Vicky Silverthorn: New Year, Less Stuff, Fresh Start

“There are strong connections between visual chaos and clutter and stress and anxiety — in-fact studies show how moods can be changed by simply removing unwanted belongings from your home and creating simple manageable spaces.”

This week we spoke with master organiser and declutterer Vicky Silverthorn. Vicky’s decade long career in organisation has seen her as PA for professional sports people & a pop star. You may also recognise her from the Big Spring Clean as well as numerous featured articles featured in The Times and Oprah Magazine.

Today, Vicky is sharing with us her strategies for relieving stress and anxiety through decluttering. Right now, more of us are working from home than ever before. It’s essential then that we look at the ways we can make our space work for us so that we can work most effectively within it.

Firstly, Vicky suggests asking ourselves the following questions:

“Is the stuff more important or the space? What do you need more right at this minute?”

Another way of looking at the decision to declutter she says is to take responsibility.

“Imagine every single item in your home as one you are responsible for. Isn’t life busy enough without having all of this excess to think about and deal with / tidy away / find a space for?”

The hardest part can sometimes be getting started, so Vicky tells us how to get ourselves into the right headspace to let go:

“Recognise what that uncomfortable feeling is in the pit of your stomach when you attempt to part with an object you’ve barely looked at for ten years, but somehow struggle to discard. Think about what is important and what isn’t, and ignore the rules many speak of such as to discard if you haven’t worn something for a year. Simply ask yourself ‘Can I live without this?’ — I believe that’s the most powerful question of all.”

Finally, Vicky reminds us to take it step by step:

“Be brave, give yourself a break, don’t set your expectations too high, and focus on chipping away at your home tiny section by tiny section. Do not overwhelm yourself by thinking you will finish your whole home in a day, a weekend, or even a week. If you don’t get rid of as much as you initially hoped to remember this is an ongoing task that is rewarding and not a one off that you only get one chance at.”

Finding as much clarity as possible in a time when chaos can take over is key. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and are in need of a 20 minute refresh with Vicky, click here to book in and get organised today.

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