your brain and your emotional self part of your body? I would think so. At some point in the early 1800's when Psychiatry, a new field started, anything to do with depression, psychosis, "odd or strange" behavior, personality traits, and communications started to fall under Psychiatry instead of going to the old family doctor. Many of these "odd or strange" behaviors may have been caused by Medical issues, childhood issues, trauma etc... but the person would be treated by a Mental Health Specialist or Psychiatrist versus a "regular doctor". That may be when stigma increased and terms like "nervous breakdown", "crazy" , "mental patient" and any other negative connotations about mental health challenges started growing and upsetting the actual care necessary for mental health. The other problem with the seperation between medical and mental health care is that many mental and emotional health challenges have an organic and or medical cause, and that often was overlooked by Psychiatrists who wanted to find an emotional and or personal weakness as the cause. Many people die from having a Psychiatric diagnosis take over their treatment, when in fact the mental and emotional health issues were from a physical disorder. The ideal situation if one is having mental/emotional health issues is to have a Psychiatrist and a Physical Health Practitioner on one team. Often there is NO communication between the two disciplines causing lengthy and unsuccessful results. Most people, though, who suffer from emotional, mental and or physical health challenges also may become disorganized, and have difficulty with motivation to clean and keep things organized. Emotional illness comes from having the mental state disrupted. Emotional illness can be from having the physical state disrupted. Sometimes emotional, mental and physical disruption is happening all at once, and then your self and space will be tremendously affected. Finding a team approach to help you get back to WELLNESS may be helpful, and put you back on track, so to speak, and on the fast train to recovery. Looking at old memories of hurt and pain, facing them and talking to a Licensed Therapist, examing your diet, exercise, addressing physical health issues, staying on a good medical/mental health regimen, and pulling all of your support and resources together is essential to recovery. Finding out the source of why there is an emotional factor (negative and harsh feelings) would be the first step in addressing any self or space imbalance. Once you find out the source then the treatment can be organized so you can get organized and resume a balanced self and space. If you are experiencing any mental, emotional and or physical issues, and you realize you want or require help, contact your insurance carrier and or any community resources in your area to address these issues immediately. You may want to contact a mental health consultant and or coach for guidance and resource coordination. www.southocwellness.com can help you navigate yourself to to health management. Waiting to focus on your mental and medical health issues may only extend your suffering of your self and space.   Renovation will be a cleansing and beautifying experience for your self and space. Renovation will also be stressful, overwhelming and confusing. What will I fix, keep or exchange are the common questions when wanting to change up your home. For instance, when you have a beautiful glass window or table and it has some scratches on it, one will believe they would want to replace that window, but there are always solutions for damaged glass, wood, doors, ceilings, floors etc.... One window scratch remedy is http://ezinearticles.com/?Glass-Scratch-Remover&id=6551520. There are many remedies that you can find for almost any damaged part of your home on the internet. Before you start spending big dollars to replace everything that has a little scratch or dent see if it can be repaired to your satisfaction. When you decide to actually get a new kitchen, bathroom, floor, windows, doors etc... finding the best quality for the best price is the next step. Relying on services such as Angie's list or Service Magic, and or great references from family or friends would be the way to go. Set aside two Saturdays or a weekend to interview contractors, in depth. In depth means face to face interview asking at least 20-30 questions which you have thought of beforehand, calling their current and past references, searching on-line for any complaints against their license, making sure they have a license and a good score with the better business bureau, and visiting some of their clients homes that they completed. You want to take as much time finding someone to work on your home, as you do when someone were to do surgery on a loved one. Renovation also does not have to involve a great deal of cost or effort, it would be just as great replacing the doors to your kitchen cabinets, new flooring, paint and some posh. Call Marla for a free 30 minute phone consultation for changing the stain of your kitchen, bathroom cabinets or wood furniture within a few days. Adding some new furniture pieces and buying some new curtains, pillows and rugs will also be considered a renovation. Talk to your CPA, CFA or accountant about a budget that will not put you in jeapordy financially. Also talk to your realtor or a realtor in the area who knows if values are going up or down, in your neighborhood, to help you decide how much money, realistically, should be put into your home. Any way you go about a home remodeling or renovation get your self and your home organized first, then beautified and comfy, so you can enjoy your time there more and more! Remember the outer is a reflection of the inner you, and home is where the heart, mind, body and soul rest regularly. Check out some ideas at www.pinterest.com in the home improvement section. Check everyday for a new idea to improve the lovin' feeling in your surroundings. Marla Stone is a Decor Specialist and owns www.i-deal-lifestyle.com a self and space organization services for your self, home and business. July Special 10% OFF!!!! Orange County Professional Organizer helps you get your home, office, and business organized! We serve all of Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Diego. We also serve your area by special request. Please call 949-709-7000 for a free 30 min. phone consultation. Marla Stone Lifestyle Expert is featured in the Orange County Register as the clutter buster. