15 Minute Stress Reliever - Pantry Organizing
This weekend I took the time to ponder the question “What will I do when I get stressed this week?”. The holiday season, plus the election, and so many other elements of my job and life get really hectic this time of year. I’m getting tired of letting that stress manage me, so I wanted to get ahead of that sooner rather than later. The question this weekend helped me identify a new answer - 15 minute break ideas that can help relieve me of my anxieties, worries, stressors. Studies show that redirecting your neuropathways, when triggered by an event, will help change the course of your patterns and behaviors. So if you learn how to refocus when stressors occur, you can change the course of your day or week. I’m aiming to compile regular 15 minute projects that can distract us when inevitably stressed, and help increase our productivity and overall joy.
Project Stress Reliever #1 - Organize your pantry and kitchen drawers
Over the weekend I purchased simple Airtight containers from Amazon to have on hand Monday when the week would begin. When I ran into an inevitable small stressor that day, I unpacked the box and got started on my stress reliever project. Giving myself a the 15 minute timeframe helped me avoid overthinking it and finish it quickly. The goal was clear - redirect my energy to something that I could control, so that I didn’t dwell on a stressful moment in the week. Starting with the pantry, I took half opened packages and designated a new sealed home for it. Rather than use the black labels this package comes with, I decided to use a white chalk marker for easy change-out of the label later.
Use a labeling system that is easy to change. This wipes off.
I also recommend using categories that are descriptive rather than direct. So for example; snacks, grains, pasta. This will help you avoid having to change it every time you want to refill it. I once saw a friend spend a lot of money on a home organizer who labeled things in a manner that made it difficult for her family to keep up the organization (for ex: pretzels). Do yourself a favor and make it easy on yourself and the other people who live there.
A good tip is to also have a case of mason jars on hand to use for storage too.
Even for small spaces or apartments, organized storage is so important for sanity! If you have any other 15 minute stress reliever projects, share them with me on social.
