What Caitlin Moran Discovered by Decluttering
 
Did you see Caitlin Moran’s article in The Times Magazine last weekend? The one about how she thought decluttering was a silly new fad and a load of old nonsense… But, having been persuaded to have a jolly good sort out by a couple of close friends, she later discovered how amazing she felt post purge.

I read it eagerly and couldn’t wait to hear about her experience. As a professional declutterer and home organiser, I am well aware of the benefits of decluttering the home. I see the positive outcomes for my clients on a daily basis. But there’s nothing like having it confirmed in a national newspaper by a public figure, to get the pulse racing.

I'ts Not Just Clutter
Moran quickly makes the connection between our clutter and mental wellbeing stating “never worn clothes nag at you every time you brush past them”

And she’s right, to suggest the negativity created by owning too much. I see this regularly with my own clients whose heads are swimming. There’s the piles of children’s toys bursting out of every cupboard. Mountains of paperwork that need attending to, not to mention the shove shut wardrobes. Physically seeing clutter everywhere you look sends signals to your brain of unfinished tasks or loose ends, and when we are constantly bombarded with those messages, it can be really hard to concentrate and focus on our priorities.

​It's Not Just About Storage
My clients often start their journey by thinking they need to be more organised or have better storage. But once we start the work they begin to realise that they can actually let some stuff go and what’s more there’s glorious moment when they start to get a “high” or "cleansed feeling" that comes from discarding what we no longer need.

Because when you start to let go something magical happens. Lets take decluttering a wardrobe for example as per the article. You realise that

• You no longer have to give space to the stuff that you never wear.
• You no longer have to feel guilty for not wearing an item every time you open the wardrobe.
• You no longer are confronted with the buying mistakes you made in the past.
• You no longer have to feel that you should dress as the fantasy person whose clothes are hanging in your wardrobe. As Ms Moran puts it. “Unworn neglected clothes aren’t just clothes, they are questions, memories, an imagined version of yourself you never quite found the energy to materialise. They momentarily ping you with failure, miscalculation, a bad day."

Seriously! Nobody needs that kind of negativity in their lives – especially before they’ve even got dressed in the morning!

Letting go of what no longer serves you, means that you can celebrate and feel free every time you open the closet. Because.

• Everything in their suits you and supports your life
• Everything in their works for you (it’s a fair exchange. Your space for its useful ness)
• Clearing physical clutter clears mental clutter so you feel lighter and more able to face challenges
• And, whilst decluttering is not a form of therapy, it is incredibly therapeutic. You are letting go of things from the past which means you have new capacity to move into the new.

What’s more, the dopamine shot you get from having achieved this task, keeps you coming back for more. Warning decluttering can be addictive. I find my clients get to the end of a session and are actively looking around their house for more things to donate to the charity shop. No wonder Caitlin Moran refers to the post decluttering feeling as being “high as a kite”. 
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A Popular Fad?
So, whilst decluttering and minimalism might be seen by some as a fad, books such as “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo and James Wallman’s “Stuffocation” have hit a nerve with the collective psyche. As a society, we are no longer merely satisfied with accumulating stuff, we are seeking more meaning in our lives. And that can be incredibly hard to find when surrounded by physical and mental clutter.

​National Organising Week
So, if you are tempted to start having a go a reclaiming your home, it couldn’t be a better time. Monday 6th November marks the start of National Organising Week. (Organised and run by the Association for Professional Organisers and Declutterers) And as its only 7 weeks until Christmas, getting started now could see your home transformed by the time the big day comes around.

For more information on National Organising Week (#NOWorganinse) and for top tips on how to get started click here 

Can’t face going it alone? Find out what it’s like to work with a professional declutterer, drop me a message helen@fresh-spaces.co.uk check out my Facebook page @feshspacesUK or give me a ring on 07885 511061 - I love talking about clutter and would be happy to help.

Happy Organising
Helen
 
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A Hampshire based firm has received a business boost from Retail Entrepreneur Theo Paphitis. Last week, Helen Cousins, owner of Fresh Spaces, tweeted Theo about her business during ‘Small Business Sunday’ and was one of six weekly winners to gain a retweet by Theo to his 500,000 Twitter followers. The weekly initiative, set up by Theo in 2010, now has 1700 #SBS winners and supports small businesses in the UK.

Business and retail entrepreneur and self-confessed Shopkeeper, Theo re‐tweeted Helen's message to his 500,000+ followers and as a result, www.freshspaces.org.uk has 100 more followers and more interest their home organising and decluttering service. They are also profiled on the #SBS website (www.theopaphitissbs.com) that is exclusive to all Small Business Sunday winners.

Helen Cousins said, “I'm absolutely thrilled to have won the Small Business Sunday Award for my own small business Fresh Spaces. It's pretty exciting, totally unexpected and I've been overwhelmed by the response to it. To be recognised by Theo for all the hard work I've put into by business is incredible. It has really helped to raise my business profile and that of the industry that I work in. Many people don't know Professional Organising exists as a service or that there's an Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers - APDO, where you can find a list of professionals through out the UK.”

Small business champion and Ryman Stationery, Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue Chairman, Theo Paphitis, said: “We are thrilled to welcome new #SBS members every week and highlight just how important it is to support our small businesses here in the UK. My vision is that everyone who has ever won an #SBS re-tweet from me becomes part of a friendly club; like-minded individuals who can share successes and learnings. The website and Shop #SBS will also give a valuable profile to the winners chosen and I wish Fresh Spaces every success.”

