…only to get back together a week later? 🤣

We have a surprisingly complicated relationship with our stuff.

Clutter is tricky because we hate it, but we also love it. We want it, but we also never want to see it again. We want some of it, but we really don’t want to suffer through the hard work and emotional pain it takes to let the rest of it go.

So, the question becomes…

Do you need to make peace with your clutter, or break up for good?

Sometimes we don’t need to break up with all of our stuff…

We just need to break up with the unhealthy relationship we’ve developed with it.

Most people were never taught how to face their clutter head on in the most practical ways. And almost no one was taught how to de-code the deeper meaning of their clutter.

If you don’t know how to decode the deeper layers of your clutter, all the organizing bins and systems in the world won’t get you organized.

The real question isn’t, “How do I get organized?”

It’s:

Why is my clutter still here?  

In this week’s video, I’m sharing one of my favorite classes on understanding the deeper meaning of clutter:

Together, we’ll explore why clutter sticks around, the practical questions that help get you unstuck, and how to decide whether it’s time to make peace with your stuff, or finally break up with your clutter for good.

The post How to Break Up with Your Clutter (Without Regretting It) appeared first on Star Hansen.

Last week, I asked you a question…

What percentage of your stuff would you have to let go of before you would feel good in your space? 

A lot of you answered…thank you so much for taking the time to reach out and share.   

Some of you named percentages, some of you wrote me paragraphs…and a few of you even told me you haven’t been able to sleep in your own bed in years.  

The percentages were all over the place. From 0% all the way up to 98%. But the most common answer, by far, was 

50%

The post What % Would You Have To Let Go Of Before You Would Feel Good In Your Space? appeared first on Star Hansen.

It’s everywhere. It’s in our homes, our oceans, our food. And while the organizing industry loves a good plastic bin, it’s never really been my thing. 

But, in spite of my strong feelings about plastic, there’s something I’ve said to clients for years:

Plastic is precious. 

Not because plastic itself is precious.  

But because when something is still in its original wrapping, it suddenly feels elevated. Untouched. Like it needs to be preserved.  

And without even realizing it, that thin layer of plastic becomes a barrier. 

It separates you from actually using the thing. 

I see it all the time…  

• Beautiful bars of soap that never get used
• Candles that never get lit
• Stationery that never gets written on
• Nice items quietly waiting to be used at the “right moment.” 

But that perfect moment you’re saving it for? It usually never comes.  

The item gets forgotten. Or the materials break down. Or it just loses its “specialness” because it was sitting so long.  

And in the meantime, you didn’t get to enjoy it.  

If something is in your home, I want you to use it. 

I don’t want there to be a barrier between you and the things you chose to bring into your life.  

Because those things were meant for you to enjoy, use, and have as part of your day-to-day experience.  

So today, I want you to do one thing for me… 

Pick one thing you’ve been saving for “someday”. And use it.

Draw yourself a bath and use those fancy bath salts. Make dinner feel a little more special by lighting some of the taper candles that have been gathering dust in the drawer. Use the “good dishes” for a regular Tuesday lunch. Write a note to your best friend on the pretty stationary in your desk (it will make their day).

You don’t need a special occasion. Today is the occasion. You’re the reason it’s special. 

Just for today, let yourself enjoy something you’ve been holding onto.  No waiting. No saving. Just living.  

You’re worth it! 

The post Why You Don’t Use the Things You Own (And How to Stop Saving Them for Later) appeared first on Star Hansen.

As I’ve been packing and planning, I’ve been thinking about how much my relationship with packing has changed.

I used to be a chronic overpacker.

Not a little extra, I mean, truly deeply committed to the idea that I might need absolutely everything.

And many of my clients are the same way.

Packing brings up a lot…

Will I have what I need? What if the weather changes? What if my body feels different that day? What if I want more options? What if I get there and wish I had brought the other thing?

It’s easy to act like packing should be simple, but it’s not. It’s actually a pretty complex project.

You’re trying to plan for future weather, future moods, future activities, laundry access, location changes, and, for a lot of women, a body that may not feel exactly the same from one day to the next.

