As the new year looms many of us are looking to freshen up our homes and streamline our lives but decluttering and becoming better organised are things that often fill us with dread. Not so for Bee Pope. Decluttering and organising are things that fill her with excitement and joy.
Bee is a Professional Organiser (yes, there is such a thing) and she has no shortage of clients seeking help to get their lives, homes and work spaces in order.
The idea to set up this unusual business came after the birth of Bee’s third child. Bee already had twins and now had three children under age two.
“I soon realised I had postnatal depression and anxiety and I never thought I’d suffer from these things as I’m such a go-getter,” Bee explains.
“But I came to a point where I knew I had to do something about the stress and anxiety-inducing clutter that just kept building up around me so one night I researched ways to help myself and I came across decluttering. It was a light bulb moment and I found myself thinking, ‘I can do that. I know this stuff’.”
After decluttering and organising her spaces and life, then seeing the need to help all other busy women and families to create positive transformation, ‘Bee Organised’ was born. Nine years on and having recently moved her business (and family) to regional WA, Bee now runs in-person and online courses and workshops, in-home consulting as well as one-on-one consults online. Being accessible online means that anyone from anywhere in Australia can access her help.
“My clients are predominantly busy women and mothers and my favourite part is helping them create space and time for self care. Not everyone was taught how to be organised and mothers want to model good behaviours and habits to their children so I can show them simple tips and tricks and strategies to help them declutter or get more organised.”
Bee says there’s a big difference between cleaning, tidying and organising.
“Cleaning is the art of being hygienic. Tidying is putting things away and organising is having systems, routines and habits in place. Part of organising is having a place for everything and everything being in its place. I always say everything needs to be practical, functional and aesthetically pleasing.”
When it comes to decluttering, Bee says you need to know what challenges you want to address and what goal you want to achieve in each space.
“If you have massive clutter to deal with it can be totally overwhelming and paralysing and I explain it as being like a glass wall. You can see it, it bothers you and affects you mentally, physically, emotionally, but you can’t break through that wall. Your mind freezes and you can’t move forward. That’s when people usually reach out for help. The thought of trying to break through that glass wall on their own is overwhelming and usually why nothing gets done.
“So take a step back, take a few deep breaths and hold your goal of decluttering in your mind. Think ‘less is more’. Start with just one room, one space, one wall, one shelf, one box. Go to that one small box and focus on that box rather than all the other physical clutter. Physical clutter creates mental clutter.”
Bee also suggests setting up a sorting station which could be on a table, the floor or outside the room you’re tackling. Make piles of things to donate, sell, keep or throw away and remember there’s great value in the aim to reduce, reuse and recycle as finding a purpose for things helps with letting them go.
“Say to yourself: ‘It served its purpose. I’m grateful for that. I don’t need it any more. It no longer serves me’.”
Bee’s final piece of advice is to start decluttering now!
“Start now otherwise it’ll just keep growing. It also requires ongoing maintenance so declutter first, then create systems, routines, and positive habits. Tweak as needed. If you keep on top of it, it will make your life and things like cleaning easier and more effective. And more importantly, you’ll have more time for self care and more time for fun with your family.”
www.beeorganised.net.au
You can also follow Bee on facebook where she often posts tips and tricks and motivational messages www.facebook.com/BeeOrganisedbyBee
