Decluttering Tips to Improve Your Mental Health with Melinda Ferrier | Ep 03

 Liz sits down with Melinda Ferrier, a  professional organiser.  If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by “stuff”. Struggled to let go. Or wondered if decluttering could actually improve your well-being. This episode is for you!

Decluttering is a Mindset Shift. Understanding why we hold onto things is the key to long-term transformation and preventing re-cluttering.

Clutter Affects Your Mental Health. Decluttering for ADHD and Trauma.  Plus major life transitions. Scientific research on the mental and emotional effects of a clutter-free space

The KonMari Method Empowers Intentional Living. 

Decluttering Tips Simple steps. How expressing gratitude can make letting go easier. Why reducing visual stimuli is important.

Clutter and Elevated Cortisol Levels: 
Home Tours Correlate with Daily Patterns of Mood and Cortisol . link Kastner, S., & Ungerleider, L. G. (2000). "Interactions of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Mechanisms in Human Visual Cortex." Princeton Neuroscience Institute. link  Time Management Article Link

About this episode’s guest: Melinda Ferrier is a Professional Organiser, Certified KonMari Consultant, and former Psychologist based in Launceston, Tasmania. Mel offers comprehensive online services. Including the signature "Declutter Your Home and Life" 12-week coaching program, blending mindset coaching, KonMari principles, and psychological insights to empower individuals to reclaim their spaces and lives.  https://melinda-ferrier.mykajabi.com/checklist Explore Mel's 12-week online group coaching program.  Book a free call to see if this program is the right fit for you. https://melinda-ferrier.mykajabi.com/Book-a-call  www.livelifeorganised.com.au https://www.facebook.com/livelifeorganisedtasmania/ https://www.instagram.com/live_life_organised/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/melinda-ferrier

Important disclaimer: about the words “healing,” “recovery” and “therapeutic”: These terms are used throughout this podcast and accompanying content in a general, educational and experiential sense. They are not intended to imply or guarantee that yoga, yoga therapy, somatic practices or any other practice will diagnose, treat, cure or prevent trauma, PTSD, anxiety or any other medical or mental health condition. Individual experiences and outcomes vary. This content is for general informational and educational purposes and is not a substitute for personalised medical, psychological or other professional healthcare. Please seek advice from an appropriately qualified health professional regarding your individual circumstances.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love the show? We’d love a review!
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Want to make video and audio editing quicker and simpler? Get 50% off the first 2 months of the Descript Creator Monthly Plan. 

Instagram:  Youtube

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

I read the book and it was like an epiphany. I had a fair bit of spare time on my hands. So I decided to apply the method to my whole home. The transformation in my mindset, my behaviours, my entire life was so profound that I decided then and there that I was going to quit the corporate treadmill and retrain and set up a business.

So it's. It's really deeply tied to our mindset, our habits, our emotions. And so what I find is really important to do is really to help my clients understand why they're holding on to things, whether it's out of fear or guilt or identity attachment. And so by understanding that, then they can make peace with letting go of items.

And often my clients are stuck with overwhelm or anxiety or decision fatigue. And so I can use some techniques to help them reframe their  thinking and reduce their anxiety and help them to take action so that they feel like they're empowered. Welcome to the inner fire of yoga. A podcast about transformation, resilience, and the power of yoga beyond the mat.

I'm Liz Albanis, senior yoga teacher and yoga therapist in training. This podcast was born in 2024, after I survived my second fire. Fire has been a recurring theme in my life, not just in the literal sense, but as a metaphor. It has asked me to burn away what no longer serves me. To transform and to rise stronger each time.

This podcast is about that fire, the one that challenges us but also fuels us to grow. Today I'm joined by  the lovely Melinda Ferrier. Welcome Mel. Thanks Liz. So nice to have you here. Great to be here. Mel is a professional organizer, certified KonMari consultant, and former psychologist based in Launceston, Tasmania.