#SBS Winners now also have access to the exclusive members’ selling platform www.shopsbs.co.uk where hundreds of winners are already selling thousands of products, from unique gifts and bespoke furniture to pet toys or jewellery. It is another opportunity for the #SBS winners to turn tweets into sales.

Anyone looking for a re‐tweet from Theo should tweet him about their business on Sunday between 5 PM and 7.30 PM and include the hashtag #SBS. Six lucky businesses are re‐tweeted every Monday at 8 PM and then invited to enter their profile on the new website, attend the annual #SBS networking event and take advantage of the networking opportunities.

‐ Ends ‐

Fresh Spaces is a professional Home Organising and Decluttering Consultancy, based in Winchester, Hampshire and owned by Helen Cousins. Helen helps people who feel that the lack of organisation or sheer amount of clutter in their homes is getting in the way of how they want to live their lives. Helen helps her clients to create more time, energy and space in their homes and lives by eliminating clutter once and for all. Together they put in place simple to manage organisational systems.

Helen is a member of APDO - the Professional Association of Declutterers and Organisers and a winner of The #SBS - Small Business Sunday Award.

Fresh Spaces, 07885 511061 and helen@freshspaces.org.uk
Twitter @freshspacesAPDO
Facebook @freshspacesAPDO

For further information, photos and details of service, please contact Helen Cousins at Fresh Spaces on 07885 511061 helen@freshspaces.org.uk

For further information about Small Business Sunday please visit www.theopaphitissbs.com.

Top tips to help you deal with feeling overwhelmed

Last week I wrote about how a sensation of overwhelm engulfed me, what I did to try and tackle it and the benefits I experienced when I reached out for help.

Reflecting on the situation, my thoughts naturally turned to my clients. How often had I heard and used the term overwhelm with them? It seems that we all suffer with overwhelm from time to time, but even though it is common, it's a very personal experience for each individual. The triggers and responses can be totally different for each of us. But essentially I believe that it triggers a fear response.

When we feel fearful, stress hormones are released into our bodies and those in turn trigger the flight flight response, shutting down the brain's capacity for creativity and free thought and firing up the body to take an immediate physical response. This means that the brain doesn't process information as well as it usually does and problems can seem much bigger and trickier to solve than they actually are. You may not be able to shake off overwhelm easily, but knowing a few tricks to help tackle it is a powerful way to deal with the anxiety that sits around it.

So here are my top tips to help you tackle overwhelm

Recognise it
Sounds simple but sometimes we are in such a rush to get everything done we don't necessarily realise overwhelm for what it is. Once you can put a name to something, it somehow makes it easier to deal with. Think of it as a diagnosis. Once you know what's wrong, you can apply the right treatment.

Breath
Take a moment to slow down, shut your eyes and empty your mind. A few minutes mindfulness can start to calm the body and down and help the brain to function. You then approach the task in a much better frame of mind.

Schedule time to tackle it
When dealing with clutter, I always advise my clients to schedule a time in their diary and stick to it. If you are the sort of person that needs to do a bit or procrastination before you begin a task, then schedule that in as well. It's ok to need 15 minute faffing about before cracking on wth a task, but be aware of that and know it for what it is. Remember, you didn't accumulate your clutter in a matter of hours, so accept that it is going to take a while to tackle it.

Set a time limit
Decide on a time frame for the task, there's nothing worse than thinking "I've got to do all of this in one go" to make you feel overwhelmed and demotivated. Some people work better in short bursts over a period of time for example half an hour a day for a month, whilst others prefer to submerge themselves in a task for hours on end. Try to understand which one you are and plan your time accordingly. Whatever you decide to do, by scheduling and setting a time limit regularly, you'll be amazed at how much you can achieve.

Set an intention
Decide what it is you are going to tackle. Sounds simple, but if you make a promise to yourself, you are more likely to stick to it. Saying your intention out loud can help, as can checking in with another person. Somehow by telling someone what you are going to achieve today holds you accountable. Don't forget to check back in (with yourself or your friend) at the end to update on how you got on. Before and after photos are another great way of motivating yourself.

Ask for help
It took me a long time to learn this but you don't have to fix everything yourself, you are allowed to ask for help. It's ok to admit you can't do everything single handedly. Seeking expertise or support is actually empowering, makes the task easier to tackle and it feels that the burden is shared. A friend can be a great support during a time of decluttering. Or if you need expertise, the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers (APDO) can help you find a professional near you.

Review and celebrate
Your achievements, learnings or insights can easily pass you by in a rush to crack on with the next task. But stopping and acknowledging what you've achieved, gives you a massive positive boost, a surge of dopamine and even more energy. Give yourself a reward - a celebratory cup of tea and a biscuit, calling a friend, 20 mins of social media, a brisk walk in the fresh air. You choose it and whilst doing it, think about how great it feels to have tackled and come through.

Focus on the positives
Don't get all judgy with yourself. It can be easy to focus on the negatives of what we haven't achieved. For example, 'I cleared out my wardrobe but I didn't get round to doing the shoes'. This sort of language doesn't let us focus on our achievements, but rather keeps us small by undermining our efforts. Try instead ' I cleared out my wardrobe today and it feels great, I can already see the benefits (list these here) and I feel proud of what I achieved. Next time, I'm going to tackle my shoes.

However you decide to do it, facing up to overwhelm is a great way to clear space in your mind and get focus back. If still daunted by the task in hand, remember tip no 4 and ask for help. If it's a decluttering or organising project that you need help with, why not get an APDO Professional Organiser in to help you?

What sort of things overwhelm you and what have you found to be the most useful way of tackling it?