Paperwork completed?

I mailed off the paperwork to SS yesterday to let them know that I now have a professional job and don’t need ss anymore.  I had phoned and mailed them a couple months ago. They then sent me  a bunch of new or more forms to fill out. The forms asked questions about employment from years ago. I m not sure why they were asking all those questions, because they should already have the answers to those in their files already. And some of the questions were about how much money I made in a specific month years ago.  I don’t have paperwork from that far back. Also questions abbot supervisor’s names from years ago…I don’t remember or those people have moved on to new jobs.

I phoned a woman at the office about a week and a half ago. She seemed friendly enough and just told me not to spend the SS money since I had started my new job. The paperwork asks for names and phone numbers of my current supervisor. I also told her I would prefer if they didn’t phone my boss and ask question because of the stigma involved. (I don’t need my new boss know that I have an illness.) The woman told me to simply write on the paperwork that I would prefer if they didn’t contact my new boss.

I was supposed to have finished the paperwork a couple of weeks ago, but I have been so busy with my new job AND the questions are about details and fact that I don’t know where the documentation is. Obsessive and organized  I am not. I finally figured I would just answer the paperwork questions the best I could so they would know that I was at least trying to answer them. sometimes in life trying to do something rather than doing nothing because you can’t do it correctly is the best way to get help or to let others know you are doing your best.

Goals

Just three months ago I, along with others, made new years resolutions.

Ha….am I doing them?

Well my little place has papers all over. I need to file them.  I was going to keep my my papers vertical.

I was also going to exercise my arms….this was before all the hoopla about Michelle Obama’s arms.

I was going to try yoga. and wrote about it here too.

I finally went to yoga today…hadn’t been for a month.

Well, I better get off the Internet and try to clean up my little place.

I just did my dishes…I don’t have that many. My kitchen is a closest. I have a sink and if I turn around I am immediately at my stove.

I am going to do the Flylady thing. Just go baby steps for today.

One thing I do do….I make my bed every single day. Woho.

When weaning of psych-drugs, keeping track helps you stay on course

Last night hubby and I went to Weight Watchers. The leader talked about how important it is to keep track of what you eat so that you can use the feedback to see what worked and what didn’t work.

She then asked if there were other areas in our lives where we kept track of what we were doing so that we could use the feedback. (Scales are not our enemies, they are merely tools giving us feedback.) Checkbooks and financial books were one tracking system that many people use to stay on track. And when you don’t, you get into trouble. (Maybe why the United States is having the problems it has now…we weren’t really tracking what we were doing.)

Anyway, other examples given were: looking at the clock so you get get to places on time, watching your speedometer and looking at the calendar. I thought of a couple others. I like to look at my blog stats. It tells me what posts were popular and what people want to read. It helps me decide what to write about.

But the other thing which I think is really vital to keep track of is…the use of psych drugs. Especially when trying to wean off the drugs. I kept record of what I was doing when I weaned off the drugs. That way I had documented what was working for me…and what was causing a reaction or side effect.

When I helped my cousin who was going through an “elevated” (or manic)  mood  a couple years ago, I stayed with him and I wrote down every prescribed psychotropic and “prescribed” natural supplements that he took. I track his mood also. We saw the doctor together a couple times a week during this period. And I had a concrete tracking system to report back to the alternative M.D. as to what was working and what was not. (I also wrote down what he ate.) 

I am a member of a couple Internet support  groups. Many times someone will join a support e-group and say that they are weaning off psych drugs. But they get into problems when they don’t have a system for writing down the drugs, the doses,  and how they feel.  If people do write this stuff down, they can give you a concrete answer when you ask them more about what they have taken and for how many days.

Hubby and I both have stopped writing down what we ate….and we both gained. We can’t truly remember what it is that we ate that made us gain weight. It would be nice if we could because that would be feedback for us.

It is the same when you are weaning off of psych-drugs. Write it down. This causes a couple things to happen. You are more careful when you write down what you are doing and if you get into trouble with withdrawal symptoms, you can see what you have done to analyze how you might change.

Let’s get vertical, or keeping up with New Year’s resolutions

Have you kept up with your New Year’s resolutions?  I wrote about my resolutions here. 