She's a passionate traveler and runner. In 2021, during a work sabbatical, Mel read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. Inspired by the KonMari method, she embarked on her own tidying method. Festival, which transformed her life. This led her to become Northern Tasmania's first certified KonMari consultant and to start her business, Live Life Organized.

Mel's mission is to help others experience the joy of decluttering and living a  simpler, more organised life. Her business now offers comprehensive online services, including the signature Declutter Your Home and Life 12 week coaching program, Blending Mindset Coaching, KonMari Principles, and Psychological Insights to empower individuals to reclaim their spaces and lives.

And I believe improve their mental health because I believe in a holistic approach to mental health. And I know there are links and I'm sure Mel can shed some more light on that. As you know, Mel, I had a major career change in my thirties after leaving the public service up to 10 years. So can you share what inspired you to transition from a psychologist to a professional organiser and certified KonMari consultant?

Yes, absolutely. I had been working for many, many years as a psychologist and then a manager. And then suddenly one day my job was made redundant. I took the opportunity to have a holiday. And whilst I was on my holiday, I just happened upon Marie Kondo's book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. And I read the book and it was like an epiphany.

And I had a fair bit of spare time on my hands. So I decided to apply the method to my whole home. And the transformation in my mindset, my behaviours, my entire life was So profound that I decided then and there that I was going to quit the corporate treadmill and retrain and set up a business. And I did that.

So my business is live life organized so that I can help other people to create that space, the time, the energy for what truly matters and to live a life that is simpler, calmer, and more joyful. That's great. Now it sounds a lot like the reason I had a career change because yoga had such a tremendous.

on my life and I wanted to share what I'm passionate about and it doesn't seem like work most of the time. That so truly is. I agree. It doesn't feel like work, does it, when you're doing something you're passionate about. Oh, absolutely. We're very lucky, aren't we? We are. So, you've got a background in psychology, as we know.

Has that influenced your approach to how you help your clients out? Yes, I think my psychology background aligns really nicely with the role of a professional organizer. And so I have found it invaluable because decluttering isn't just about our stuff. Really deeply tied to our mindset, our habits, our emotions.

I find it's really important to do is really to help my clients. Understand why they're holding on to things, whether it's out of fear  or guilt or identity attachment. Understanding that, then they can make peace with letting go of items. And often my clients are stuck with overwhelm or anxiety or decision fatigue.

And so I can use some techniques to help them reframe their thinking and reduce their anxiety and help them to take action. So that they feel like they're empowered. And probably help to prevent them cluttering up the house after all that effort, I guess. Yeah, that's right. Yes. It's easy enough to do, right?

It certainly is, yes. It makes your services extra special with that psychology background, I believe. I think it does. Yeah, it's probably a unique element that I have to my business. Yeah. If you don't change your mindset, you're just going to start cluttering up the house again and that effort will go to waste.

Yeah. Spot on. So I'd like to just quickly talk about your marathon running. I admire people who run that far. The most I've ever run is 10 kilometers and I was in my 20s or late teens to 20. And I just want you to briefly let. Everyone know what got you started and how it's helped your mental health. I was a late bloomer with running so I discovered it in my mid 40s.

And then I was approaching 50 and I thought I have to do a marathon before I turn 50. So I did. I ran New York Marathon and then I, then I think I became slightly obsessed with Marathon Running . I've run London and Berlin, uh, Dublin. Queenstown and New Zealand and Tokyo. I love the challenge of marathon running.

Plus, I also think that it teaches you discipline and resilience and how to push through discomfort and survive. And all of these things apply to decluttering as well. And so it's essentially about taking small, consistent steps, really, whether it's running or organizing your horny. And for me, running is definitely one of the ways that I manage my mental health.

