From Bobbi's Desk: Keep Calm, It's October

To put it simply: I’m overwhelmed.

I’m not perfect. No one is. And when it looks like things are going smoothly, either in a magazine article or on Instagram, I can assure you that I’m normal and human.

It’s been a crazy summer and fall has been no picnic. Life, travel, new business happenings, and family (the list goes on) are keeping me up to my eyeballs in the big to-do list we call life. I’m sure you can feel it too.

October, for me, is one of my favorite months. We’re putting the summer and September behind and starting to go back to calmer moments. Hopefully, at least. (Ha!)

Besides a few holidays — Halloween and Yom Kippur — this month is a time where everyone’s back in school and back at work, which means I can find time for the things that keep me happy.

One of them? Organizing. I’m a closet organizing fanatic. I like to label everything in my closet, jeans, tees — you name it. I also keep a collection of L.L. Bean totes handy, all embroidered with the names of the places I take them. I even have one that says “give” for the things I find and decide to donate during one of my organizing sprees.

But the great to-do list (aka life) can lead to stress and anxiety, and when that hits, things often go sour. So, I’ve been trying to incorporate these tiny, simple things to help me (and my team) deal with the stress:

1. Call a friend — for me it’s my bestie, sister, or life coach — and talk it out.

2. Breathe. I mean deeply and for a good 15-20 seconds. This month, I’m working on meditating.

3. Visually push back. Sometimes I try to sit back and separate myself from my work, so I’m more of an observer than a participant. Even in meetings.

4. Give myself an extra 30 minutes of me time. A long walk can really help clear the brain.

5. If all else fails, a hot bath with epsom salts. It relaxes every muscle in my body — from my brain to my toes.

Have something you do to take on stress and anxiety? Let me know @justbobbibrown.