Mark: A 2009 study found women who described their homes as 'cluttered' had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol throughout the day. Your messy desk isn't just an eyesore; it's literally stressing you out on a biological level. And today, we're talking about the antidote. Michelle: Okay, that's terrifying. My cortisol levels must be through the roof. I look at the pile of mail on my counter and I can practically feel my blood pressure spike. So this isn't just a feeling of being disorganized, it's a measurable, physical stress response? Mark: Exactly! And that's the core idea in Nicola Lewis's book, This Girl Can Organise. What's fascinating is that Lewis wasn't always a professional organizer. She came from the high-pressure world of investment banking in London, and this whole philosophy was born from her own burnout and search for a calmer, more meaningful life. Michelle: That’s a pretty dramatic career change. From finance to… filing systems? It tells you she’s not just someone who enjoys tidying up; she’s someone who sees it as a lifeline. Mark: Precisely. She was made redundant and described it as a moment of pure relief. It was her escape hatch. She then discovered the professional organizing world and founded 'This Girl Can Organise' in 2017. Michelle: So this isn't just about color-coding your bookshelf; it's about mental survival. Let's start there. How deep does this connection between our stuff and our stress actually go?

Mark: It goes incredibly deep. Lewis builds her entire philosophy on the phrase "tidy home, tidy mind." She argues that physical clutter acts as a constant source of "visual noise." Your brain is subconsciously processing all of it, all the time—the stack of papers, the clothes on the chair, the overflowing shelves. It’s a low-grade, continuous drain on your cognitive resources. Michelle: That makes so much sense. It’s like having a dozen browser tabs open in your brain that you can’t close because they’re physically in front of you. It’s exhausting. Mark: It is. And the book cites research showing this isn't just a feeling; it's physiological. That cortisol study is a perfect example. The women in cluttered homes didn't just feel more stressed; their bodies were in a more prolonged state of fight-or-flight. Over time, that can lead to anxiety, fatigue, and a host of other health problems. Michelle: Okay, but here's my pushback. For someone who is genuinely struggling, maybe with depression or anxiety, isn't being told to 'just clean up' one of the most unhelpful, even invalidating, pieces of advice you can get? It can feel like another thing you're failing at. Mark: That is a fantastic and crucial point. And the book addresses this head-on with a really powerful story. It's about a client named Elizabeth, a department manager who was diagnosed with depression and anxiety at 26 and had been off work for six months. Michelle: I’m listening. Mark: Elizabeth was struggling with even basic daily tasks. Her home was a mess, and she said she felt "useless and unworthy of a tidy space." The turning point came when her mom offered to come over and clean for her. That act of kindness made Elizabeth realize just how much she was struggling. Michelle: Wow. Sometimes it takes that external perspective to see how far you've drifted. Mark: Exactly. So, Elizabeth went online looking for help and found Nicola's community, TGCO. The advice wasn't "clean your whole house." It was "just pick a small space." For Elizabeth, that was one drawer. She put on a podcast, took everything out, and just focused on that one small, manageable task. Michelle: And what happened? Mark: It was transformative. She describes it in a quote that I think is the heart of the whole book. She says, "The biggest thing I learned is that I don’t have to tackle mammoth tasks all at once... Doing a little every day is much more powerful for my sanity, as well as my home organisation." That small win gave her a sense of accomplishment and control when everything else felt out of control. Michelle: That’s the key, isn’t it? It’s not about the pristine home. It’s about the feeling of agency. The act of choosing to throw away one old pen or fold one t-shirt is a tiny rebellion against the chaos. Mark: A tiny rebellion. I love that. And it reframes decluttering entirely. It’s not a chore you do when you feel good; it’s a tool you can use to start feeling better. It becomes a form of self-care. The book suggests making it a ritual: light a candle, put on your favorite music. Turn it from a burden into a pleasure. Michelle: You know, it’s interesting because some reader reviews of Lewis's work mention that her relentlessly positive, upbeat tone can sometimes feel a bit patronizing or disconnected from the real struggle. But a story like Elizabeth's shows there's a deep empathy underneath it all. She gets that it’s hard. Mark: I think so. The cheerfulness is the encouragement, but the method itself is grounded in the reality of feeling overwhelmed. It’s not “just be happy and tidy up.” It’s “here is a small, concrete step you can take to find a foothold when you’re slipping.” Michelle: Okay, I'm sold on the 'why.' The psychological case is clear. But the 'how' still feels like climbing a mountain. You open a closet, and it’s an avalanche of stuff. Where do you even begin?