I was injured for a little while, a couple of years ago, and that was when I couldn't run. And I realized then how important running is to maintaining my mental health. Yes. And when you talk about discomfort and discipline, Yes. That's what has helped me with my yoga. The discomfort of staying in a hot room for 90 minutes at 40 degrees helped me cope with uncomfortable feelings and being uncomfortable and giving me the courage and the discipline to quit smoking.

So that aligns with that. I can understand that with the running and there's a lot of, gosh, there's a lot of discomfort with running  outside. Yes, there is. When you cross the finish line, the feeling is amazing. Yeah, and it makes you believe in yourself and that's great. I totally get that. Can you just tell everyone about the KonMari method?

Because before I met you online, I'd never heard of it. And I'm sure I'm one of many people, even though she's been on Netflix or something. And the core principles and how it differs from traditional decluttering techniques. Certainly, yes, you're not the only one who hasn't heard of the method. So it was developed by Marie Kondo, who's a Japanese typing guru.

I understand her nickname is KonMari, which is why she called it the KonMari method. And it's a category approached method to decluttering. So traditional decluttering methods, you tend to move Room by room. So you use a location approach. So you're moving room by room or  drawer by drawer. With the KonMari method, we use a category approach and there are five categories.

So you start with clothing, then you do books, papers, kimono, which is the Japanese term for miscellaneous, pretty much everything else in your house. So your kitchen, linen cupboard, bathroom, et cetera. And then the fifth category is your sentimental items. The hardest one, probably. The hardest one, yes. Yes.

The other big difference, I think, to traditional decluttering methods, so traditional decluttering methods, you're looking around thinking, what can I get rid of? Whereas with the KonMari method, we're focused on what we want to keep and what sparks joy. So we do ask that question, does this spark joy? Does this item serve a purpose in my life?

Is it going to support me to live the life that I want to live? It's a positive reframe. So then it becomes a much more enjoyable activity rather than a chore of  thinking about what I'm going to get rid of. And it's very mindful. So you do need to touch and feel and consider every single item in your home.

So it teaches you mindfulness, which is what I do. Yes. Precursor to emptying the mind for meditation. I know that clutter has an effect on your mental health because after I survived a fire in 2024, I had been panicking or stressing that we might get burgled because of the crime. And I thought, how am I going to cope with this item?

What if they steal this valuable item? So I thought after the fire, the worst thing for me would be losing precious things like my wedding dress. and a painting that was over 50 years old that my parents gave me, but it wasn't the worst thing. Affect it had on my mental health was actually the hardest thing for me.

It was a bit of a natural declutter, but it also taught me that clutter and possessions can really affect our mental health, because what we possess It can often possess us. It can own us more than we own it. And I saw this with my late mother. She had so many clothes that we had a party for her after she died in her honour, to give her clothes away to friends.

To give them a new home rather than dumping them because on her deathbed, one of the things she talked about most was, Oh, my clothes. What are you going to do with my clothes? Don't just toss them out. Take them out and go to good homes. Bless her. Because retail therapy was her thing. She was very classy, very fashionable, loved to bargain.

Obviously she had some issues with clutter because she had a lot of clothes that had tags on them still and unused gift vouchers. It showed really how much clutter can affect us but also when you have less stuff it's easier to find things  and that can reduce anxiety as I found out. And after salvaging clothes and things, which is a lot of effort, I'm grateful to have most of my clothes, it made me think, is this item worth it?

salvaging and keeping. And I actually salvaged some items and thought, you know what, I'm going to salvage it so it doesn't go to landfill, but I'm actually going to give it away. I haven't worn it for so long and I don't really need it. It was an interesting experience. It really showed the linkage between clutter and mental health.

I'd like you to shed some more light on that. Mm. Well, you're definitely right, Liz. There is research to back it up as well. Cluttered spaces often lead to cluttered minds, and so it makes it much harder for us to focus, to relax, or even to function effectively, as you've mentioned. binding thing. So all that lost time to course then increases your stress levels.