That’s a lot to account for.

Which is why I think one of the biggest mistakes people make is skipping the planning part of packing and going straight to the suitcase.

If you do that, it’s hard to stay focused…

The clothes start talking. Your shoes start talking. Your anxiety starts talking. The size (and weight) of your suitcase is talking…

And suddenly you’re no longer making choices from a clear space. Instead, you’re reacting to whatever feels loudest at the moment.

That rarely ends well.

There’s a quote I love (often attributed to Abraham Lincoln):

“If I had four hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first three sharpening the axe.”

The post The Stress-Free And Strategic Way to Pack For Your Next Trip appeared first on Star Hansen.

I grab my fuzzy blanket, open the door, sit down, and watch light dance around the city.

And as I’m sitting there, I catch the smell of blossoms from my lemon tree. Every time I notice it, something in me softens.

The smell of citrus makes me feel safe and happy. There’s just something about it I find so magical. I know there’s actual science around how the smell of citrus can lift our mood, but for me, it’s also deeply personal.

It reminds me of my great grandmother’s backyard and fun Easter days running around with my cousins in the Arizona heat. It smells like so many simple, yet happy moments from my childhood.

And now, it’s part of my morning routine.

What’s interesting is that when I first moved into my apartment, my patio was empty. I would still go out there, but I never really felt connected to the space. It didn’t feel like it was mine.

Adding the lemon tree changed that.

Now, when I go outside, I feel more in rhythm with the seasons. I feel more like myself. I actually want to be there.

And this is something I think about a lot when it comes to organizing.

We tend to focus so much on what to remove from our homes. What to get rid of. What to declutter. What’s too much.

But just as often, big shifts come from what we add.

Your home should feel like you.

Not just look organized. Not just be functional. But feel like a place where you recognize yourself. Where something in the space reflects who you are, what you love, what you remember, and what matters to you.

When people don’t feel good in their homes, it’s not only because there’s too much stuff.

Sometimes it’s because there’s nothing in the space that’s really speaking to them.

And if you’re in a season where clutter feels like too much to take on, or you don’t have the energy to take it on right now, you don’t have to start there.

You can start by adding something.

Add something that makes you feel good in a real, personal, and sensory way. It could be a:

• Plant
• Scent
• Color
• Texture
• Piece of art
• New set of sheets…

Something that shifts how the space feels when you walk into it.

Once your home starts to feel good to you, the rest begins to follow.

It becomes easier to let clutter go. Not because you’re forcing yourself to. But because you’ve created something you want to protect and nurture.

If you were going to add one thing to your space right now that would make it feel more like you, what would it be?

Start there. Add it and see how it changes the way you feel in your home. And if you feel like it, hit reply and tell me about it.

Small changes create big shifts.

The post What Would Make Your Home Feel Like You? appeared first on Star Hansen.

Why am I talking about organizing when the world feels like it’s on fire?

There’s war, violence, unrest…and it’s in our faces, all the time. It feels strange to talk about closets and clarity when so much feels unstable right now.

What I keep noticing with my clients, as well as myself, is that we’re not just tired and overwhelmed. We’re flooded.

This world has always had chaos. There has always been suffering.

The difference now is access. We don’t just hear about things later. We see them instantly. Repeatedly. And in great detail.

We weren’t designed to process global trauma on a loop.

When we’re exposed to this much intensity nonstop, our nervous system doesn’t just “feel stressed,” it shifts into survival mode.

That alarm center of the brain lights up. Stress hormones increase. And the part of your brain that is responsible for logic, language, and long-term thinking goes offline.

That’s why you might feel scattered or frozen, and not be able to explain why. Why it’s hard to think clearly. Why decisions feel heavier than they “should.” And why so many of us are compulsively scrolling, even when we know it’s not helping.

It’s not weakness or laziness, it’s survival.

When the body senses danger (even digital danger), it prioritizes survival over strategy. And from that state, you can’t “logic” your way back to feeling calm or grounded.

