How can clutter, disorganisation or hoarding affect our health?

LIFE - Life Isn't For Ever, so treasure it, and yourself and live it WELL!

That was the key message from the workshop that I ran recently at the annual conference of The Association of Professional Declutterers & Organisers UK (APDO) in London. 

Participants (including professional organisers and a recovering-hoarder) came away with a better understanding of:

• the types of health and wellbeing risks associated with living in a malfunctioning home
• how ill-health - both physical and mental - can cause clutter, disorganisation and hoarding
• where to go in the UK for appropriate help and support

I also encouraged professional organisers to tell their clients about the ice-breaker form I devised in 2015 - it will enable them to have a conversation with a medical professional if clutter or disorganisation is affecting their health, or that of a family member or friend.

As the theme of the 2016 conference was "The Power of Letting Go", the workshop included topics like how to let go of stigmas associated with asking for help, by using CBT techniques to feel more confident about being able to ask for help.  Which is why our wise owl is flying the flag for Time To Change -  England's biggest programme to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination.

One of the workshop participants - Jo Cooke of Berkshire-based Hoarding Disorders UK - said "I came away very inspired by Cherry’s presentation.  Cherry’s workshop was not only well researched and extremely informative. But Cherry also highlighted the crucial facts relating to the implications, impact and regulations surrounding hoarding disorder.  Cherry speaks with confidence and passion.  I came away with some excellent tips on how to help my clients. Cherry is very inspirational.  I would certain recommend attending this workshop. Excellent."

It was the second year in a row that I'd run a workshop at the two-day conference, where this year's speakers included Carl Honoré, globetrotting ambassador for the Slow Movement;  Canadian organising guru Colette Robicheau; Gwendoline Alderton from GA Interiors (UK) who talked about Style for Sale like a Professional, and Keren Lerner from Top Left Design who explained How to Create a Killer Website.

For more information about the clutter and health workshop or to book Cherry to run this workshop for your group, please contact: cherry@rainbowred.co.uk or phone 07931 303310.

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Cherry Rudge of Surrey-based Rainbow Red is the daughter of a hoarder, so has had personal experience not only of the day-to-day physical, psychological and emotional trials and tribulations faced by families affected by living with too much stuff, but also the sensitivities required to calmly help people declutter and create order out of chaos. 

She is a pioneering member of apdo-uk’s Hoarding Advisory Team, and a member of The Chief Fire Officers Association’s (CFOA) Mental Health & Hoarding Working Group (which organised the first ever UK Hoarding Awareness Week in May 2014).

In addition to 1-2-1 sessions with hoarders and those affected by chronic disorganisation, she offers training and advocacy services and is an advisor to organisations including media production companies, Surrey Fire & Rescue Service, ADHD Support Groups and social landlords.

Originally published in March 2016 - updated in June 2016

Decluttering workshop for Surrey Libraries - Redhill - 18th May 2013

The Harlequin Theatre, Redhill was a perfect venue for Rainbow Red's latest decluttering (and organising) workshop on 18th May, sponsored by the Health & Wellbeing team at Surrey Libraries.  The 52 attendees enjoyed Cherry Rudge and Lynda Wylie's practical hints and tips, an explanation of S.P.A.C.E. zoning, and overcoming decluttering challenges, plus a practical demonstration of how to organise kids drawers, and an IKEA video showing the functional potential of a room once it's been decluttered.

 

Kay Hadwick from Surrey Libraries said "Thank you very much for the workshop on Saturday. I thought it went well. Everybody has said on their evaluation forms that they would recommend the workshop to others". Post workshop feedback included comments such as: "A useful workshop - can't wait to get home and start! Can see how I can tackle this long term issue and can see loads of benefits of me decluttering. Thanks so much!!!" and "My head is spinning with all the good ideas and my reactions to the workshop. All very positive. You have inspired us to tackle a very tricky and sore subject, still giving us respect and hope for the future."

Cherry Rudge of Rainbow Red and Lynda Wylie of Tidy Rooms are both Members of The Association of Professional Declutterers & Organisers UK (www.apdo-uk.co.uk)

For more information, or to book a workshop for your local group in North Surrey & SW London, please contact:

Cherry Rudge - Ph: 07931 303310 - Email: cherry@rainbowred.co.uk

Come to our decluttering workshops

SURREY LIBRARIES

presents



Click here to book your place on the Surrey Events website - tickets cost £10

 

Get inspired by our motivational step-by-step Action Plan, and local suggestions on where to sell, upcycle and recycle your unwanted items.

