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The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to get organized and take the opportunity of a fresh start. This month’s Movin’ Together healthy tool of “scheduling” is an ideal assistant to achieve organizational goals!

Scheduling can relieve inordinate stress in our lives. Without a set plan for the day, it is easy to of in to a stressful pattern of starting projects without finishing them, trying to remember commitments, and being overwhelmed by responsibilities. Keeping the practice of a schedule will relieve these troubles.

Time experts agree that scheduling helps us to focus on what is really important to us. A helpful little booklet titled “Tyranny of the Urgent”, by Charles Hummel is helpful concerning this topic. Hummel points out that there is a regular tension between things that are urgent and the things that are important, and far too often the urgent wins! How does that state of stress or urgency affect us emotionally and physically? When we are in a state of stress or urgency our brain sends certain stress hormones such as Cortisol throughout our body. These are meant to aid us during those limited times of stress. They are released as we need them, but if we are in chronic stress, or continually feeling like we are in a fight or flight situation, then we become out of balance. When we are out of balance it weakens our immune system and our emotional stability. Our bodies were not designed to stay in chronic stress – that is where the orderly, scheduling of our lives helps us to approach life in a calmer manner.

As women we have many important responsibilities that call to us beckoning for our attention. Life is not perfect, so we may get off track for many reasons. But, like a map or GPS, the schedule is one tool that can help us get back on track. When we are calm and orderly the inhibitory neurotransmitters, such as GABA (gamma-Aminobutyric acid), are released. GABA enhances prioritization of planned actions (helps us make a schedule). GABA also helps to increase the production of Serotonin, the happy neurotransmitter. Who doesn’t need that in winter? Movement and laughter also increases Serotonin. When our children and grandchildren are playing and laughing and being silly – we should join in for a few moments and increase our GABA! Laughter is clinically proven to: Boost the immune system instantly reducing the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline) and dopamine. In deed laughter is good medicine! Setting time aside in our schedule to laugh and enjoy relationship, as well as, have calm and quiet time, is immensely important to our overall health balance.

In order to stick with this beneficial tool, your choice in planner makes a difference. If you enjoy the layout of your planner, you are more likely to use it and stick with it! There are all sorts of different formats available to implement this tool. Scheduling could make all the difference in you health and happiness in 2018! We invite you to join us in applying this significant tool.

Next time month’s Movin’ Together tool: Hydration!

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Contest Giveaway! We would like to encourage women to be their best to bless others. Keep an eye out for our Movin’ Together giveaways with each of our monthly features!

Entering is easy! Simply do the following: In the feature, Sara listed 3 benefits of laughing. Send an email to Sara listing one of the benefits at sara@thehomepagenetwork.com

If you have answered correctly, you will be entered to win! Our winner will be randomly selected tomorrow (January 17th) at 3:00pm.

This month, our winner will receive this Movin’ Together bundle:
– 2 copies of the booklet, “Tyranny of the Urgent” (1 to keep and 1 to give to a friend!)
– 2 official Movin’ Together pens (the first of its kind!)
– 1 copy of the book, “Freedom from Tyranny of the Urgent”
– A weekly planner to encourage you to have fun being organized in 2018