And at the same time, life keeps moving. There are emails to answer. People to care for. Groceries to buy. Work to show up for.

The tension between staying informed and being functional is incredibly tight right now.

You care. Of course, you care. But caring and constantly consuming are not the same thing.

When I teach people how to organize, the first step isn’t buying boxes or throwing things away. It’s setting an intention for your space.

Because if you don’t decide what you’re creating, the clutter will decide for you.

You’ll move things around, react to piles, and feel busy…but you won’t feel clear. And your organizing systems may even feel a bit chaotic.

And right now, the world’s chaos is having the same impact. If we don’t pause and choose how we want to show up, the noise chooses for us.

So, instead of trying to think your way out of overwhelm, come back into connection with your body.

In the trauma-informed world, we call this “bottom-up processing.” It just means body first.

When the mind feels noisy, the body is the doorway back to steadiness.

Before you reach for your phone, turn on the news, or “make a plan”…

Pause. Because when we’re dysregulated, chaos directs us. And if we let the chaos lead, we get more chaos.

I’m not suggesting you ignore what’s happening. I’m asking you to regulate yourself before you engage.

That might look like:

Going for a slow walk and notice colors, light, and sounds
👉Taking three deep breaths
👉Sleeping with your phone outside of your bedroom
👉Shaking out your body
👉Standing barefoot on the grass
👉Eating something sour to snap yourself back into the present
👉Taking a “screen-free” hour

Regulating yourself isn’t avoidance. It’s how you stay capable.

You cannot make grounded decisions about a chaotic world from a nervous system that feels under attack or is stuck in survival mode.

Take one small, intentional step at a time. Fill up, and then engage with the world. You can’t pour from an empty cup.

Regulating yourself is the best first step in making a positive impact in your life and this world.

The post How To Stay Grounded When The World Feels Chaotic appeared first on Star Hansen.

Your closet holds some of the most fun and fascinating clutter in your house (I’m looking at you, 1970’s platform boots).

But closets are hard to organize because your closet isn’t about clothes. It’s about identity.

It’s how you see yourself. And how you present yourself to the world.

In many ways, we wear “costumes” every day. We dress for work. For motherhood. For dating. For grief. For ambition. For comfort. For artistic expression. For reinvention.

Inside your closet, there are layers of every version of you…

• Younger you.
• Career-shifting you.
• Postpartum you.
• Pre-pandemic you.
• Sweatpants-era you.
• “Finding myself again” you.

It’s beautiful. But it’s also why your clothing closet feels so hard to edit.

Because you’re not just deciding about jeans. You’re deciding who you are and where you’re going.

And if they don’t…what does that mean?

So, instead of asking you to purge half your wardrobe, I want you to consider another option…

What if your closet only held the pieces that are active in your life right now?

Not your past. Not your someday. Not your “what if.”

Just today.

That doesn’t mean you have to get rid of everything else. I will NEVER be the organizer who tells you to toss your old jeans because you haven’t worn them in six months. In fact, have a box of jeans that my post-pandemic body can’t currently fit into, but I refuse to get rid of them because I love them and have every intention of wearing them again.

Bodies change. Life changes. We all go through seasons. It’s ok to be in transition.

What you can do is separate out the versions of you that aren’t part of your daily life right now. Keep them, but move them out of your daily view.

When everything lives together in one space, your brain has to process all of it anytime you get dressed. It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed when we’re confronted with every version of ourselves, especially when we’re just trying to throw on an outfit to go run errands.

The less visual noise you have to face each day, the more you’ll actually wear what you love. And the easier it will be to get dressed.

So, here’s my invitation to you today…

Box up one category of clothing that doesn’t fit in with your current day-to-day life. This might be costumes, memorabilia, off-size, or off-season items…whatever feels like it doesn’t belong here right now. Then move that box to a storage area (even if it’s just a high shelf in your closet).

P.S If you want help editing your closet in a way that honors your past and supports who you are now, come join us inside the Chaos to Calm Community. We’re working on organizing our clothing closet this month and would love for you to join us!