So there was a study done in America where they looked at people in cluttered environments and what they found it was particularly so for women is that their cortisol levels. Rose and cortisol levels being our primary stress hormone that then made people more susceptible to feeling overwhelmed to having trouble focusing to increase stress levels.

And we also know from the research, it is too much stimuli around that our brains can't focus on everything. And so that impairs our decision making ability, it can lead to procrastination. So lots of linkages between clutter and our mental health and well being. Yes, I get the thing about procrastination because often we'll go to a cafe or somewhere.

So I don't get distracted by housework or stuff I can see around. Yes. That makes complete sense. Are there people that  are more susceptible to clutter and disorganisation? Other than ADHD, which I'll get to next. Yeah. I think there can often be a cycle with clutter and mental health. When people feel anxious or depressed, then they can struggle with tidying.

So with that decluttering and organizing and keeping a tidy home, they might have trouble making decisions about what to keep or what to let go, they might procrastinate. And so that then leads to clutter. And then of course, when you have the clutter, it leads to feeling stressed and feeling overwhelmed and having that difficulty focusing, then it's hard to get tidy.

It's sort of like a vicious cycle. circle really. It's important to try and break the cycle and I always recommend, and we'll probably get to some tips later on, but start small is my big tip there. Because if you look at the big picture, then it's just too overwhelming and you'll stay stuck in that cycle.

Yeah, the mindset needs to change. Yes. I know for me, I used to have too many shoes. When I was a public servant, I hated my job. And the worst time was when I worked near the biggest shopping centre. Yes. In Canberra, the Canberra Centre. In my lunch break, I'd go and buy shoes. I had like 80 pairs of shoes.

I'm horrified to think that. I don't have that many pairs anymore. And that was retail therapy, and that's common I think. And then now, I have, I don't have a lot of shoes, but now I have a lot of power cords. Because we've got USB C to USB C, USB C to Lightning for those with old Apple products. I think I have more than I need because I get anxious.

What if I lose that one? What if that one breaks and I can't charge my phone? So I have a bag of cords now that I need to sort out. So I have two different reasons for clutter in those circumstances. Retail therapy to cope. Yes. stress and this time it's like I need it to prevent anxiety over losing something.

And because I know because I've got ADHD, I am really good at losing stuff. I've even got tiles and air tags on certain items. That brings me to ADHD, maintaining an organized space. You inspired me to buy a label maker, which has helped, but that's not the only solution. Are people with ADHD more prone to this sort of losing stuff, clutter issues and, and that sort of thing, do you think?

Yes, they can be definitely in a number of my clients. Have identified that they have ADHD. Interestingly, the ADHD brain often thrives on structure and visual cues. Decluttering and organising can really work for the ADHD brain. Uh, not against it. As you mentioned, label makers can be great. Clear storage so that you can see what's in containers.

And most importantly, and this is for any brain really, having a designated home for every item that you own can make a huge difference. Uh, and obviously you need to declutter to enable every item to have a home. But doing all of this then reduces all of those distractions, and so it simplifies your daily routine.

It makes it so much easier to find the items and access items when you need them. And again for ADHD brains, breaking it down, using timers. Um, for your decluttering sessions, another good tip. Yes, because with ADHD, there's something called time blindness. I find one of my tools is setting timers because I easily lose track of the time.

Yes. Timers are necessary, but yes, I can see why my idea of putting chords together in a bag, it's not a bad idea. And then having a set of cords in a drawer downstairs, having them in a set spot. Yes. So that can be helpful. I can see why. Yes. The other thing that can often be really helpful for people with ADHD is.

body doubling. Often people might have trouble focusing and get easily distracted. Having somebody working alongside you helps you stay focused. They're a bit of an accountability partner and they can also help with the motivation. It also makes it much more fun and so you're more likely to get a bit of momentum going with your decluttering.

