IT’S MORE THAN JUST TIDYING UP
4 Health Benefits of Spring-Cleaning
Sunday, March 20, is the first day of spring — which means it’s time for some spring-cleaning. Did you know that cleaning is not just about tidying up a physical space? It’s also about improving overall well-being. Here’s how organization and cleanliness can help you in more ways than you might expect. Spring-cleaning reduces stress and depression. Tidiness and mental health are actually connected. Studies have found that having a clean home is directly correlated to happiness and your ability to focus. Anxiety can spike when laundry is piling up, items are strewn everywhere, and papers get scattered on various surfaces within the home. Clearing the clutter is a great way to boost your mood and increase those feel-good hormones. It prevents illnesses. Doorknobs, refrigerator handles, light switches, countertops, and remote controls are all things we touch many times a day. Cleaning anything that’s used often is one way to reduce the spread of germs. By keeping household surfaces clean, we help thwart the spread of viruses and illnesses. Spring-cleaning helps you breathe better. Spring often brings pollen that triggers allergies for many. But pollen isn’t the only thing to blame when people have difficulty
breathing. When dust and pet dander build up in your home, your respiratory system is greatly affected too. Deep-cleaning your air filters and vents can make breathing effortless — and it’s truly amazing how this can improve your well-being. It keeps you more active. Off the couch and on your feet! Even just running the vacuum and clearing the clutter from the dining room table will get you up and moving, which is healthy for your heart and body. This spring season, putting some elbow grease into your cleaning will benefit you in more ways than one. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later!
DOCUMENT PERTINENT INFORMATION
When someone comes to us who has recently lost a spouse or loved one, they often tell us there are several things they wish their spouse or loved one had done. The first is, of course, to have updated their estate plan within the last couple of years. I think we all know this is important. However, the second major area of frustration is not knowing how to access the deceased person’s accounts and bills or how to contact their friends. Below are a few tips to help your family members avoid those frustrations. 1. First, be sure to keep an updated list of passwords handy. This can be accomplished, while still keeping those passwords secure, by making a written list that is regularly updated and kept in your home safe or safe deposit box at the bank, or by keeping a password-protected file on your computer with a full list of those passwords. Also, make sure to include the answers to the security questions that are sometimes required in addition to the password itself. Make sure the person you are trusting with this information knows how to get to it in an emergency. This should include both passwords needed to pay bills and those needed to access your email and social media accounts. We also recommend making sure the passcode to your phone is included in this.
2. Along with the list of passwords, it can be really helpful to have a list of all the monthly bills that need to be paid (mortgage, utilities, car payment(s), etc.), how to pay them and what day of the month they are due. We have had numerous cases where the spouse that handled all of this passed away and left the surviving spouse with no idea of exactly what needed to be paid and when, which can be very frustrating. 3. Finally, for those of you running businesses, keep in mind you need to do the same thing for these types of tasks that only you handle within your business. Be sure either a family member or trusted employee knows how to handle these tasks in the event you suddenly pass away. This will help ensure that everything continues to run smoothly even in the case of an emergency. These are just a few things to consider when planning for your family’s future. If you or a loved one have additional concerns or need to begin planning, feel free to call us to set an appointment so we can sit down and discuss your individual concerns.
–TC and Chasity
2 • www.strattonreynolds.com
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator