Claiming Simplicity | Simple Life, Natural Wellness, Holistic Health, High Ticket Affiliate Marketing, Non Toxic

Simple Hack to Declutter Your Mind by Doing a Brain Dump or a Power Hour so You Can Reduce Stress and Anxiety Throughout the Week and Become More Organized and Productive

Welcome Friend

It doesn’t matter what your title is a SAHM, Work full or part time, Work from home, we all have this never ending list of things to do.  It is a continuous circling in our mind and if you don’t have a plan for it, you may miss some of the things you need to get done.

I like to do a 1 hour power hour brain dump every week!  I like to clear all distractions when I do this-no phone and no interruptions..

If you are always thinking about all the things that you need to do  and they are not written down, it can constantly come into your mind and hang over your head.  It happens to me each week when I do not take the time to do this simple task.!

You are going to want to take notes today…..this is what you are going to do for your 1 hour-if you are driving or doing your dishes, you will want to listen again when you can write down this info.

Get a notebook or use your computer -jot down everything in your mind-all your thoughts and everything you need to do. a

Look at upcoming events-anything you need to do for them.

Put all of these things on the calendar -schedule them so they all get done.    

You will feel so much lighter and getting everything written down will reduce your stress as well.

 

3 reason why you need to do a weekly to do brain dump:

 

First, Getting everything you need to do written down will help you become more organized and putting them in order will help get more accomplished in less time.  

Next, it allows you to utilize your time and energy better so you feel less overwhelmed with everything you have to do.

Third, it increases productivity to get more done because you will have clear focus and concentration.  You will know exactly what needs to be done without worry about other tasks that don’t need to be done until the future.

 

Like I have said in previous episodes, time is not the problem, it is how we use our time that is the issue.  This will help you get more done in your busy schedule that you may feel like you have alot of extra time to do other tasks.

I would love to know if you do a consistent power hour.  Send me a message and let me know how you do it!

Hope you enjoyed this episode, if you know someone that could use this, please share this podcast with them.  Also, if you have not taken 30 seconds to give a review, I would appreciate it - it is the only way besides your messages you send me that I know you are loving the show and I read each and every one of them!

 

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

 

Have a blessed week friend!

Monica

 

Make a Simple Change to Your Life & Enjoy Slow Living. 5 Tips to Learn How to Go From Being an Overwhelmed Busy Mom to Being More Peaceful With Less Stress & Anxiety & Enjoy Your Life

Hey! 

Did you know that being busy is destroying health, relationships, and connection to faith?  Have you noticed how the busier you are, the more stress you have?  Being pathologically busy is actually a threat to your well being!

I recently read a book my friend suggested from John Comer called The ruthless elimination of Hurry and if you have not read this, you should!  This is such a great book!  He says hurry is not of the devil, but hurry IS the devil, so slowing down can help you live a fulfilling life.  The Bible says walk with Jesus, not sprint with Jesus!

New technology has made us busier because it is a huge sinkhole.

Trying to be everything and be everywhere is making you exhausted and I want you to commit the limited time you have to focus on the the things that are most important to you instead.  Time is not the problem, it is how we use the time that is causing us stress and anxiety.

 

Here are some suggestions from the book:

1. Live as Jesus did.  Be in the moment and engage in life.  He was always fully present.  Hurry and stress had no time in Jesus’s  schedule. Prioritize what really matters. 
2. Create time for silence and solitude daily-we need to lead emotionally healthy lives to reduce anxiety, exhastion, living in reactive mode.
3. Take a day off to rest and worship-notice the world around you and stop rushing through the week because you have no time to value what you have.
4. Consume less and share more. Stop buying things you don’t really need.  Think of how many hours you had to work for each item you buy.  Buying more goods not only cost money, but distract you from the time you have to live your life.  Eliminating hurry means weaning cravings for the unnecessary items.You do not need money to enjoy life - prioritize your values instead of chasing the next thing to purchase.
5. Slow down your life and make it less efficient.  That means possibly going to a dumb phone to slow down communications.

 

Living intentionally and paying attention to what can give you lots of time and peace of mind.

 

I pray you are able to simplify your life to enjoy slow living. Live more intentionally to reduce stress and anxiety and enjoy your life once again.

xoxo,

Monica

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

Why You Spend Money Like You do and 3 Steps to Correct Your Bad Money Habits and Choices so You Can Have Financial Peace

Hello!

We are going to continue working on learning financial peace this week!

We often allow human nature to take control of our financial decisions, so it is time we address the causes of most money problems by identifying and replacing natural human behaviors and tendencies with healthy financial habits. We will identify consequences and practical steps we can take to reduce their harm to our finances.

You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with which means you are influenced by those people, but not only those 5. Keeping up with them refers to reactively purchasing consumer items or experiences we notice they have purchased.  Trying to keep up with the Joneses leads us to spend our limited resources on the unlimited items.  You tend to wear what they wear, speak like they speak, and behave as they behave.  Think about people you know-this is so true!  This can certainly lead to overspending if the social groups tend to sustain a more expensive lifestyles than your own income can cover.