Mark: You begin with a plan. And Lewis provides a very clear, four-step battle plan she calls the TGCO Decluttering Plan. It's simple: Remove, Sort and Purge, Clean, and Organize. Michelle: Remove, Sort, Clean, Organize. Okay, sounds logical. Mark: But before you even start, she uses this brilliant analogy that I think is perfect for managing expectations. She compares decluttering to an exercise class. Michelle: An exercise class? How so? Mark: Think about it. The first five minutes, you’re full of energy, you’re excited. "Yeah, I'm gonna do this!" Then you hit the middle of the class—the really tough part. You're sweating, you're tired, you're thinking, "Why did I sign up for this? This is awful. I want to quit." Michelle: Oh, I know that feeling well. The mid-spin-class despair is real. Mark: Exactly! That’s the point where your room is a total disaster. You've pulled everything out, and it looks a hundred times worse than when you started. That’s the moment most people give up. But if you push through, you get to the end of the class—the cool-down, the stretch. And you feel amazing. You feel accomplished, strong, and so glad you did it. Decluttering is the same. You have to be prepared for that messy, awful middle part. Michelle: That is such a helpful framing. It’s not that you’re doing it wrong if it feels terrible; it’s that you’re right on track. The chaos is part of the process. Mark: The chaos is a sign of progress. So let's apply the four steps to a universal pain point. The one, the only… the kitchen junk drawer. Michelle: Ah, the drawer of chaos. The final resting place of dead batteries, rubber bands, soy sauce packets, and keys to unknown doors. I’m ready. Guide me, Mark. Mark: Alright. Step one: Remove. You take everything—and I mean everything—out of that drawer and put it on the counter. You have to see the sheer volume of what you're dealing with. Michelle: Okay, it’s out. And I’m already filled with shame and regret. There’s a single chopstick in here. Why? Mark: Don't judge, just observe. Now, step two: Sort and Purge. You create four piles, or boxes. The book calls them Keep, Donate, Bin, and Sell. For a junk drawer, it's mostly Keep and Bin. Michelle: Right. So, the 17 dried-up pens? Bin. The stack of takeout menus from places that closed in 2019? Bin. The tangled mess of old charging cables for phones I no longer own? Mark: Definitely bin. And this is where Lewis says you have to be ruthless. Don't keep something "just in case." If you haven't used it in a year, you probably won't. The goal here is to own less, not just to organize more. Michelle: That’s a great line. Owning less is better than organizing more. So, the single earring back? I might need that! Mark: (laughing) Does the earring still exist? If not, bin it. The freedom you get from letting it go is worth more than the one dollar you'd spend to replace it if you ever needed one. Michelle: Fine, you're right. It's gone. So, I've sorted everything. My 'keep' pile is surprisingly small. Now what? Mark: Step three: Clean. Before anything goes back in, you give that drawer the best clean of its life. Wipe it down, get all the crumbs out. You're creating a fresh, clean slate. It’s a symbolic reset. Michelle: I like that. It feels like you’re honoring the space. Mark: And finally, step four: Organize. Everything you decided to keep goes back in, but thoughtfully. The book suggests using small drawer dividers—you can even upcycle small cardboard boxes. Put the pens together, the rubber bands together, the spare keys together. Everything gets a home. Michelle: And just like that, the drawer of chaos becomes a drawer of calm. It’s a small thing, but I can see how that one success would give you the momentum to tackle a closet, or even a whole room. Mark: That's the entire strategy. Start small, follow the steps, and build momentum. You prove to yourself that you can do it. Michelle: And once you've decided what to get rid of, what happens to the 'Donate' and 'Bin' piles? I feel like for most people, 'Bin' just means a big black trash bag. Mark: And this is where the book gets really interesting. The journey isn't over when the stuff leaves your house. It’s not just about what you toss, but how you toss it.

