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Mental Health First Aid – how can we support people suffering from mental health ill wellbeing without being a health care worker. Everyone in our community can be a Mental Health First Aid Champion

With Brexit on the horizon, companies and individuals alike are moving across the North Sea to Amsterdam.
Out of Space are proud to offer their full house move service to those seeking pastures new.

Read how The Jewish Chronicle’s Keren David was helped by Shula Levy of Out of Space 

Each individual has their own views on what they classify as “necessary”, depending on age, gender, culture, hobbies or family set-up. We have different interests and what we own reflects that. But living with others doesn’t mean your home needs to overflow with stuff.

Compare your home to a bucket of water; decluttering is like drilling a hole in the bottom. Slowly but surely, as you declutter, the levels should go down. However, if you keep filling from the top, the levels will remain the same, or worse make the bucket (your home) overflow.

In order to keep on top of clutter, we need to set ourselves limits. These limits relate to our stuff – to be in control of what we have, what is coming in and what is going out.

It is time to organise our dwindled down possessions which are kept in its place. As in any other systematic process, you can use sections, partitions or modules to contain similar items, dividing a complex system (our household) into smaller task-specific components.

We should apply this policy. Why? Because horizontal surfaces attract clutter – if we don’t keep on top of it, it will increase, spread and spill over!

When something is not in its place, you have 2 options: put it where you have allocate this to be (or will soon be) or let it go if you don’t think this item warrants space in your home.

While you are sorting through your stuff, you need to ask yourself for each and every item: what is the reason I am holding onto this.

You have now determined which area to tackle, cleared it all out and decision making is about to start. When deciding, think what you will need the item for or what the reason is you want to keep it. If you can’t think of any good reason, let it go.

Decluttering is a growing trend – everyone seems to be on the journey one way or the other. For those of us already living a life of less, there is always room for improvement – less plastic, less food waste, less stress. Others are at the beginning of a life less cluttered, feeling overwhelmed, not knowing where to start.

On average we spent £80 on souvenirs while on holiday – that is 30 skinny lattes, a family day out or the best part of the weekly shop. Of these souvenirs bought – about 65% end up in the bin or charity shop after just 2 weeks (that is £50!! When was the last time you threw that amount in the bin??)

What’s the difference between vague hopes and New Year’s resolutions that stick?  It’s organisation. If you’re ready to discover tips and tricks to help you keep your resolutions this year, then read on.

Next week is National Organising Week (#NOWorganise), which includes Donate A Day To Charity. Alongside fellow APDO members, I’ll be donating my services to TRAID who do amazing work throughout the UK.

Whatever your balancing act looks like; whether it’s prepping lunches for fussy eaters, trying to squeeze in shopping between school drop-offs and work, or just finding a way to organise a life that’s full of family, work and fun; these simple tips will save you hours:

You may not realise that clutter and carrying extra weight are often connected. The stress of being disorganised can lead to emotional eating. Food is a distraction from the organisational tasks we’re avoiding. If we are feeling crummy about the state of our kitchen, how can a biscuit or two make us feel any worse?

You and your family deserve a home which is well run, clear, clean and organised; full of things you love; everything in place. If you are too busy, tired, overwhelmed and stressed to do this, I am here to help you.

Bearing in mind that gifts are often chosen by what the gifter likes rather than what the recipient would like, the first thing to let go of is your feeling of guilt. Have you ever heard: “with the gift you receive the right of gifting?” This means that’s your right to do with the gift whatever you want.

All that important stuff that has been kept in the storage all those years – maybe not that important after all.