Episode 80: From Overwhelm and Chaos to Creating Order and Calm with Helen Sanderson

“A cluttered room is a cluttered mind”

Helen Sanderson is a professional organiser, interior designer, psychotherapist and an expert on how our spaces reflect our state of mind. Her passion and work centre on her belief that personal change must come from a careful consideration of both our physical environment and our inner world. Helen helps people create beautifully-organised, clutter-free spaces that support them and their families to live life to the full. A recognised authority on mindful design and decluttering, Helen speaks regularly at events such as Ideal Home Show, Grand Designs Live and 100% Design. She has been interviewed on BBC Radio London and featured in the Telegraph, Mail, Financial Times, Cosmopolitan, Red, Reader’s Digest, and Good Housekeeping.

In this episode, we talked about:

Clutter as a ‘set of decisions that haven’t been made’, either about objects or mentally. Clutter as a clot which blocks the flow of life

Overwhelm and procrastination are linked with clutter, and physical and mental clutter are connected
“A cluttered room is a cluttered mind”
Cleaning and decluttering as a way of creating order, control and space in the environment
People have often experienced a trauma or life event, which creates a ‘clog’, leading to clutter. The rebuilding of the self afterwards often neglects the physical space and needs attention
The need for support in order to walk back through difficult times and feel less alone
“The sweet spot between being physically exhausted and energised” when working and being in service to others
Helen trained as an Interfaith Minister which included revisiting rituals and ceremonies. She used her interior design skills to design prayer rooms and quiet spaces. Spaces can either make you tense and uncomfortable, or let you be held and feel relaxed
“The home is about different compartments and containers”. People who have clutter don’t have that sense of containment. When working from home, the traditional containers have been changed and people need to be more intentional about their workspaces
The idea of the feminine as the container/ vessel
Imagery of Russian dolls as the container within the container within the container
The process of tidying up as reclaiming space
The studybed where you can leave your desk untouched beneath a pull-down bed
People are becoming more conscious about consumerism and the need to live more simply
Home as a place to recharge. If it’s either too cluttered or conversely too ordered, it’s difficult to find rest. The middle ground is the ideal path
You can donate old suits and office wear to Smartworks
The 5 Love Languages. Some people show and receive love in the form of gifts. Other ways are physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service and quality time. You can gift experiences to create shared memories rather than give presents that accumulate
Setting up systems. We all have our own hoarding tendencies. For children, at the end of each term or academic year, gather the artwork and choose the favourites for the memory box. Review and clear the slate. You can do the same thing for toys
Dostadning: The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning - a book about clearing your possessions so that you don’t pass on a burden to others
“Keeping your precious memories intact”
Having systems: weeding what you don’t want out. Then, purposefully finding homes for what’s left. Mind Mapping the process. Maintenance is key to keep an ordered space
If a system something is clumsy or complicated, it won’t be used
Working with personality types - little and often or more intense bursts of activity
Scheduling an annual decluttering akin to a Spring Clean or alternatively having systems such as ‘one in, one out’
The need for a social shift towards giving rather than consuming
Simplicity for the senses including visual declutter, soft furnishings, . Using the elements to bring groundedness and connection. E.g combining glass, wood, candles ( for fire), metal. Bringing in plants to oxygenate the space and bring life in
Helen’s book, ‘Mirror In the Room’, will be out in 2022. It tells stories about the emotional process of decluttering will be out in 2022