Declutter and Destress

It can eat up our free space and time, household clutter could even be messing with our minds.

From overflowing pantries to closets crowded with clothes.

They’re the household nuisances that often end up in the too-hard basket.

Donna Donaldson – the Professional DeClutterer is on a mission to help Australians tackle their mess.

She says while clutter might start in the cupboards, it can feed into your life.

And stopping the mess at its source can reduce stress and improve your health.

We’re thrilled to say Donna was live in studio, on the Extra Today show with hosts Sonja Kruger and David Campbell.

Take a look….

Highlights from the interview:

4 Top benefits to cleaning up the house, and they can be quite dramatic!

• Reduces stress – less is more
• Helps focus – cluttered home, cluttered head
• Boosts mood – clean space, sense of accomplishment, peace of mind
• Improves sleep – Going to bed knowing you’re organised, encourages a peaceful night’s sleep

Having made a business out of helping people reorganise their homes, I find the biggest problem areas are:

• Paper – takes on a life of its own, if you put down one piece of paper, it invites the whole family! Important papers are lost in with junk mail, school newsletters, regular mail, costing excess in overdue fees, and affecting credit ratings
• Clothes – don’t be a basket case! Finish what you start and be sure to put your washing away when it’s done
• Toys – we live in a consumer society; kids today have more toys than they know what to do with

Making a start on the decluttering can often be the toughest part. The best place to begin is the kitchen:

• The kitchen is the hub of the home – when you come home, if that is disorganised, the impact will trickle down into other aspects of life
  Domino affect impacting the family health finances and time
• How to declutter:
  • Assess – Think about the problem areas and how to fix them
  • Cull out of date and unused food
  • Put like items together
  • Utilise your prime real estate, so your most used items are easiest to get at
  • Create hubs and preparation stations (e.g. Tea and coffee things are together, toast things together)

Let’s move onto the living area. My best secret to making this a clutter-free zone:

• Decide what belongs
• Identify worst offenders – paper tends to build up on bookshelves and coffee tables. Baskets of unfolded clothes, school bags, toys, shoes etc
• Learn to take responsibility – the piles can be a nightmare to go through – and you need to do it, because there could be important things in there
• Organise – Use a noticeboard for important papers and bills

Sleep is one of the areas that can be improved by tidying up. So, here’s what needs fixing in our bedrooms:

• Cull – don’t store things under your bed – subconsciously we are aware that we are surrounded my clutter! Harboring dust and vermin, effecting our health
• Organise – start with your wardrobe by taking everything out, cull the excess and then reorganising with like items together
• Avoid too much furniture and unnecessary stuff

Decluttering and organising can be an emotional process for 2 categories:

• Sentimentalists – attach emotion to items. When you take the emphasis off the stuff and onto the outcome of what you want it makes it easier. Take photos of items they can part with, and then they can let it go because they still have the memory in the form of a photo which takes up less space
• Perfectionists – imagine if they can’t do it perfectly, then it’s not worth doing. Once you have a few wins on the table you will find it exciting and motivating and you will be unstoppable. Start with your hand bag, or a draw

If you live locally in the Brisbane or surrounding areas and would like more information on how affordable your very own Professional Organiser really is, contact Donna on M:0403 435 685 for a no-obligation 15 minute phone consultation where we can discuss your individual needs.