Some say 80 percent of resolutions are not kept.

One resolution was to keep my place nice and orderly. Flylady says to keep all papers vertical. I(Actually I can’t remember if it is Flylady or Organizer Lady…she is at messie.com. )  Well, I am starting to get little piles of papers in about four spots. So I need to to force myself to file them, recycle or throw away.

Keeping papers vertical mean filing papers right away….giving them a home…right away. Only handling paper once.

I have fallen down on the job. I now have a few little piles of papers. Another problem people have is leaving things out because it is “in use”…the problem is people like me tend to be creative so when have lots of little projects going and lots of things are “in use” and they think “in use” means you don’t have to put it away. When I was moving into my studio apartment  I was using some tape for packing boxes. I always put it away even though I wasn’t done packing. Put once I didn’t…then I couldn’t find the roll of ttape…when you are moving, you tend to make a mess. 

So, today my goal is to file papers or toss them. For people like me, tossing things is difficult…of course we like to recycle. But I have so many interests that I want to keep things.

Keeping things organized reduces stress. When I decided I would move out…I was too scared to tell my hubby, but since I was organized it was easy to scoop up my important paperwork. I And if you are going to be reviewed….having your paperwork in order helps reduce stress…you have all the documents you need to prove your case.

Tricking the brain: Take small steps…weight….or meds

Research supports my previous post:

Take small steps, an article. 

It is also what Flylady and the Organizer Lady preach too!

On not being a brat: you can steer yourself any direction you choose

In my search to become more organized I found a new website, The Brat Factor.

It is about not procrastinating and doing what you are supposed to do. I put off doing things and then my house get messy, I can’t find important documents for work and I feel just awful. I have found that hiring a person to help me organize at $20.00 and hour helped me more than most counselors or psychiatrists who charge much, much more.

My organizer has mentioned that she thought I had ADHD….I don’t believe it…but I a not going to challenge her. It is a nice “excuse” for my behavior and my mess.

Anyway I signed up for “The Brat Factor” and I received this inspirational message today.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
Dr. Seuss

 www.thebratfactor.com.

New Year’s resolutions

Did you make any New Year’s resolution?

Yesterday I posted about my New Year’s resolutions: keeping track of papers, filing them, keeping my place organized and clean.

I was listening to a radio station today that said 80 percent of adults make New Year’s resolutions. And the top resolutions are losing weight, eating more healthy and spending more time with the family.

It goes without saying I’ve made resolutions in the past. And I kept them. They include weaning off of psych drugs, eating organic, and making my bed every morning.  The making the bed thing took me a whole year to do. It might seem like a little think, but getting up out of bed and making it right away make the whole day go much better…and you are not tempted to crawl back in.

I used to be a messie but I have used Flylady.net and the Organizer Lady to help me be more organized.

What are your New Year’s resolutions? Do you have a specific plan with specific steps to implement your goals?

Post them in the comments section.

Purchasing healthy drinks at a convenience store while on the road

Peach

I really don’t get out much…or should I say, participate in mainstream food choices. The other day I forgot to plan ahead. I didn’t bring my own lunch. I had nothing to drink or eat and I was out in the boonies. I need to fill up my vehicle with gas so when I went inside the gas station I asked if they had any bananas. No they did not. They said that if anyone wanted fruit they would go to a grocery store. I have noticed that many gas stations are now providing bananas, oranges and apples. I was even surprised to see green tea in a western state way out in the boonies. So I think the natural and good food is beginning to make its mark even at convenience stores and gas stations.

I refuse to purchase bottled water because of the negative impact of turning a natural resource into a commodity.  I believe should water be free or supported as a public utility. So, the other day I was left with not much of a choice. I choose a drink named Fuze.

I tried the peach mango flavor. Here are the ingredients:

Filtered water, crystalline fructose, skim milk, apple juice concentrate, natural flavor, sucrose, cream, lactic acid, pectin, citric acid, ascorbic acid, niacin, calcium pantothenate, vitamin e acetate, sucralose, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin a palimate, cyanacobalamin

Nutrition Facts:
serving size 8 fl oz; servings per container about 2; calories 90; fat 0g; sodium 15mg,; total carb 24g; sugars 22g; protein 0g; vitamin a 25%; vitamin c 50%; vitamin e 25%; calcium 10%; niacin 50%; vitamin b5 50%; vitamin b6 50%; vitamin b12 50%.

