Decluttering your life

Is the clutter in your office or home becoming overwhelming?

Decluttering and organising are two words professional organisers live by. When clutter starts getting you down, you know something has to change. But focus on progress, not perfection!  You don't need to declutter to have a showroom home, instead, do it to create space for all the things you want to do. Because let’s be honest - these can’t be done if you’ve got clothes all over your yoga mat. 

Struggling to get started? Get a list together whilst you read this blog!

Declutter top tips
susie boutal

Advice from a professional declutter 

Susie Boutal, from ‘A Space for Living’ is a professional coach and ​declutterer who works with people to help them create mental and physical space in their lives through building organisation habits and systems. We’ve spoken to Susie who has given her advice on how best to go about the process of creating and keeping an open and light “space for living”

Susie’s description of a happy space when asked was ‘Uncluttered, organised,  good lighting, calm, with everything in its place. Your space should give you the feeling of being very relaxed but energized to enable you to reconnect with your purpose.’ This response is exactly what we hope to achieve for you all with this blog.
 

How to make yourself declutter 

Everyone is different. A good place to start is to allow yourself to visualise your ideal space. One size doesn’t fit all. Rather than having a long to-do list, begin by creating habits. For example, when the post comes in, deal with it straight away. Don’t leave it piling up on the table. Open it, deal with it and file it away. A great way to help yourself create these habits is by allocating 15 minutes every week to focus on a really specific small area and working through it. 15 minutes isn’t long, and you’ll feel much better for it afterwards.

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We also caught up with members of the Association of Professional Declutters and Organisers to get their thoughts and ideas ahead of your next organising session. So you have the benefit of multiple experts.

Heather Tingle from Untangled by Tingle told us: “I think some people do feel embarrassed by their clutter. It can make people feel very alone and almost like a failure, especially with social media where they see other people’s beautiful homes. People panic when someone rings the doorbell as they fear they will come into the house and judge them.”

For those looking for inspiration, Jo Jacobs from Benella says: “Keep on top of your inbox and filing - set a time aside to file regularly and don’t print emails out unless you have to!  Set regular times to clear up, for example, Friday night before you leave the office so that on Monday you are ready to go.”

When it comes to managing lists Tracy Marquiss from Marquiss Home Management advised: “Make them manageable – a long list is clutter and has a negative effect emotionally. Put a maximum of the five most pressing things to do on the list - the rest can wait.  If you must add something, take something off and have the pleasure of finishing the list.”

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How labels can help

Jules Langford from Cluttered to Cleared finds that labels are a huge help in a declutter commenting: “I love labels! They are really great when organising and really useful for getting organised and staying organised. Labels can also come in very handy for the rest of the family or colleagues, who might not have been involved in the declutter, as if it is labelled then everyone can find things and it makes life a lot easier.”

Lesley Spellman from the Cluttered Fairy explains how much better a declutter can make you feel “It brings clarity in your mind and in what you are wanting to do going forward.  Decluttering gives you time to focus on yourself, and it stops you overbuying things thus saving money.”

Kate Galbally, agrees and added “Being organised helps the day run more smoothly – my clients feel refreshed, relieved, positive and capable both in the office and home environment. You will feel more able to tackle things and to prioritise.”

You can discover more organising hints and tips on our Organise Your Life website where you will be able to access articles, label templates and lots of ideas and advice on decluttering.

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