13 Ways To Spring-Clean Your Space- And Mind

Practicing mindfulness to conquer clutter will not only give you a tidy, well-ordered space, but it will also help lower your stress levels and enhance your mental health.

- Stacy Baker Masand

WHEN THERE’S A MAGIC CIRCLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR OR A MEDLEY OF BANDS STRUNG ACROSS THE REFORMER AT GOLD LINE PILATES IN PASADENA, CA, “I AM THE LIKELY CULPRIT!” laughs founder and CEO Melissa Woolf. “My mother's nickname for me is ‘Messy Missy.’ I always joke that nobody is allowed to call me Missy. But Messy? I won’t be offended by that!” Even though she knows she’s not a natural organizer, “I rarely admit it out loud because there’s a stigma that the opposite of organized is dirty, lazy, inefficient or scattered.

Even so, I totally get that many of my colleagues and clients like to be more organized. And it is always my goal to make my studio a safe and comfortable place for everyone.” So six months ago, she reached out to Abbey Claire, a professional organizer in Pasadena.

Organization is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. The end goal is not a spotless studio; it’s a setup that enhances the space’s usefulness and tranquility as well as the contentment of its users. “I started by asking Melissa her goals for the space,” says Claire. “Flow and energy were her priorities, rather than having things perfectly ‘ordered' and labeled,” Claire says. “We decided on a plan of action, and ended up by sorting items by usefulness and relevance.”

“Abbey was the perfect match for me and my studio,” says Woolf. “She realized that I'm not a hospital corners kind of person, but I did have ideas about the flow of the studio. She is a Pilates practitioner, so she had a leg up in understanding how the studio should be arranged from a practical and aesthetic standpoint. She put together flexible but functional systems that even ‘Messy Missy’ can adhere to.