Michelle: What do you mean? Mark: Lewis dedicates a huge part of her philosophy to sustainability. She was heavily influenced by her nan, Lottie, who lived by the "make do and mend" and "waste not, want not" ethos. So the book is filled with ideas for eco-cleaning, upcycling, and donating with intention. Michelle: So it’s not just about getting clutter out of your house, it’s about not just moving your clutter into a landfill. Mark: Exactly. For cleaning, she advocates for simple, natural ingredients your grandmother would recognize: white vinegar, lemons, bicarbonate of soda. She tells a story about her nan using a bicarb bath to cure her baby’s nappy rash. The old remedies are often the best, and they don't fill your home with toxic chemicals or your recycling bin with plastic spray bottles that take 200 years to decompose. Michelle: That’s a powerful point. There’s no sense in creating a calm, tidy space if you’re cleaning it with harsh chemicals that are bad for you and the planet. Mark: And then there's upcycling. The book has dozens of creative ideas. My personal favorite is what she does with plastic bags. Michelle: Oh, the bag of bags. Every household has one. A monstrous, ever-expanding entity under the sink. Mark: Hers doesn't. She folds them into tiny, neat, triangular pouches she calls "plastic-bag samosas." It's a simple folding technique that turns a chaotic mess into a tidy, manageable stack you can actually use. Michelle: Plastic-bag samosas! That is so delightfully quirky and practical. It’s a small act, but it’s a mindset shift. It’s seeing waste as a resource. Mark: But the most moving part of this section, for me, is about donation. It reframes the entire act of getting rid of things. She tells the story of a charity called Smalls for All. Michelle: I haven't heard of it. What do they do? Mark: They collect and distribute underwear to women and girls in impoverished communities in Africa. They take donations of new knickers and new or gently-worn bras. For many of these women and girls, having underwear is a matter of dignity, hygiene, and even safety. It can mean a girl is able to attend school during her period. Michelle: Wow. Mark: Right? So when you're decluttering your wardrobe and you come across those bras that don't fit right or that you never wear, your first thought might be to just bin them. But this story completely changes that. Michelle: That changes everything. It's not just decluttering; it's redistributing resources. My old stuff, something I consider clutter, could literally be someone else's dignity. That’s… profound. Mark: It is. It transforms the act from one of subtraction—getting rid of your junk—to one of addition. You are actively contributing something valuable to someone else's life. It makes the process of letting go not just easier, but deeply meaningful. Michelle: Suddenly, cleaning out my closet feels less like a chore and more like an act of service. That’s a powerful motivator.

Mark: It really is. And I think that journey is the true arc of the book. It takes us from a very personal, internal place—our own mental health and cortisol levels—outward into the physical space of our homes, and finally, into the wider world through sustainable and compassionate choices. Michelle: It’s a ripple effect. You start by organizing one drawer to calm your own mind, and you end by potentially helping a woman on another continent. The connection is direct and beautiful. Mark: Organizing isn't just an aesthetic; it's a practice of mindfulness and compassion, both for yourself and for others. It’s about taking control, not just of your stuff, but of your impact. Michelle: It makes you look at that pile of stuff you've been meaning to deal with so differently. The book's advice is simple, and I think it's the perfect takeaway: don't try to fix the whole house. Just pick one drawer. What's the one small space you could reclaim this week? Mark: That’s the perfect challenge. And we'd love to hear about it. Find us on our social channels and share your 'one drawer' victory with the community. Let us know what you're tackling. Michelle: This is Aibrary, signing off.