To reduce overwhelm as well. Yes, correct. Yeah. I'm guessing the people who've lost a loved one would struggle a bit  and having someone there with them to help would be important as well, like especially when they've lost their partner and decided I don't need this big house. But I've got a lot of stuff to go through because I've been in the house for 40 years and there's a lot of emotions going and I need someone there to support me.

So that would be important in those circumstances too. Yeah, absolutely. Because you really need to process. The emotions that are tied to the items and often talking that out is a great way to process that. And if you've got somebody alongside of you to listen to those stories, that can be very comforting and reassuring.

Yes. I'm just wondering, is there a link to how trauma can manifest in the way people accumulate and hold on to things? What can often happen is trauma can create sort of deep emotional attachments to objects because they can feel like  an anchor of security. Sometimes people accumulate to feel safe and then others can't let go because the items accumulate are sort of attached to memories or identity.

Those who've been through traumatic experiences, the items may serve as a reminder of safer or more stable times. So it might be a coping mechanism to hold on to those items, if that makes sense. Okay, that's interesting. So they could be more prone to clutter. Yes, they could be, but that's okay. I think if you've been through a traumatic experience, you've got to be, I think, really kind and self-compassionate to yourself.

Yeah. And you don't need to rush into this. Um, so take the time that you need to work through those emotions. That's true. Especially because trauma changes the structure of the brain, as you would know, being a psychologist and you've  got to give yourself time. That's it. A move at the pace that's right for you.

Yeah. Everyone's case is different. And if you don't, you're not going to recover. No, that's right. Yeah. How do you differentiate between hoarding disorder and simply being sentimental about belongings? And having a lot of belongings is sentimental and you've been in the same house for years. Good question.

A hoarding disorder is a mental health condition. So it's where a person has persistent difficulty discarding possessions, which leads to that excessive accumulation, and that results in significant distress and impacts daily functioning to the point that it might be an unsafe environment. Whereas It's somebody who is overly sentimental and has collected lots of items.

 To be honest, that's quite normal. And so we all hold on to things that are meaningful, but I think the real difference is that functionality. So the sentiment person is still able to go on day by day functioning quite well, whereas somebody who has. a diagnosis of hoarding disorder. It really will impact their ability to function daily.

Can you give examples of how it affects how they function? Yeah, so I think one of the big factors is that safety. So the house becomes a risk in terms of physical risks, so trips, falls, there may be, you know, animals, might be rats, etc. in the house. So then it becomes. a hygiene issue, a fire risk because of built up of clutter.

All of those things can happen when somebody has a hoarding disorder, whereas when somebody is just a bit of a collector and has too much stuff. Too much space.  Yes, they can still go about their daily lives. Yeah, and it's more, it's quite normal to be quite sentimental and Yeah, look it is. And you know, some of us are more sentimental than others, but it's very common.

Yes, I think I used to be more sentimental than I before the fire because I found a book that was salvaged from the back of the study. It was full of these old receipts and I looked and I thought, why on earth did I keep all of this stuff? How long has it been since I've looked at it? Yes. And then there's been a couple of things I've just taken photos of.

Yes, great strategy. And there's been all this paperwork that I thought, I'll just scan it and I've got. So much more space. But yeah, it's funny how you can change after an event. Yeah. And you can feel the weight lifting off your shoulders, thinking, ah, I've got less paperwork to go through and try and find stuff.

Exactly. You  feel lighter. Definitely. I really didn't realize it before this. I didn't realize it. Yes. No. So what are some of the common mental blocks or self limiting beliefs that makes it hard for people to declutter? Are there any tips you would say for helping with those mindset challenges? Yes, definitely.

So I think there's a few really common ones. start, uh, listeners might identify with. So the first one is that, and I think you alluded it to it with your cords, I'll hold on just in case I might need this someday thinking. Some quick questions to ask yourself. Have I used this in the past year? And if not, would somebody else benefit?

from this. And what's the worst, the question I love to ask is what's the worst that could happen if you didn't have this item? And often it's not that bad because you think  about, well, could I actually borrow it from somebody else? Could I rent it? Could I buy myself another one in the event that I needed this thing that I haven't needed in the last 10 years?