Or, if you want deeper support, book a virtual 1:1 session with me, and we’ll curate your space in a way that actually fits your life.

The post Your Closet is an Archeological Dig of Who You Are appeared first on Star Hansen.

As we walked into the room, they felt overwhelmed almost immediately. There was a lot to do, the energy felt heavy, and about 20 minutes in they said: 

“Maybe this is too much. Maybe we should switch to an easier project.”

They were feeling overwhelmed and getting ready to abandon the bedroom project altogether.

So, I asked them to pause.

Not because they needed to push harder or do more. But because the bedroom is one of the most important spaces in the house to approach gently.

The bedroom is where we sleep. Where we let our guard down. Where our nervous system is supposed to feel safe enough to rest.  

And because of that, it can be a surprisingly charged space… 

There can be relationship energy activated here. Or body image issues connected to our clothing may arise. We can experience sleep struggles.  

And often, we’re reading, scrolling, unwinding, or overstimulating ourselves without realizing it.  

So, when people tell me they want to “organize their bedroom,” I often slow them down. 

Because sometimes the goal of organizing isn’t to do a full, deep, color-coded overhaul.  Sometimes the goal is much simpler. 

Sometimes the goal is to protect your peace.

Right now, the world is loud. It’s heavy, fast, and overwhelming.  Many people are carrying way more than they realize, and it shows up most clearly at night.

If your bedroom doesn’t feel peaceful, you don’t need to “Marie Kondo” the entire space.

You just might need to remove one thing. 

Something that doesn’t feel right. One thing that disturbs your sleep. Or something that pulls your focus in a direction you don’t want it to go. 

That could look like: 

• Removing a book you’re not reading from your nightstand 

• Clearing the top of your dresser so your eyes can rest 

• Moving your charging cord to the bathroom so you aren’t tempted to scroll at night 

• Unfollowing someone online who activates comparison or stress in you 

• Unsubscribing from an email that hijacks your nervous system 

• Letting go of something, physical or digital, that no longer belongs in this season of your life 

This counts as organizing. 

This counts as self-care.

Protecting your peace isn’t indulgent. It’s essential.

It’s self-regulation.  Its boundaries. And it’s choosing what (and who) gets access to you.

So today, take one small step.

Ask yourself: 

What’s one thing I can remove to protect my peace?  

That’s it. That’s the work.

The post Protecting Your Peace In The Bedroom appeared first on Star Hansen.

• Getting rid of stuff
• Buying containers
• Making systems

And, yes, those things matter. But if that’s all you’re doing, it’s no wonder it feels like you’re stuck on an organizing hamster wheel.

Because organizing isn’t just a task. It’s a life skill.

And that skill goes way beyond clever organizing hacks and folding techniques.

The best organizing results come from cross-training.

Think about athletes… NFL players have been known to train in ballet to improve balance and coordination. Weightlifters do yoga to protect their joints and stay mobile.

They’re not doing it because it’s trendy. They’re doing it because training only one way creates an imbalance.

Organizing is the same.

If the only muscle you’re building is “hands-on decluttering,” you’re skipping the inner skills that make organizing sustainable. You need more than that.

You also need nervous system regulation, decision-making support, patience, creativity, and support.

That’s where cross-training comes in.

Here are a few simple ways to cross-train your organizing projects:

MEDITATE

Organizing requires presence.

Taking a few quiet minutes each day to breathe, be still, and step away from screens will help build your ability to respond instead of react. That pause is what helps you make better decisions when you’re standing in front of a pile wondering what to do.

As Einstein said, “We can’t solve a problem from the energy that caused it.” Stillness is one of the best starting places for facing the chaos in our lives.

RESEARCH

Sometimes organizing stalls because of unanswered questions.

Where do dead batteries go? What about paint? Electronics? Medications?

Taking time outside of hands-on organizing sessions to figure these things out removes friction later. When you already know where things go, actions feel lighter, and momentum builds.

Less friction = more follow-through

BUILD

Support matters.