Here is how you can fight this. First, make a list of your personal values. This is NOT dollar amounts or purchases But the  behaviors, beliefs, and achievements that matter most to you. With these in place, you can ward off temptations to overspend when confronted by the financial choices made by others. How? Because this list includes what is MOST meaningful in your life. This list removes the pressure anytime you start to wonder if you should have or do what the Joneses have or are doing. If you don’t find the purchase related to something on your list, it won’t bring you any lasting satisfaction. You will also want to set up your own spending plan based on your priorities and income. Prioritizing money does not mean going without, it is just shifting where you want your money to go.

Consumers can make purchase choices based on irrational reactions, such as the fear of missing out. Fear of getting left out of groups and their trends. Exclusion once meant getting left behind, alone, and fending for oneself. This fear remains a strong driver of consumer choices even today. The money problems arise when consumers make fear-based decisions and lack critical information. They tend to run from threats as fast as they can, not caring in which direction, as long as it takes them away from whatever danger they thought they saw.

If you don’t put this into action, you will be right where you were last year, so start now so you can lessen your financial stress this year!  There is still time to join our NO SPEND CHALLENGE group this month-the link is in the description.  Even getting in on a few weeks can help kickstart your savings!

Join our Facebook Group ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

Email -> claimingsimplicity@gmail.com

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

Have a blessed week!

Monica

Read the rest of this entry »

Do You Feel Anxious When You Think About Your Finances and Debt? 5 Simple Tips to Overcome Money Stress This Year for Busy Christian Moms

Hello!  

We are going to talk about finances these next few weeks.

During the global pandemic, many people lost their  jobs and their peace of mind overnight. And now we’re more nervous than ever about our financial future. In fact, just over half of Americans admit to feeling somewhat anxious over their personal finances.

It will take time to feel confident about money again—and that’s okay. What happened was scary and real but the good news is, you don’t have to wait for the rest of the world to get it together before you get your money in order. There are practical ways to recover a sense of freedom and power in your financial future.

The state of your personal finances has a direct impact on the state of your mental health. You can’t feel safe when you’re indebted to a bank and can’t plan for your future. 

Im here to tell you-there is hope. With the right plan, you can take control of your money and create a life that lets you sleep sound at night. It won’t be easy, but it’ll be worth it.

Here are _5_ tips for overcoming money stress.

1. Evaluate your relationship with money.

2. Work together with your spouse

3. Tune out media

4. Never, ever take on debt.

5. Live on a budget.

   Money stress is real. It’s scary. Do you have to be a slave to your spending habits? No. Are you going to allow your debt to keep you from the life you thought you’d have by now? I sure hope not.

   Money stress is not your destiny. You get to decide to leave your money mistakes in the past and start a new chapter. Remember you are worth being well in all areas of life—including your finances.  

    

   Join our Facebook Group ->

   https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

   Email -> claimingsimplicity@gmail.com

   Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

    

See you next week!

Monica

 

Do You Really Want to Save Money in 2023? 3 Easy Ways to Reduce Expenses This Year

Happy New Year

 I can’t believe another year flew by so fast! 

Lets look at saving money today so you can get ahead of your finances right away this year!

Do you really want to save money?  This podcast will give you some tips to reduce expenses that you can easily put into place so you can reduce stress and anxiety with your money.

Join our Facebook Group and get ahead on saving money this year with the No Spend Challenge.

Join our Facebook Group ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

Email -> claimingsimplicity@gmail.com

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

Have a great week!

Monica

5 Steps to Set Your Intentions for Next Year & Review all Your Accomplishments From Last Year

Welcome to Claiming Simplicity’s last episode of the year! 

I hope you have been able to start to simplify your life by implementing some of the tips I have given you throughout the year. 

When I look back on this year, it reminds me of how incredibly rewarding simple living is!  Each year we dive deeper into making life even simpler so we can enjoy the life we value most!  If you haven’t noticed, I love all the time I spend with family and friends which would not be possible if we had not created this life of freedom. 

If you are at a job that you look forward to 5:00 every day or always looking toward the weekend and your job is not fulfilling, I encourage you to begin by simplifying-in all areas, but especially in your finances.  Begin to design a life you don’t have to escape from!

We had another amazing year and I know if I hadn’t started doing this exercise years ago with God’s guidance, we would probably not be where we are today. 

You are going to be looking back to see all you accomplished and set your intentions for next year.  It is very encouraging to see everything big and small!  This should not discourage you, we are looking at and focusing on all the positive things you did this year and not dwelling on the unaccomplished.  We can all improve in all areas, and this will show you where you want to focus for the next year.

Join our  FREE No Spend Challenge - link will be in the Facebook group!

Join our Facebook Group ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

 

Email -> claimingsimplicity@gmail.com

 

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

 

Have a Blessed and safe New Year!

Monica

 

How to Avoid Spending Money on Unnecessary Items Next Month to Improve Your Finances. 3 Ways a No Spend Challenge Can Help You Save Money Throughout the Year

Hey Friend!