So just asking yourself some of those questions to try and tap into your logical brain. Oh, no, that's good advice too. Another one I see. Often and you mentioned before with your mom with the tags on clothing and I was a shopaholic before I discovered the KonMari method. So when I declared it, I had lots of clothes, some tags on.

And so what I hear often and what went through my brain at the time was. This was expensive. I spent a lot of money on this. And so then it's hard for people to let go. But what I now say to people is the money's spent. The money is gone. You could try to resell. And keeping the item isn't going to get your money back.

Oh, yes, it's just gonna take up space. So, exactly. And so, one of the key elements of the KonMari method is when we let go of items, we express gratitude. We thank the item for the service that it's provided. Or if it hasn't provided any service because the tags fill on it. We thank the item for the lesson that it has taught us.

So it's really important to do that sort of mindful thinking about when you're releasing an item, if you haven't used it, why didn't you use it? And what was the situation that brought you to buy that item? So that you can learn from that. That's a positive way of doing it. It sounds very yogic to me with the grammar.

Does it? Yes. Not resenting the item rather than being grateful for the lesson. The lesson, yes. And so, because what you want to do is learn from those items so that you don't make the same mistakes and bring the same sort. Clutter into your home because ultimately what you're trying to do is then once you've decluttered your home is maintain that balance.

You don't want to start bringing clutter back in  again. And I reckon that maintenance would be just as hard. Maybe someone would say it could be harder if they don't change their mindset. It's just going to happen again. Exactly. Yes. So taking it slowly and working on your mindset is so important.

Definitely. There's been one other one that I hear commonly from people is the issue of this was a gift. Oh, yes. I've become a bit hard on this one. The purpose of a gift is to bring joy. And so it's that giving and receiving and that's a joyful act. And once that has happened, your obligation to that item ceases.

And so if the item isn't bringing you joy, if it's not serving a purpose and adding value to your life, then let it go. and let somebody else appreciate it. Thinking about whether, you know, you're keeping this item because it was a gift but it's sitting in a cupboard collecting dust. That's sort of not honouring the gift and somebody else could get some joy and use out of that item.

Like I did with my mum. She was a teacher. She was a wonderful award winning teacher and she got flooded with gifts from the parents and the students. Now, my sister and I had a good time making use of a lot of those gifts and at least they brought us joy. We just had them sitting there in a beautiful armoire cupboard.

It helped Dad do some decluttering as well. It brought us joy, it was great. I guess people worry that they'll give the gift away or they'll throw it out and then the person that comes over is like, where's my knife block or whatever that I gave you? You're not using it. What happened to it? I would hope that when people give a give, they don't want it to be a burden to somebody else.

I don't think people generally do that, but if  they do, if you can't be honest with them, then yeah, make up an excuse. Yeah. Well, has that ever happened to you or have you been given something and you've said, Oh, I'm not really going to use this. I've given someone something and they're like, Oh, I won't use this source whatever.

I think what has happened for me is obviously because I am known as somebody who declutters. Oh you wouldn't have it. People are too frightened to buy me Christmas anymore. My niece actually contacted me last Christmas and said I don't know what to buy you because you might think it's clutter. So then, which was lovely because we had the conversation and I said what I would love is if We go out for coffee together, and that's what we did.

She took me to a little cafe near her place, and we had a coffee together. It was just beautiful, and that was the best gift. Yeah, it's just managing that. Some things that I definitely don't want given, I've made it very public, that I'd find it very  funny if someone bought me a candle. Yes. They should know that I don't have candles in my house anymore.