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/stone-370146-says-carbone.html   I have heard people throw the term OCD around like it is a common cold. I also realize they may not have been diagnosed with OCD, but that they are using the term OCD loosely. The truth is that OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a VERY serious disorder, which debilitates a person seriously. There are also different types of OCD. There is the "clean" type and the "hoarding type". Both challenges are just as serious and impacts the person, their lives and their loved ones. DSM IV Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Criteria states "A. Either obsessions or compulsions: Obsessions as defined by (1), (2), (3), and (4):
(1) recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress (2) the thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems (3) the person attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, impulses, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thought or action (4) the person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his or her own mind (not imposed from without as in thought insertion) Compulsions as defined by (1) and (2): (1) repetitive behaviors (e.g., hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g., praying, counting, repeating words silently) that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, or according to rules that must be applied rigidly (2) the behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent or are clearly excessive B. At some point during the course of the disorder, the person has recognized that the obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable. Note: This does not apply to children. C. The obsessions or compulsions cause marked distress, are time consuming (take more than 1 hour a day), or significantly interfere with the person’s normal routine, occupational (or academic) functioning, or usual social activities or relationships. D. I another Axis I disorder is present, the content of the obsessions or compulsions is not restricted to it (e.g., preoccupation with food in the presence of an Eating Disorder; hair pulling in the presence of Trichotillomania; concern with appearance in the presence of Body Dysmorphic Disorder; preoccupation with drugs in the presence of a Substance Use Disorder; preoccupation with having a serious illness in the presence of Hypochondriasis; preoccupation with sexual urges or fantasies in the presence of a Paraphilia; or guilty ruminations in the presence of Major Depressive Disorder). E. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition." There also is another disorder which is called Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, and although it may not be considered "as serious" as OCD, it will also impair a person's life, their productivity, and relationships. According to the DSM IV the symptoms are "A pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following: 1) is preoccupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or schedules to the extent that the major point of the activity is lost. 2) shows perfectionism that interferes with task completion (e.g., is unable to complete a project because his or her own overly strict standards are not met) 3) is excessively devoted to work and productivity to the exclusion of leisure activities and friendships (not accounted for by obvious economic necessity) 4) is overconscientious, scrupulous, and inflexible about matters of morality, ethics, or values (not accounted for by cultural or religious identification) 5) is unable to discard worn-out or worthless objects even when they have no sentimental value 6) is reluctant to delegate tasks or to work with others unless they submit to exactly his or her way of doing things 7) adopts a miserly spending style toward both self and others; money is viewed as something to be hoarded for future catastrophes 8) shows rigidity and stubbornness". The Hoarding type of OCD is not really specified in the DSM IV but a good article relating it to OCD is http://ocd.about.com/od/typesofocd/a/Types_OCD.htm If you think you meet criteria find a local mental health specialist in your area and work through and reverse the symptoms as soon as possible. Also you may consider a Professional Organizer and Personal Assistant for extra support and help in order to decrease your stress and increase your peace of mind. Marla Stone owns www.southocwellness.com and www.i-deal-lifestyle.com and provides Health Wellness Consulting, Professional Organizing services and Feng Shui to individuals and families nationally. Contact Marla at [email protected]. |
 Here, you will find an array of blog articles about living an ideal lifestyle and how to improve corporate business strategies.Marla is known as the Declutter Your Strategy™ expert. Marla earned her BA in Psychology and a Master's in Social Work. Stone is the founder of |
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