Can you believe this is the last week of the year?  I hope you had a blessed Christmas celebrating our Savior’s Birth!

Are you ready for the New Year?  I am getting excited to get all of our goals and dreams for this year started and right now I cant wait to be doing another no spend challenge next month!  

This challenge doesn’t mean you don’t spend any money at all, but you try to spend the least amount as possible and especially cut out the extra unnecessary spending.  

I want you to be set up for financial success throughout the year starting with the first month of the year!!

Here are 3 ways that not spending extra money for a month can help you save money.

1. You will be intentional about every dollar you spend

2. You will find out what you truely value and once you know, you won’t have to spend extra money on the less important things

3.You will learn to plan ahead so you won’t make impulse buys and that could save you a large amount of money as well!

 

If you want to learn more about the challenge and have accountability, join our free claiming simplicity facebook group!  Also, thank you so much for hanging out with me this year!  It has been incredible!  I would really appreciate you taking 30 seconds to leave a rating and review so that others can learn about this show!  I read each and every one of them and your comments have just blessed me this year! Thank you so much!

Join our Facebook Group ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

Email -> claimingsimplicity@gmail.com

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

You Tube -> https://www.youtube.com/@claimingsimplicity/

 

Have a safe week and I will talk to you in the New Year!

Monica
 

Do You Know the Joy that Comes with Giving to the Less Fortunate? Will You Focus on Being a Blessing to Others?

Merry Christmas Friend!

In this episode, I talk about the importance of giving to the less fortunate and some of the things you can do to help those in need.  Are you giving at least 10% of your income away?  You might want to evaluate your budget for the new year if you are not.  God wants you to steward His money His way!

Enjoy your time with family and friends and have a great week everyone!

 

Join our Facebook Group ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

Email -> claimingsimplicity@gmail.com

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

You Tube -> https://www.youtube.com/@claimingsimplicity/

 

Love, 

Monica

Saving Money with Gift Giving this Christmas Season and No Spend Challenge

Hey Friend

When I think about all the money spent on Christmas,  the amount of gifts and stuff that is added to each household, and the thought of the small percent of those items that are even used or enjoyed, it makes me cringe!  

 

I am not the best gift giver because I am so practical, but when I was a young mom with small kids trying to buy gifts just to have something for everyone even though we didn’t have much of a Christmas budget, I realized that this is not how Christmas was suppose to be.

The hustle and bustle of getting gifts for people in hopes they will like them and then finding time to do the dreaded job of wrapping them(thank goodness my teenagers enjoy doing that now!) and if they were like me-they probably didn’t even use the gift and it would eventually be put into a donation box so it wasn’t just taking up space in our home.

We never went into debt because we were too poor to have credit cards, but we did eat alot of cheap meals to save extra money in October, November, and December ~even more than the normal frugal meals, but I don’t think the kids really even noticed!

 

Throughout the years, we have changed the way we do things and made the Christmas Season all around much simpler and a whole lot cheaper. We do alot of baking because we enjoy doing that this time of the year, so we make up small plates of goodies to give people instead of gifts. If you don’t bake, buy a  variety of goodies and split them up into different plates to give. 

Fruit baskets are always great too!  Usually much cheaper if you make your own!  If we have families that we give to, we will do a little basket of hot cocoa with a few different toppings such as crushed andes mints or candy canes, mini chocolate chips, marshmallows, toffee bits, caramel sauce and redi whip and you know that will get used because it is a nice cozy treat when you live somewhere cold like we do!!!! 

The simpler you keep the season, the more you are going to enjoy it and it is alot less stress when you are able to stay in your budget.  I think sometimes people end up buying gifts for people just because they have always done it and probably don’t realize the other person would be happy to lessen their gift giving as well!  Just talk to the other families if they want to do things differently!  More and More people are moving toward simplicity and minimalism and most would be happy to have less stuff to find a place for and keep organized. 

See you back next week!  Make sure to join our free Facebook group below for the NO SPEND JANUARY Challenge!

 

Join our Facebook Group ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

 

Email -> claimingsimplicity@gmail.com

 

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

 

You Tube -> https://www.youtube.com/@claimingsimplicity/

 

Have a fabulous week!

Monica

Finding Joy, Less Stress and Enjoying Traditions by Simplifying This Christmas Season

Hey Friend!

Welcome back to another week!  In this episode I talk about reducing stress so you can have more joy this Christmas Season.  Enjoy traditions with family and friends and make memories all while celebrating Jesus Birthday!

I don't want you stressed out and anxious this holiday season so you can enjoy every minute.  Christmas is not about how much money you spend, but focusing on what matters even when you are busy!  Save money and time this holiday season!

Once you can wrap your mind about simplicity, your whole life can change for the better!

Join our Facebook Group -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/ 

Email -> claimingsimplicity@gmail.com

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

You Tube -> https://www.youtube.com/@claimingsimplicity/

 

Enjoy and have a super week!

Monica