I guess it's good to sometimes make it clear. Yes. So I know there's signs that people need to declutter. I mean we talked about some of them with tags on clothing or finding stuff you forgot you bought and or maybe having a gift card in. The drawer that you lost and discovered it expired three years ago, or you're like me and you used to have so much stuff, you would lose stuff and it's like there was a black hole.

They disappeared into and you never found them again because you were too disorganized and had just too much stuff. Are there any other warning signs that people can stop being in denial? They do need to declutter. As you mentioned, you can't find things easily. That's a sign. Another one is if you have spaces that you can't use for their intended function.

So, for example, you can't park your car in your garage because there's too much stuff in there. Or you have a spare bedroom, but you can't have guests stay there because there's too much stuff. They're signs. I think if you're generally feeling overwhelmed in your home, And feeling weighed down or frustrated, that's another sign as well.

But definitely buying those duplicates because you either because you can't find the item or you've forgotten that you actually already owned it is another good sign that it's time to think about de-cluttery. Yes, I have a relative who's a bookworm and now has to have a lip. Yes. They don't buy books that they either already read and forgotten they read and just start reading and go, hang on a minute, this is really cool, they go home and went, oh, it's in that back cupboard, I've got two copies now.

Yes. That's another sign that, you know, but it's a bad list for such things. Do you have any, uh, some inspiring story of someone who did work with you, like did your 12 week signature program and had a real success story, whether it's making money or saving money or whatever, it was really life changing.

Yes, actually, I can think of one of the ladies who did my 12 week program. She actually, in the first few weeks, we do clothing, and she actually found an envelope with 3, 000. Tucked in the wardrobe, she had forgotten about, she will and truly take back the course. Her vision for her ideal lifestyle was to move into a tiny home, which I love looking at tiny homes.

So she was living in a home. Over the course of 12 weeks, she worked on downsizing and I think in the 12  weeks she was moving into a smaller property. But 12 months later, she was living in a tiny home. Wow. And I was turning to her the other day and she actually said, when people ask her now what her hobby is, she says, decluttering

So she's constantly looking. She'll pull a drawer out and she'll think, Hmm, , what's not sparking joy? She'd have to In a tiny home. Yeah. By herself. She'd have to, yes, definitely. Mm. And do you have any funny decluttering stories about yourself or an unnamed client amusing you? So many, to be honest, I always say to people when I'm going out to do a session, we are going to have fun because we do find amazing things.

So I think one of my best belly laughs with my client, she had had to quickly move from a home into a unit and so everything had been boxed up. And so when I was helping her, it was unpacking these boxes and working out what she would keep for this now smaller unit that she had. And we were working through her kitchen boxes.

And she pulled out this pan, which to me looked like it had never been used. And I said, Oh, tell me the story of this pan. And she said, Oh, this is an excellent pan for cooking steaks. It's the perfect size. And it's just really good for steaks. And I said, Fantastic. When was the last time you used it? And she, she paused.

And then she did laugh. And she said, I don't cook steaks, so she told me that they were selling it, I think it was online that she saw it, and she said they were so convincing about what a great pan this was for cooking steaks that I bought, so we did have a good laugh, and then she said, I'm never going to cook a steak, but I have a son who's moving into a new home, and he does eat and cook steaks, so I'll ask him if he'd like this pan.

Yeah, I'm sure that happens and, and because of the dopamine release that buying something. Absolutely. Yes. Yes, we've all fallen for it. Yes. Oh yeah, I fell for it too much in lockdown. Online shopping can be a bad thing in that way. Yes. Just a little surprise question here for you. Yes. When you hear the word yoga, what is the first image or thought that comes to mind?

Oh, I go to a yoga class once a week. So my favourite, because I'm not very flexible or strong really. And so I just visualize myself doing, I've forgotten the name now. It's not downward dog, cause I hate that one. It's a resting pose Mel, did you know that? No, it's not. It doesn't feel resting to me. No, no, that's a joke.

