Spring is almost over and for those of us who have emptied our closets of all the winter wears; it is now time to get organized! Maintaining an organized lifestyle helps to manage the flow of the day, week, and/or month. If we view our lives as a greater whole, we are able to appropriately plan and make the best of our time. Getting organized also allows us to delegate some tasks to others as needed. If we know what is coming up, we can plan accordingly.

Here are some tips for starting your new organized lifestyle:

Utilize your time off: For many, the weekends offer solitude, a break from the day-to- day grind. The weekends can also offer an opportunity to get organized for the week. Start by planning out the meals for the week and laying out the clothes you wish to wear. By taking this extra step, you can potentially avoid stressful situations during the week and we could all use a little less stress!

Forget the “to-do” lists: Years ago my sister introduced me to the “ta-da” list, and it has forever changed my view of “lists”. To-do lists are negative in nature and can often add more stress than they intend. When you look at that long list of things to-do, it’s often a reminder of the things you didn’t do. Taking a more positive spin is the e “ta-da” list. After you have completed a task, you check it off and yell “TA-DA!” It may seem childish, but sometimes everyone needs a little pat on the back for all the things accomplished throughout the day!

One day at a time: Set specific tasks for each day of the week and try to stick with it. For example, select one section of your home to work on. Let’s say Monday’s are “kitchen” days. Think of all the things you do to maintain your kitchen and list them out: sweep, clean out fridge, de-clutter. Now time to delegate tasks; create a list for your spouse or children with their daily “tasks”. By doing these little things one day at a time, you avoid the all-day Saturday cleaning fest, which leaves you completely wiped and ruins the rest of your weekend.

Organization station: Create a place in your home to keep track of your “ta-da” list and “daily-task” sheet. Select a place that you know you will see often and actually use. I like to keep mine near the front door as a daily reminder to myself and family members when they come and go.

Organization doesn’t just happen overnight and can be a real challenge for many people. So make it your own, do what works for you and your family. I am interested in hearing how others stay organized and manage their lives. What do you do?

On Saturday, April 27th, the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) in collaboration with Children’s Hope for Understanding Multiple Sclerosis (CHUMS) held a program entitled “Bridging the Communication Gap between Parents with MS and their Children” in Duluth, GA at Dave and Busters. The program which focuses on heightened communications between family members about multiple sclerosis (MS) was presented by Dr. David Rintell from Partners Pediatric MS Center at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston and Sue Rehmus, Founder of CHUMS and Vice Chair of MSAA’s Board of Directors. The program is unique in that it is split into two facets, as parents receive a presentation from Dr. Rintell in one room while their children spend time with Sue in another area. Both groups work on learning strategies on how best to understand and talk about MS and the many issues come along with that diagnosis in the family dynamic.

The program in Duluth, which is the first in a series of these programs that MSAA will be facilitating, was wildly successful as 20 families participated. In the parents’ session the group learned about communications strategies relating to MS, as well as how to best enumerate on the various issues that may arise on a daily basis with children that may not have a firm grasp on the disease and its associated symptoms.

In the children’s room, the participants who ranged from ages 6 to 18, engaged in a number of “hands-on” exercises. The various activities enacted by the group included a the concept of “trying on” the symptoms of MS through household items, like blurry glasses, macaroni in shoes, and wearing gloves while trying to turn the pages of a magazine. These efforts gave a greater perspective to the children on what their parent with MS may experience on a day-to-day basis. One child specifically said, “I couldn’t wait to take those glasses off, but it makes me sad to think that my mom never has that choice.”

“Bridging the Communication Gap between Parents with MS and their Children” is a phenomenally multifaceted program that engages all levels of the family into the MS experience, please take a look at our calendar and see if this program is coming to a city near you this year. We’d love to have your family experience this opportunity!

Group picture from the program “Bridging the Communication Gap between Parents with MS and their Children.”

Dr. David Rintell from Partners Pediatric MS Center at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston speaking with the parents at our April 27 CHUMS program.

Sue Rehmus, Founder of CHUMS and Vice Chair of MSAA’s Board of Directors, getting ready to start the children’s portion of the program.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was passed by congress in 2010 is making some very big changes to the entire insurance industry including both public and private insurance policies. Many large scale changes are taking effect beginning in January 2014. Beginning on October 1, 2013 you will be able to  begin to shop for insurance policies in the new  Health Insurance Marketplace.

Recently, MSAA has added a new section to the website on the ACA and the changes that are coming. Please take some time to become familiar with this new insurance landscape. If you have specific questions about insurance, please contact MSAA’s Helpline at (800) 532-7667, extension  154 or email msquestions@mymsaa.org.

There is an old adage about a woman looking in the mirror before she goes out and removing one piece of jewelry. Another maxim is the one–in, one–out rule, which is when an individual brings a new item home, one item must be removed.  What do both of these having in common?  They help us when we have too much “stuff”, which can result in clutter in a person’s life.

Taking this idea one step further, many people find that they commit themselves to too many activities or tasks.  Does it really have to be work, and family, and friends, and exercise, etc. (not to mention and MS)?  For most people all of the “ANDS” become impossible to manage at some point.

Learning to say “no” and find your own personal limits is a lot like the tip about removing one item of jewelry. Sometimes we get into the mindset that more is better, until we are forced to learn that less can sometimes be just as good. Now obviously, there are many things which are non-negotiable and you can’t choose to say “no” to those.  So maybe focus on the ones in life you can say “no” to.

Take a look at your schedule for the week, or even just the day. Look at all the things you promised yourself to do and then see if there is maybe even just one thing you can take out.  If you did would it give you more time to enjoy or appreciate (or even just deal with) everything else you have going on?