Interview with Rebecca Phillips from R You Ready To Organize

Hello!  I have a very special guest interview today and her name is Rebecca Phillips. Rebecca has a master’s degree in social work and has worked in the field for many years.  Over the years, she found that her true passion is to help people through utilizing her organization skills and now combines the two.  She has a unique twist on organization that includes the aspect of wellness within her role as a personal coach and home organizer.  I met Rebecca through the Forever Fierce Revolution group and we instantly connected around this topic.  See, this is my Huge, Huge Problem Area and I feel so blessed that I met Rebecca to help me through my Huge Mess.  Yes, I am very messy!  Rebecca will be helping me organize my mess over the next few weeks and I will be documenting it with photos to show you how it goes.  Are you messy too?  If you need help organizing, then she can help you.

So, here it goes…

Hi Rebecca!  Thank you for sharing your time with us today.

Tell me about yourself.

I am a business blogger, home organizer, retired social worker, and grandmother of 3. My oldest grandchild went to college this year (trying to catch my breath). I am blessed to be semi-retired and stay at home with my two terriers (one is 17, blind and deaf, so need a lot of care) and build my new business.

Why did you decide to start your own home organization business?

I have always been very organized. My father died at a very young age. So, my mom went to work and the three of us stayed home. We had a babysitter, but I still took on the cleaning and tidying up a lot. I even ironed my mom’s clothes. And they were crisp. Everyone started to notice my knack for organizing, and my love of it. I loved to help mom clear clutter and put things away. It was a great help to her as she worked 3 jobs.

Explain how wellness is a part of your organization process.

Clutter causes chaos, anxiety, and a loss of control. It is that simple. I’m not talking about neat stack of sorted items around the house. I am talking piles of unused, untouched stuff. That is like a dumping ground.

“Each room in our house nurtures us. Our bedroom gives us rest and rejuvenates us. Our kitchen nourishes and feeds us. Our bathroom cleans our bodies and also rejuvenates us. The family room brings families together to bond and connect. Our home is our sanctuary. It should be tidy and organized with only the things we use and love.”

Add caption

What are the main types of clutter that you usually see?

Stock piles of personal items of a close deceased relative or loved one. This is challenging. A loved one close to us dies. We hold onto anything that makes us feel them and experience them over and over. It is prolonging loss. Loss hurts. Yet, knowing this is the key. I try to work with clients to clear the junk and keep only a few precious items from their loved one-only ones they will use and love.

So, what are some of the major reasons why people might struggle with clutter?

Just like before, sentiment. Strong feelings of sentiment come from uncontrolled feelings of loss and helplessness. Part of clearing clutter is gaining control of these feelings, knowing they are natural and normal. When people feel more in control and normal about their trauma, they start to let go of a loved one’s stuff and keep only what they truly cherish.

A lot of my readers are fashion bloggers and some of us shop a lot.  At what point does shopping become an addiction/ a hoarding problem? Why do so many women struggle with shopping addiction?

This is tricky. When does shopping become an addiction. Like any other addiction. When something, a habit or behavior starts to interfere with your ability to function on a daily basis, it’s a problem. Hoarding gets in the way of every aspect of our daily living. It is clearly an addiction. If the amount of time and clothing accumulated during shopping trips interferes with you daily routines, work, keeping your home tidy and decluttered, then it’s a problem. I think fashion bloggers in particular, need a regular clothing weeding routine. They accumulate lots of clothing. They only need to keep what the love and will truly use on a regular basis. That’s the hard truth.

Can you tell me about a time where you felt that you really helped to change someone’s life?

Many times. When I managed housing for homeless families in Phoenix many years ago, the most challenging cases were those families who lost their homes and had to move into one of my tiny apartment units. All of their stuff just stuffed into them. I had to work very hard at trying to get them to downsize, focus on getting job skills, good paying jobs and buying another (usually smaller) home. The hardest part was not job training or getting work. It was the trauma of downsizing and parting with what was sentimental, but no longer used or valuable.

Where can we find you?

Website: ryoureadytoorganize.com

Email: rebeccaphillips@ryoureadytoorganize.com

Instagram: ryoureadytoorganize

Twitter: readytoorganize

Pinterest:ryoureadytoorganize