You can learn more about the nutrition of Fuze drinks here.

Of course I drank the whole bottle fairly quickly so you need to double that 90 calories to 180 calories per serving. I mean who do you really know who only drinks half a bottle? Also after joining Weight Watchers, I try not to “drink my points…but eat them.” For those of you not in Weight Watchers…thetr are lots of calories in juices and usually no fiber. But I considered this a “treat.”

My advice? If you are traveling whether it is a few days or a three hours. Think ahead. Bring something good to eat and drink along with you. And if you want to stop for a treat check the ingredients and choice something healthy.

So what do you do when you travel or commute? Do you bring your own lunch and drinks or do your purchase something along the way?

Buy natural food at a farmers market

I like to purchase locally grown flowers that haven't been grown with pesticides.

Today I went to the farmers market. I love going to farmers markets. You get to visit with the farmers and see your friends and it is a pleasant walk for me.

Here is what I purchased.

1.  Pretty flowers….no pesticides.
2. Cheese, tenderloin beef tips, and sausage from a the same farmer
3. Cookies and a caramel roll
4. Beets, the farmer said I could cook the greens and gave me suggestions for the roots (beets). I have never liked beets that much, but I will try the greens and use the roots to add color to salads. She also suggested cooking them with vinegar, sugar and cornstarch.
5. Swiss chard, we used to grow this when I was a kid and we ate it steamed every night; picked fresh from our own backyard garden.
6. Eggs. I am actually going to let them sit a bit because I want to make potato salad and they peel better when they are old(er).

I am sorry I have posted as much lately. I am very busy. I have been trying to get other things done and I am using a timer when I am online…it went off two minutes ago.

Do any of you shop at farmers markets? Do you have some within walking distance…or an easy drive? What is your favorite thing to puchase at a farmers market?

PS. I lost two pounds last time I weighted in…better not eat another cookie today.

Get organized with the 30 second rule from the Organizer Lady

People with a mental illness diagnosis have problems with housekeeping, a least that has been my experience both with myself and with CMI (chronically mentally ill) that I have met. (Unless someone has OCD)

One way to get a handle on the clutter and the mess is to follow the 30 second rule of the Organizer Lady.

So, I just came into the house. The 30 second rule says that I

• Put my keys away
• Hang up the dog’s leash
• take care of the mail, don’t throw it on the table

The following is an email I received from the Organizer Lady a couple days ago:

1. New Message of the Day – 30 Second Habit Rule Explained

Sometimes when I mention that if something takes 30 seconds or less to do that we should determine not to put it off, people object. “If I start doing everything that takes thirty seconds, I will work myself to a nub.” And that is true. If our house is a mess we have many, many little jobs that could be done in 30 seconds. Too many to make it impractical to do them all.

So let’s limit how we apply it. The thirty second rule needs to be applied in two ways only.

The first place we should apply it is with what happens in the future. Don’t go back to try to catch up with everything. FROM NOW ON hang up your jacket immediately when you take it off. Take the coffee cup from the living room to the kitchen. Put up the mayonnaise and throw away the used tea bag. Return the tool to its home. And the like.

The second place we should apply the thirty second rule is with those that are high priority needs. There are probably a few important little jobs that have been neglected for a long time and would only take thirty seconds to get them out of the way. The non priority tasks can be cared for as you go about your organizing plan or routine.

So the idea is this: Apply the 30 second rule beginning now into the future and to priority jobs that need attention now.

Now, I need to leave the house, but I want a little snack first. This means that:

• Anything I get out I the refrigerator will be put back in
• Any trash will go straight to the garbage or recycle bin
• Any dirty dish will go straight to the sink, I don’t have a dishwasher.

What do you think? Is the 30 second rule a good rule?

I have such problem with putting of small tasks like junk mail and little things. What are your worst habits for making clutter?

Happy getting a handle on clutter so that you can de-clutter your mind,

Naturalgal