11 months and counting! Amid the stay-at-home orders and social distancing, we are all trying to maintain some sense of “normal”. We have had to transform dining rooms into virtual classrooms or workspaces, turn our bedrooms into meditation and “de-stress” spaces, our living rooms into playrooms. Most of the rooms in our homes are now functioning on two levels. For instance, our guest room is also a gym now.
Homes are no longer just places to relax and recharge, they are community centres, safe spaces, gyms, school rooms, art studios, and offices. There is a deep connection between an organized space and our mental health. And the current global health crises is bringing this to the foreground of our lives and communities. The need for professional organizing help in our homes has never been felt more keenly than today I have some goods news on that front. I am going to help you get your home and life back on track – for free! Help is on the way!
“Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of chaos, and sometimes in the middle of chaos, you find yourself.” — Boonaa Mohammed
Like a lot of people out there, my organizing business disappeared overnight. I am a consultant who goes into people’s homes. I also look after my 91-year-old father and my partner’s mother – they are in our “bubble”. Because they are both at high risk because of their age and health issues I made the decision to temporarily take a back seat as a professional organizer and focus on being a full-time caregiver. 
I also made dinners for my elderly relatives once a week and would drop off hot meals to them every Sunday. This kept me very busy during the first 6 months. I am sure you all have your own stories too.
We Are All Struggling Right Now
And while going through this global crisis with the rest of you, I have been thinking about how you are coping, how you are surviving. I have seen so many people stepping up and doing such generous and kind things – not just for the people in their lives who have been affected, but also their communities. Currently, I am doing 2 free courses online – one for professional development with Stuart Knight and the other for personal development with Tony Robbins. I am getting so much out of it and learning so much. Most of all, I am deeply grateful to them for their generosity. They are making a difference in my life.
During the first six months, my focus was on my family. Keeping them all safe, fed, and entertained. It has been the last few months however that I have noticed the overwhelm everyone is experiencing become more pronounced. I notice it when I go shopping; wearing a mask and trying to communicate and understand what the other person is saying. I bought some foundation and concealer recently and the sales associate couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful. She was an absolute delight and really cheered me up. When I got home, I took my purchases out and saw that the colours were not even vaguely close to being correct. I don’t know if, because of my mask, I couldn’t be understood sufficiently or, if because she was wearing her mask, she simply couldn’t see into the supplies drawer properly and pulled out the wrong colour. 
I checked in with a couple of friends and they all had similar stories. Not a big thing but returning an item becomes another To Do to add to your list. Something as tiny as this becomes overwhelming now.
I also notice the overwhelm when on Zoom calls with friends and clients. They are managing, they are coping, but it’s a thin line. Almost everyone’s home looks like the morning after a camping trip. They are learning to live with it. I have friends who won’t listen to the news now as it’s causing them too much anxiety – there are too many conflicting stories and viewpoints, too much anger, too much to absorb. Trying to stay grounded is a herculean task.
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How Can I Help?
This has inspired me to think of what I can do to help, to make a difference in some way as a professional organizer. I wanted to do something that would add value to your life, that would help you during these confusing and challenging times. When you are organized there is less chaos, less overwhelm. An organized home can bring you a sense of calm, ground you, and help you feel more in control. It is one of the things that we can influence and control despite what’s happening in other areas of our lives or communities.
Currently, there are two reasons why people, who desperately need professional help, don’t reach out for it.
- The first is that they can’t afford it. They have either one or both incomes in the household on reduced hours or no hours at all. Money is tight and the budget is simply not there.
- The other reason someone who needs a professional’s help won’t reach out currently is because they are “bubbling” with an elderly relative or are in lockdown.
As my part in giving back and helping my community (local and global), I am going to offer free professional organizing advice to you! Every week I am going to choose at least one person to work with.
That’s right I said FREE Professional Organizing!
All you need to do is complete this FORM, attach a photo of 1 area in your home or office that you need organizing help with (For example; office supplies or craft supplies) and tell me a bit about what you are struggling with and why. That’s it! I will review your submission and give you some suggestions and advice on how to turn things around! And it doesn’t matter where in the world you are either – so long as you write in English.
An organized home can result in better sleep, increased productivity, less stress, and improved relationships. We could all use something to look forward to right now. Feel free to share this with anyone you want, I am offering this “mini organizing consult” for free, share it with your co-workers, family, friends, on Linkedin, post it on Facebook, or Instagram, or Twitter. Let everyone know because I want to give back and help you. Now is when people really need it.
Again, all you need to do is:
- Complete this online ASK AN EXPERT FORM
- Upload a photograph
- Describe your problem
- Hit “send”
And in the meantime, if you are looking for help with decluttering or home organization, or even getting ready for a new pet, please check out my blogs.
And don’t forget to look at my Pinterest page for great ideas to help you organize!
Help is on its way! Free Professional Organizing