When I tell people that I am a Professional Organizer they either look surprised because they didn’t know that was a profession or a service available to them, or they nod their head with preconceived notions about what I do – I clear up messes and make spaces look pretty and orderly.
Professional Organizing is so much more than that, even though I wasn’t aware of that when I embarked on this passion of mine 5 years ago. There are so many ways in which I can help someone organize their lives, and so many ways that their lives can change with my services.
I had a client who when I first met her was sleeping in a room off of the kitchen that she dreamed of making into a dining room, but for now was filled with clutter and had a day bed that she slept on every night. The day bed was missing its mattress, and instead had a layer of cardboard and a thin foam sheet over the springs. The foam was maybe 3 inches thick and that was what she slept on every night, surrounded by her clutter on the floor and countertops. It was hard to walk through her home without stepping on things, so many items became broken and lost within the clutter. The stairs were scattered with items as well. She had originally called me in because her adult sons were worried about her breaking her neck on the stairs, so she was doing this for them more for herself.
During the first few sessions we cleared off the main hallways and staircases, and we made clear designations for her home – this is her bedroom (upstairs away from the kitchen), this is her office, this is her art studio, this is her dining room etc. A month or so later she decided she wanted to get an actual bed for her bedroom, so I went with her to the store to order a mattress, box spring and frame. She didn’t feel that she was worth having a proper bed to sleep on, so having me there to encourage her was extremely helpful for her. A month or so later she told me that she wanted to keep up and maintain the organization of her space because SHE wanted to. She saw the benefits of having clear floor space and designated areas for things, so they were easier to find.
Organization can be about so much more than just decluttering and moving stuff around into different areas to make them easier to find. It is also about finding confidence, wanting to better yourself, realizing that you are worthy of love and respect. Clutter can bog people down and can make them think that they are worthless and that their lives will never get better – they don’t feel like they can change.
I know that everyone is capable of change and growth if they are given encouragement and assistance by someone who treats them with respect and patience. This is why it is so helpful to call in an impartial party, because with friends and family members there is too much history and that can get in the way of patience and sometimes even respect. I forge such bonds with my clients, as I am becoming intimately involved in their lives and possessions. We become like friends at the end, but with that professional barrier that makes it easier to have me in their homes.
At the end of the day I am covered in dust and before I wore masks regularly, my snot would be black with dust and debris. I am sore from getting in awkward and cramped positions, lifting heavy items, moving furniture. I am mentally exhausted from assisting with decision-making and waiting patiently while my client contemplates what to do with an item that would take me 10 seconds to decide. And my clients are even more exhausted than I am because this is their stuff, their decisions about precious items. The whiplash the brain goes through when sorting a box and finding a priceless heirloom next to a crumpled receipt from 2011 for potato chips is so strenuous. Most people give up if they are doing this on their own. Having that support there is crucial.
Once you have the physical items in your home organize and in-place you can find the focus to work on yourself – you can now start to work on those personal goals that you had been distracted from before. Clutter is so visual and takes over your brain’s ability to process properly, so it can positively affect your self-esteem and self-worth to have your home organized. Organizing also helps you to find things that you thought were lost, or extra money that was hidden away in drawers, which is always a good thing!
Organizing your home does not have to be daunting. Help is available to you! It will be physically and mentally draining, but the end results are so worth it for your mental health.
