Feeling Overwhelmed?

I am talking to more and more people who are struggling with working full-time, looking after children and keeping on top of their cleaning and housework. If I asked you to write down a list of physical things that you need to do, cleaning and housework usually comes at the bottom of that list. However if I then asked you to write a list of things that are making you feel sad, the housework and cleaning would probably be at the very top of that list. Your mental wellbeing list does not match your 'to-do' list which creates conflict and stress. You feel guilty about your home, wondering why you can't seem to manage and juggle it all, perceiving that most are, when in reality, they are not. I very much feel that our homes are so connected to our minds. In order to make the headspace to focus on the things that are important to us, we need to make the physical space around us neat, organised and clean.

Clutter can often be seen by many as laziness but this is very often not the case at all. There's actually an underlying psychology to clutter and disorganisation that keeps people from tidying up. Clutter can even be digital. Maybe you never get around to clearing out your email inbox or organising the documents on your laptop. Just looking at the amount of files you have on your computer might overwhelm you. Having a clean home is not just about cleaning, it has a lot to do with clutter and organisation too. It is so much easier to keep on top of the cleaning if you're not trying to work around lots of unorganised things.

The idea of sorting out can feel overwhelming so don't look at your whole house. Choose one cupboard, a drawer or a surface and just start there. Having a more organised home will have such a positive impact on your whole family that you won't want to go back to old habits.

There are many tips and tricks to help with all of those overwhelming feelings and to start you on the road to a clear home. It is important to remember that everyone needs to do this at their own pace so in short, every journey is different. One little rule I would like to share is the five second rule. It may not work for you, but it can be highly effective as a starting point. Pick up an object and if you cannot remember when you last used it within five seconds, then maybe it's time to get rid of it. You can obviously make allowances for sentimental items, but it will make trimming down on certain household items much easier. Your home does not need to be a show home, but work with what you have and see the change in yourself.

I often meet people who are simply overwhelmed with the amount of stuff they have and the cleaning they have to do. If this is you, the following tips may help you create more space in your home, making it easier to find things and make your home much easier to look after.

• Don't look at the full room

• Choose a small area to concentrate on

• Have you used it in the last year?

• Only keep it if you really need it

• Take a break often

• Instead of filling your bins, either recycle, sell or give items to charity where possible

Your home is the closest thing to a physical representation of your mind and it can be so overwhelming and genuinely depressing when it is disorganised, cluttered and dirty. It's so hard in modern day life to keep our spaces clean and organised. We work more than ever and often don't have the time or energy to focus as much on our homes and it can really affect us. The way I feel in my mind is reflected in the way my home looks and my world is so much brighter when it's clean and organised. I always say when I do my work that the homes I clean 'feel' cleaner when I leave and I know that my clients feel that lightness and mental cleansing too.

When you hire help with your home, sometimes we can feel like it is frivolous or avoiding responsibilities but all it is, is giving yourself time back. It's not just the time spent cleaning, but all the time in-between when you can breathe easy knowing that it's done! If you're a person who has a long list of 'things I want to do', whether it's spending more time outdoors, on self improvement, taking up yoga, cooking more, going to the gym, knitting..... Whatever it is, if you can never seem to get there and the starting line just gets moved to 'tomorrow' for weeks, months or even years, please ask for help. That's what cleaners are here for. We're not just here to clean your home, we're here to help give you your life back. It's okay to admit things are getting on top of you. We are not all great at organising and sorting out our homes and I understand this. I understand how hard it can be to let someone in your home when it's got out of hand. I offer a very discreet, friendly and understanding service if your home needs a bit more than a little TLC. Don't be ashamed or afraid to ask for help.