If something physically blocks you, organizing will stall every time. Heavy furniture, high shelves, limited energy… All of these things have an impact on our organizing progress.

Finding someone to help you move things, having a step stool where you need it, or asking for support isn’t a weakness, it’s smart self-care.

Organizing works best when your environment supports you.

PLAY

Joy isn’t a reward for finishing.

When our homes feel chaotic, many people delay having fun until everything is “handled.” It’s common to feel like we have to earn our rest. But joy is actually fuel. When your system feels nourished, organizing stops feeling like punishment.

Take a walk. Listen to music. Laugh with a friend. Grab an ice cream. Dance in your living room with your dog.

These moments build capacity, and capacity makes change possible.

CREATE

Organizing isn’t just logical, it’s creative.

Movement, art, music, or even doodling activates the part of your brain that imagines new possibilities and helps you invent systems that actually work for you.

Some of the best organizing systems don’t come from books. They come from your own lived experience. You just need to make a little space to express your creativity each day.

Organizing doesn’t only happen in your closet or at the Container Store.

It happens when you pause. When you ask for help. When you make room for joy. And when you trust your instincts.

That’s cross-training. And it’s what makes organizing stick. 

Comment below and tell me one way you can start your organizing cross-training journey this week. 

Cheering you on as you train your way to a clutter-free finish line. 🎉 

The post Cross-Training: The Missing Link to Getting Organized appeared first on Star Hansen.

I’m not just an organizing specialist. I’m a chaos specialist. 🌪️

And the chaos I see in homes mirrors the chaos we’re living in now.

We’re living in a moment where it’s incredibly easy to get flooded.

Being flooded is a state where you’re mentally, emotionally, and physically tapped out.

Your system is overwhelmed and can’t process one more input, so it freezes.

You might feel overwhelmed, scattered, helpless, or numb. Not because there’s something wrong with you, but because there’s simply too much coming at you.

We’ve never lived through a time like this. We have constant access to news, crises, heartbreak, and suffering from all over the world.

And that’s on top of working, parenting, caregiving, managing our health, maintaining relationships, and trying to stay afloat in our own lives.

That’s a lot for anyone to hold.

There’s a very narrow tipping point between being functional and being flooded.

On one side, we’re grounded enough to take action, make decisions, and move forward. On the other side, we’re overwhelmed, frozen, and convinced that nothing we do will ever be enough.

Right now, many people are living on the flooded side of the line…while simultaneously judging themselves for not doing more.

That combination is exhausting. But it’s not impossible to escape from.

Please know this…you do not need to solve every problem in the world today.

But what you do need to do is reclaim your attention.

Your focus is one of the most valuable resources you have. And everything around you right now is competing for it. Social media, news outlets, algorithms, streaming platforms…they’re all designed to keep your attention locked outside of yourself.

When your focus is scattered everywhere, you don’t have access to your full power.

Crossing back over the tipping point doesn’t require you to fix everything. It requires coming back into the present moment.

The present moment is where your power and agency live. It’s where clarity comes from. It’s where action becomes possible again.

For me, getting present often looks like taking a walk in nature. Not an exercise walk, but one where I look around and notice birds, trees, and sunlight.

For someone else, it might be a run. Or taking a deep breath and feeling your feet on the floor. Or singing your favorite song at the top of your lungs in the shower. Or putting your phone down and naming five colors you see in your room.

There is no “right” way.

You don’t need to be present all day. You don’t need to meditate for an hour. You don’t need to be perfect.

One minute counts. Five minutes count. Doing it imperfectly counts.

Because when you come back into the present moment (even briefly), you cross back over that tipping point. You move out of survival and back into choice.

And from there, you can take the next right step. Not all the steps…just the next one.

That’s how we regain our footing from chaos.

That’s how we protect our energy. And that’s how we’re able to care for ourselves (and the world), without burning ourselves out.

You don’t need more information. You need more presence.

And you’re allowed to start small.

The post How To Reclaim Your Focus In A Chaotic World appeared first on Star Hansen.