Dealing with Stress/Expert Profile

Expertise

I can answer questions about time management and stress reduction, offer tips for making your daily routine easier, and provide practical advice on handling stressful situations. I also invite you to visit my website at http://www.RamonaCreel.com to read my blogs and tips about organizing and simplifying -- and I challenge you to find one new idea that you can put into practice in your life, to make things easier, starting TODAY!

Experience in the area

I have been a Professional Organizer and Simplicity Coach for more than 10 years, I am a NAPO Golden Circle member, and I was the founder of OnlineOrganizing. I have dozens of blogs, articles, and tip sheets on organizing and time management (including stress management), many of which you can read at http://ramonacreel.com/Index.asp?Index=13. I work one-on-one with clients to help them improve their organizing and time management skills.

Organizations

I am a NAPO Golden Circle member, and I was the original founder of OnlineOrganizing.

Publications

I have written articles for a variety of print publications, including Organize Magazine, In Company, Atlanta Parent, Balance Magazine, Natural Awakenings, ABSSI Industry Focus, Administrative Assistant Update. I have been interviewed a variety of magazines and newspapers, including Reader's Digest, Better Homes And Gardens, The Wall Street Journal, Bottom Line Personal, Allure, and Fresh Home. My tips have been included in help booklets distributed by Dymo and Hewlett Packard, as well as numerous books on organizing, such as Organizing Plain And Simple and The Expert's Guide To Organizing Your Time. And my content has been featured on literally dozens of individual websites, and a variety of aggregate sites including Smead, SelfGrowth, EzineArticles, IdeaMarketers, and OnlineOrganizing.

Education/Credentials

I have been a Professional Organizer and Simplicity Coach for more than 10 years, I am a NAPO Golden Circle member, I have worked one-on-one with scores of clients and have trained dozens of newbie organizers as they got started in the industry.

Awards and Honors

My company received the NAPO Organizer's Choice Award for 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007 -- as well as the 2008 LA Organizing Award for Best Organizing Educational Resource, and the 2009 LA Organizing Awards for Best Organizing Educational Resource, Best Organizing Website Or Blog, and Best Organizing Product Retailer.

What do you like about this subject?

As a Professional Organizer and full-time RVer, I've dedicated myself to living more simply, and helping others do the same. I am passionate about coaching folks toward a stress-free and enjoyable life -- and I firmly believe that if I can do it, so can you!

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

I want to help clients choose to radically simplify their lives, stepping off of the treadmill and leaving behind society's expectations to live in a way that is fulfilling to them. I want to see more of my clients buck the system and find their own path to happiness, even if it doesn't exactly resemble what all their friends and family are doing.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

Stress management is not a matter of figuring out how to cram more and more into your day. It's about making conscious choices -- instead of just going along with the flow, and agreeing to things you don't want to do just to make others happy. It's about knowing what you want in life, focusing on those priorities, and being strong enough to let the rest go.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

You are responsible for teaching other people how to use and respect your time -- and if you are stressed out in life, it's no one's fault but your own. You have to be the one to draw healthy boundaries and tell people "no" when they make an unreasonable request of you. You have to be willing to take responsibility for your choices if you ever hope to reduce the stress in your life.