As we begin another week of sheltering in place to keep our families, friends and strangers everywhere safe from the coronavirus, I find myself settling into my new norm. I’m feeling more calm and at peace with my new way of living, and also finding new ways to connect and help people transform their living spaces into decluttered sanctuaries that provide much-needed comfort in these trying times.
This week I formally began offering virtual tidying as a way of adapting my mission as a professional organizer and Certified Silver KonMari Consultant to the current situation. I’m now connecting with clients primarily through Zoom, which enables us to see each other and allows me to see the living spaces that need to be tamed.
My client for the debut session called it “KonZoomari” … I love it!
Having worked with B several times the traditional way (in person), we already had a pace and a rhythm that works well. So, after reviewing how to best conduct a Zoom video meeting, we easily set up the appointment and had our first session. Even though I wasn’t there with her, I felt as if we were together.
Inspired by Marie Kondo and following the KonMari guidelines, we decided to address a bathroom closet that she has been avoiding for a very long time. Step by step, I was able to guide her and we went through each and every item in that closet that initially seemed to be so insurmountable to B. Within a three-hour Zoom call—that seemed to go by incredibly fast—we were able to get it done, even though her entire family was home.
When we ended, we both felt the satisfaction of having completed a substantial KonMari session together, producing significant results, even though the “magic” happened remotely through the virtual session.
I followed up with an instructional email giving B “homework” and checked in with her the next day. We were both elated that it worked out so well we’re going to schedule weekly virtual sessions until we are able to be in each other’s presence once again.
I guess we all need to learn how to adapt, and much like a river, we need to go with the flow or we will get stagnant.
My goal is to be able to help people at this critical time by guiding them through a process that inspires a new love for their homes and empowers them with a renewed sense of worth. Things may truly never go back to the way they were, and our homes may end up being our “castles” long-term.
So make your space as supportive and joyful as possible so you want to stay home instead of feeling like you have to stay home. It’s the difference between stress and serenity. There’s even scientific data showing a cluttered home creates a cluttered mind and body, actually raising cortisol levels that effect our physical bodies and our mood in a unhealthy way.
Some things take time, that’s all we have right now … nothing but time. When you look back at the pandemic of 2020, what will be your silver lining? Hopefully one aspect of it will be a home that makes you proud and feels like a true sanctuary.
To learn more about virtual tidying and decluttering, see the Packages & Rates page on the Sage of Interiors website. Click on my bio for additional information on my KonMari training and background as a Chiropractor, Reflexologist, Reiki Master Practitioner, and Acupuncturist. And my Services page offers details of how the KonMari Method works.
Feel free to email me at [email protected] or call (203) 772-8883 with questions, if you want to talk about the importance of making your home a sanctuary, or if you just need a bit of encouragement.
Most importantly, stay safe and be well.