 

 Here's what people say about our workshops:

 

"Lynda and Cherry provided our women's group with the perfect mix of up-to-date, local information, inspiration to feel empowered, and practical advice. I would recommend their presentation to anyone. Val Bradley, Horizon Group, Fetcham

 

"I just had to write and say how much I enjoyed the afternoon, how well it was organised and my house does not know what has hit it!  I started de-cluttering the following day (only because we went out that evening).  The office took about a good week.  The utility room a day and a half and the dresser a day.  Only regret not taking photos, as was advised! Still have loads more to do but the enthusiasm is still there.

So just to say thank you for the workshop and if there is another one, please let me know as I now have a few friends interested!!!!!!!" Attendee, Leatherhead Workshop, Oct 2012

"I can't praise too highly their organsiational understanding, attention to detail and their enthusiasm for their calling  plus their empathy for those with whom they work.  If I am able to help them  in some of these future events, I would be most happy to do so."

Flip Cargill, Acting Secretary  Leatherhead Residents Association

Cherry Rudge of Rainbow Red and Lynda Wylie of Tidy Rooms are both Members of The Association of Professional Declutterers & Organisers UK (www.apdo-uk.co.uk)

 

For more information, or to book a workshop for your local group in North Surrey & SW London, please contact: 

Cherry Rudge - Ph: 07931 303310 - Email: cherry@rainbowred.co.uk 

*Image copywrite: Paula Becker

Cherry Rudge interviewed on Brooklands Radio's Fabulous Women Show - 15th January 2013

I was thrilled to be interviewed recently on one of my local radio stations in Weybridge, Surrey.

The delightful Celia Jones and Nicky Rudd - presenters of the Fabulous Women Show - wanted to know about how I became a professional organiser, asked me to share some of my experiences, and give a few top decluttering and  organising tips for Fabulous Women.

I also outlined various options of where to dispose of unwanted items, and gave examples of some of the funnier things I've come across since I became a professional organiser - when did you ever find a pair of false teeth under the soap?!  And did you know that some rugby clubs (eg. Esher RFC) often want donations of old towels to wipe their balls with?!

Listen in here (scroll down to the Life section - 15th January 2012): 

I also gave details of how to find a professional organiser throughout the UK - via The Association of Professional Declutterers & Organisers website - www.apdo-uk.co.uk. 

The other guest was the amazing Mandy Hickson, who talked about how she made the transition from being a former RAF jet pilot to becoming a motivational and keynote speaker.

Decluttering workshop - Horizon Group, Fetcham

Presenters Lynda Wylie & Cherry Rudge

Several centimeters of snow fell this morning throughout Surrey, which meant the beautiful scene at St Mary’s Church in Fetcham, Surrey - was like something straight out of a Christmas card. 

So we were totally amazed that any of the lovely ladies from the Horizon Women’s Group turned up at all for today's decluttering workshop!


Lynda Wylie (Tidy Rooms) and Cherry Rudge (Rainbow Red) shared practical techniques to enable the Members to declutter and organise the valuable space in their homes.  


Attendees were encouraged to create an Action Plan, to help them focus on things like their vision for their space, their decluttering goals and zoning.

The workshop also touched on making space for spirituality, and how it’s important to take time to step back and plan your life – and your space - around your personal priorities, including - if you are religious - making space for God.

Decluttering is a very emotive subject, and there was much discussion amongst the group about their personal experiences and challenges they’d faced whilst decluttering.

The Horizon Women’s Group meets fortnightly in St Mary’s church hall, and looks at a range of topics and issues relating to women’s lives. 

There is a free crèche for pre-school children, so you can be an adult for a while and have some fun!  Meetings start at 10am for coffee and homemade cake, 10:15 informal discussion and finish by 11:15.  You don’t have to be a member of a church to join.

To find out more about the Horizon Group, either just turn up on the day, or call Julie on 01372 375000 or email her on juliedavid@stmarysfetcham.org.uk.

Future decluttering workshops by Rainbow Red:

Date:                               Saturday 18^th May 2013

Time:                               2pm – 5pm

Venue:                             The Harlequin Theatre, Redhill, Surrey

Sponsored by:                   Surrey Libraries

Booking details:                 To be confirmed

Workshops can be tailored to the requirements of individual groups or clubs.  For more information or to book a workshop or talk, please contact Cherry Rudge:

Email:                             cherry@rainbowred.co.uk

Phone:                            07931 303310

Website:                         www.rainbowred.co.uk

New Year's Resolutions should be for life, not just for January

All those of you who have dreams of changing something about your life – for example by decluttering or getting more organised - please raise your hand. 

 

Keep your hand up if you plan on making a New Year’s Resolution to make that change become a reality next year. 