It's a joke. Oh, okay. Some  really strong Vinyasa teachers say it's a resting pose, but they're the sort of people that do handstands. Yes, okay. I know I've forgotten the name of the other one, which I love. Yes, that's it. So that's your image. So your image is very postural focused. Flexibility. Yeah. That's so common.

That's the way yoga has been marketed as postural focused and I know that many people don't find it accessible, especially if they think they're not flexible, thin enough or whatever. And nice to be able to show people that you don't have to practice poses or just not be flexible to practice yoga.

That's great. You go to a yoga class once a week. What got you into that and why do you enjoy it? I think I started because I thought it would be good for me, because with running, I thought I needed to be doing a  little bit more cross training, working on my strength, my flexibility, my balance, and also aging.

And hearing that it's so important for women to be doing all of this, I thought righty o, I'll start going. And then I started enjoying it. And I could feel the benefits of it. I think that's why I've kept going. So you feel it's helped complement your running? Absolutely, yes. Well that's good. Before I ask you about what you're currently offering, do you have a favourite quote on either decluttering or mental health?

Oh my goodness. It's not my favourite quote, but the one that always springs to my mind because it comes up so often when I'm working with people. It's a Marie Kondo quote. Yes, it's so often when people think of decluttering and getting organized, their first thought is containers. And that is certainly not the first step that I  recommend, it's one of the last ones.

And so Marie talks about containers are just those items that you use to store items that are no longer bringing you joy. And I love that because that's often what we do. We know it's not bringing joy, but we're not ready to let go of it. We don't want to deal with it. So let's pop it in a basket and not deal with it.

And often, you know, that's where stuff like that goes in the garage. And yes, correct. Many people who can't park their car in their garage. I'm proud to say. That I've never had that problem. We've currently got a tiny garage for two SUVs and there's barely anything else in the garage. So, I'm proud of that.

Yes, something to be proud of, definitely. I've still got more stuff to do, but you have inspired me a lot, Mel. And I just wanted other people to know how you can help them at the moment. Yes,  I do offer a free Essential Decluttering Checklist Guide. It's a 10 step guide to starting your own decluttering journey and it includes a decluttering checklist using the KonMari method.

People go to my website, they can download that for free and then they will also then get a weekly email from me with lots of tips. and inspiration. Yes, absolute inspiration. That's one way of connecting with me and by being on my email list you'll also hear about any challenges or programs or courses that I'm running and then I do have my 12 week signature program to clutter your home and life, which I'm just re-tweaking at the moment, but that's a 12 week online coaching program.

So that's really about guiding and supporting people over the 12 weeks to work through all of the categories. of the KonMari Method, but we do a lot of work on mindset and really understanding the psychology behind why we're holding on to things as well,  so that we can maintain that balance in our home and move forward living more intentionally.

That's lovely. And you do have some short courses as well. Yes, I have some short courses. I'm just in the process of tweaking those as well. But they, there's a couple of seven day courses that I have, which are pocket coaching programs. So the audio, little audio bite size lessons that you get each day. So it's like having me in your back pocket, mindset breakthrough and declutter breakthrough.

Wow. That's great. Yes. Check them out myself. Thank you so much Mel for joining me today and I will be putting links for all your socials and your website in the show notes for people. It's been an honour to have you and to share this important holistic approach to your mental health rather than a reductionist approach.

Thanks so much for having me, Liz. It's been lovely chatting.  Thank you for joining me. I hope today's episode has left you feeling inspired and informed and empowered to take meaningful steps towards your well being. If there's a topic you'd like me to cover, or if you'd like to share your story, I'd love to hear from you.

Just fill in the form on the podcast page of my website. Your voice is an important part of this journey. I want this podcast to reflect the conversations that matter most to my listeners. If today's episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might benefit from these conversations.

Don't forget to subscribe, it helps grow this incredible community of resilience and support. Until next time. Take care of yourself and never forget the power, the possibilities of a regular yoga practice. See you soon.