National Organising Week Starts

National Organising Week, taking place between 7-13th November 2016, is designed to celebrate the positive impacts of decluttering & organising our homes.

APDO (The Association of Professional Declutterers & Organisers) is running its third annual National Organising Week and posing the question: why delay letting go of the possessions which are cluttering your home and impacting on your precious living space? Declutter N.O.W.

So from 7th to 13th November, APDO is launching a mission to encourage UK households to tackle those niggling tasks and start to feel good about their homes again. Professional Organisers specialise in assisting people to clear their clutter, organise their homes and can also help clients mentally declutter negativity from their lives or reduce digital clutter. Some professional organisers have backgrounds in life coaching or mental health, whilst others are experts in interior design. Whatever the slant, the common theme is an ability to motivate and inspire.

As Britain's experts in decluttering and organising, APDO are aware that some do need a push in the right direction. In fact, “Procrastination Nation” has become something of an epidemic. Crucial.com conducted a 2016 survey which revealed the majority of people (58%) had left jobs undone for over six months; a third leave tasks for a year and one in 10 just can't find motivation to even begin a chore - for over five years.

Now that's a lot of unfinished business…So if you need that push in the right direction, here are some top decluttering tips from APDO to get the job done:

TIP ONE – Don’t delay decisions.
Avoid the temptation to put unwanted possessions ‘out of sight and out of mind’, whether that’s in a cupboard, attic, shed or in self-storage outside the home. You’re essentially just postponing dealing with the clutter. Just because it’s out of sight, it doesn’t mean it can’t weigh on your mind.

TIP TWO - Don’t give up.
When you start decluttering and organising, things can look worse before they get better. The key is to commit some time to the process, not become distracted by other tasks and push through feelings of overwhelm.

TIP THREE – Be realistic.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. It took longer than one weekend for things to become disordered so it will take time to solve the problem. Don’t be discouraged if it seems like you have a mountain to climb. Break down the task into bite sized chunks and it will be far more manageable.

TIP FOUR – Call in the professionals
Sometimes the task of tackling clutter on your own can feel too overwhelming. That’s when a professional organiser can help you clear a path through the mess and stress in order to achieve a calmer home and life. They have the experience and ideas to help you make the most out of the space you have. They have the expertise to advise you on what to do with unwanted possessions and they can teach you to maintain the changes for good. Above all they are non judgmental, confidential and supportive.

Procrastination is a genuine blocker to productivity, stealing time and draining emotional energy. A 2015 YouGov survey found that 41% of Brits procrastinate for up to an hour each day – that equals 15 days a year. And 13% of us (that's 8 million people) sometimes lie awake at night worrying about procrastination.

Additionally, procrastination could be harming important relationships. According to psychologytoday.com, delaying action has a high cost to others as well as oneself; it shifts the burden of responsibilities onto others, who become resentful. Procrastination destroys teamwork in the workplace and cohesion within private relationships. Not only that, but it's a common cause of conflict: over a quarter of UK couples argue about unfinished tasks at least once a week according to crucial.com

National Organising Week is a great opportunity for you to stop and think about the mental and physical clutter you are living with. It's a chance to consider how you are using your precious time and APDO hopes to inspire the UK to take action to tackle things - NOW.