Now keep your hand up for at least two minutes (preferably three) if you honestly believe with all your heart and soul that you’ll be able to achieve your goal of achieving that resolution next year. 

Difficult isn’t it?!  If you managed it, very well done indeed – I applaud your resolve and unwavering willpower!

It’s easy to get swept away by the media excitement and glamour that New Year’s Resolutions brings, and feel pressurised by the annual publicity machine about making resolutions – sometimes making us believe we might be the odd person out if we DON’T make a New Year’s resolution. 

Some people feel that New Year's resolutions are an utter waste of time (and often money), whilst others feel they put artificial pressure on us to conform/follow trends and achieve goals that can be unrealistic and difficult to achieve.  

That feeling of embarrassment that we’ve not done what we’ve told our support network we would do makes us feel despondent and frustrated so that our resolutions become burdensome and weigh us down with guilt and sadness.  Our energy gets sapped away and we end up making the situation worse that we set out to change in the first place. 

• “I can’t lose weight so I eat more because to cheer me up because I’m feeling miserable”, or
• “I’ll move this pile somewhere else so I can’t see the clutter, or split it into smaller piles so it doesn’t look so daunting”

If you’re one of those people who kept their hand up and is determined to make a New Year’s Resolution to declutter and getting organised, my suggestion is to make a few smaller resolutions rather than one big one – so that they are more achievable, and you stay motivated. 
 

And whilst you’re making your resolution, set yourself a special reward at the same time, so that you can celebrate your success.  This should help spur you on, encourage you to keep going and keep on feeling good about yourself.  Isn’t that what life’s about?  And we only get one shot at life, so make it a good one. 

Sorting out your handbag or a single drawer one step at a time is a great place to start, as they can easily become muddled - and remember to take before and after photos to prove to yourself how much progress you've made.

Then re-visit what you've done often, to make sure you're maintaining the organised momentum, and calculate how much time you've saved by doing it!

Another tip is to play your favourite uplifting music quietly in the background whist you’re decluttering or getting yourself organised, to inspire you, provide “virtual” company and keep you calm and relaxed. 

At the same time, place a couple of drops of Rosemary essential oil in an oil burner to help keep you focussed – or perhaps a touch of Peppermint oil to clear your mind and keep you uplifted, or Basil essential oil to keep you calm.

Finding someone sympathetic to your cause to help you – whether it be a supportive impartial friend, one of the Rainbow Red team or a fellow professional organiser from The Association of Professional Declutterers & Organisers UK (apdo-uk) – can make an enormous difference to keeping you on track and make what can be an emotionally draining activity fun, especially if you’re a team person and prefer not to work alone.

Finally, why if you live in Surrey (UK), why not attend one of Rainbow Red’s decluttering workshops, so that you can interactively  learn about things like:

·         Overcoming decluttering challenges
·         The decluttering & organising process
·         Where to get help

Maintaining the resolution beyond January can be challenging, so don't be too hard on yourself.  Try the little-and-often principle - rest assured, it WILL work, if you're determined enough!

To find out more, please:

·         LIKE us on Facebook
·         Follow us on Twitter - @RainbowRedUK
·         Email us with your enquiry: cherry@rainbowred.co.uk

Or phone us on 07931 303310 to book a workshop or discuss your decluttering/organising/project management needs.

Decluttering Workshop - 20th October - Leatherhead Institute

On Saturday 20th October, Lynda Wylie of Tidy Rooms and Cherry Rudge of Rainbow Red gave a hugely successful decluttering workshop in Leatherhead. 
 

The event was hosted by local environmental campaigning Groups from the Transition Network(Ashtead and Bookham) - plus Leatherhead Residents' Association. 

A packed house of around 80 people learned useful hints tips about on how to declutter their homes, upcycling, repurposing, recycling, and other environmentally friendly ways to get rid of unwanted items.

Guest speaker Barbara Unsworth - Manager of the QEF Charity Shop in Shepperton - explained about the wide variety of things that the shops can recycle if they can't be sold in the shop.

Everyone took home a Useful Information Sheet which Cherry and Lynda created, and which is now available on the Transition Ashtead Website.

Delicious refreshments were served, and proceeds from the afternoon were donated to Leatherhead-based group the Friends of Teazle Wood.

Lynda and Cherry are Members of The Association of Professional Decluttererers & Organisers UK (apdo-uk), whose Members are required to abide by a strict Code of Conduct.  Cherry is also apdo-uk's Marketing Officer. 

 

Further decluttering workshops are planned in the North West Surrey and South West London area - to make an enquiry or a booking please contact Cherry on 07931 303310.

 

To find a professional declutterer near you, check out the apdo-uk website, or call 020 8123 4591(leave a message and someone will call you back).