Spring is almost here—at last!  The trees and flowers are starting to bloom, the birds are singing and we can finally shake off the winter gloom and start enjoying some finer weather and longer evenings.  

This month at Here To Help we are focusing on helping people to de-clutter their lives.  It’s not always an easy task but once you have done it, you will feel a whole lot better!  De-cluttering is a fantastic way of getting rid of the old to make room for the new and many people find that having a good clear out—whether at home, in your office or even in your life— is a terrific way to start again and it often gives us renewed focus and helps us to feel energized and positive. 

If we are surrounded by clutter every day it can make us feel physically and mentally disorganized, leaving us feeling unfocused and unmotivated.  Clutter even blocks creativity!  Whether you believe in feng shui or not, de-cluttering our lives really is a fantastic way to feel lighter and happier and it gives us a renewed sense of purpose. 

Some of us have been hanging on to the same things literally for years—our attics are full of memorabilia, old clothes, gifts we didn’t use or want, junk that we have brought from house to house with us but couldn’t bear to part with...sometimes knowing that all this “stuff” is up there in the attic is too overwhelming and we cannot bear the thought of tackling it! 

Here are some quick tips on how to tackle that physical clutter in our homes and offices and get organized this Spring:

Get Set!  Set a date or dates on which you are committing yourself to sorting it all out and decide in advance which charity shops will benefit from your de-cluttering session

Skip It! If you have an attic/garage full of clutter then organize to have a skip delivered— once that skip arrives you have to follow through on your promise to yourself to sort it all out!

Sort It! Sort the clutter into piles of “must keep” and “must throw away” - resolving to make the “must throw away” pile considerably larger than the “must keep” pile!

Store It!  If you don’t have adequate storage for the things you really want to keep, it is a good idea to get some storage solutions sorted before you start...IKEA and home stores such as Homestore & More, Homebase and Argos offer great storage solutions and the big plus is that they don’t cost that much to buy.  Two key items to consider buying if you are looking for some practical storage solutions, are different sized plastic boxes with lids and lots of bags for vacuum packing—essential when storing those clothes you really can’t part with!  If you want to find some prettier storage items for areas that will be on display such as in kitchens or living rooms, wicker baskets and faux leather boxes look great in any room and don’t cost the earth.

Okay!  That's the physical stuff sorted...but what about the more difficult emotional clutter that we hold on to?  How do we tackle that?

Does this look familiar?  If so, you are not alone.  Life is so fast-paced and stressful nowadays that many of us are multitasking to the extreme - juggling a busy career and family, trying to maintain some sort of a social life and still finding time to spend with our partner, or with our friends and loved ones.  A friend of mine told me recently she has not read a book for 5 years.  In fact, she cannot even remember the last book she read, it was so long ago!  Another friend of mine laughed when I asked her if she ever goes swimming or goes for a walk just to relax.  "Relax?  By the time I have time to 'relax' it's time to go to bed!" she said. 

It's a fact of life that many of us are suffering from exhaustion, fatigue and stress due to the modern pressures of everyday life.  This stress causes us to sleep less soundly than we should, eat the foods we shouldn't and not look after ourselves properly.  Stress puts a huge strain on our health and in particular, our adrenal glands and immune system, which means we catch colds more often, pick up bugs and generally feel run-down, worn-out and exhausted,  but the great news is that there are some really simple ways we can alleviate that stress and boost our immune systems naturally, giving our body a chance to recover and find some balance (and who wouldn't want a bit more balance in their lives!) 

You can re-energise your mind and body very easily, just by changing your thought and behaviour patterns.  Who knew that making our lives a little better would be so simple!