Resources
Some of my favourite useful resources
Spark Joy, by Marie Kondo
In Spark Joy, Kondo presents an in-depth, illustrated manual on how to declutter and organise specific items throughout the house, from kitchen and bathroom items to work-related papers and hobby collections.
Start With Your Sock Drawer, by Vicky Silverthorn
Written by well-known declutterer Vicky Silverthorn of ‘You need a Vicky’ Starting with a small space such as your sock drawer is a manageable space to motivate you to do more.
No More Clutter, by Sue Kay
This is the first clear your clutter book that I bought. Written by a psychologist it is full of practical step by step guidance to decluttering and how to stop it building up in the future.
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying, by Marie Kondo
There is a lot of talk about the KonMari Method of tidying from Japanese declutterer Marie Kondo. This book gives step by step guidance on tackling clutter in a certain order starting with your clothes and only keeping things that you really love or that “Spark Joy”. This method is not for everyone but is definitely worth a read to see if it will work for you.
Understanding Hoarding, by Jo Cooke
An introduction to the subject of hoarding, it’s causes, impacts and the way one might help those whose lives have been badly affected by it. Clearly written and insightful with enough information to be practical without being too overwhelming.
The Joy of Less, by Francine Jay
Rather than the crash diet approach found in other tidying up books, author Francine Jay shares simple steps to cultivate a minimalist mindset and form new habits, paving the way to lasting success. Her easy-to-follow STREAMLINE method works in any space-from a single drawer to a closet, room, or entire house.
Hoarding
Sometimes an accumulation of stuff is more than just clutter (also often referred to as “a hoard”) and can represent an underlying emotion that a person is experiencing such as anger, grief, stress, depression or low self-worth. Counselling can be valuable to help address these underlying difficulties before practical help to deal with a cluttered home can be sought. Supporting a person through counselling can help reduce the anxiety of having to deal with letting go of the clutter.
Specialist Counselling Services
Hoarding Support Organisations
There are also organisations that provide specific support for people that have hoarding issues.