You know that low-grade shame storm that hits every time you look at the piles, the laundry baskets, the boxes you never unpacked?

In this episode, I sit down with certified professional organizer and “clutter whisperer” Star Hansen to completely flip the script on what your mess actually means. Instead of treating clutter as proof you’re lazy, scattered, or “bad at adulting,” Star shows us how it can be evidence of your genius, your sensitivity, and your nervous system trying to keep you safe.

We talk about how clutter impacts women in the “next phase” of life—especially ADHD and neurodivergent moms who are already living in a constant state of overstimulation—and why the answer is not shaming yourself into a color-coded pantry.

Instead, Star walks us through how to see your home as a mirror of who you’re becoming, how to create systems that actually work for your brain, and why sometimes the first step in getting organized is… taking a nap, eating an apple, or turning vacuuming into a disco dance party.

If you’ve been feeling the pull to “grow up” your home in your 40s without losing your personality or your fun, this one’s for you.

In this episode, we talk about:

• 🧠 What your clutter is doing for you
  How piles, overpacked closets, and paper stacks can actually be meeting deep needs like safety, security, identity, and connection.
• 🌶️ ADHD, neurodivergence & organizing “rules”
  Why 70% of organizing advice was not written for your brain—and how to stop making yourself wrong when traditional systems don’t work.
• 🌬️ Clutter, nervous systems & energy
  How your stuff can both overstimulate you and help your body feel safe—and why your nervous system has to feel secure before real decluttering can stick.
• 🧺 Real-life examples: the bedroom, laundry piles & that empty wall above your bed
  Star coaches me through turning my “catchall” bedroom into a haven—and how something as simple as hanging art can shift your energy.
• 🍽️ The kitchen as the heart of the home
  Why having less in your kitchen can feel like a breath of fresh air, and how to decide what actually deserves to live there.
• 🎨 Kids’ artwork, memorabilia & letting things go without guilt
  How to handle the endless stream of art, what to keep for them vs. for you, and how to include your kids in the process so it feels empowering, not violating.
• 🎉 Embodiment over decluttering
  Why Star says she’s “not in the business of decluttering, but in the business of embodiment”—and how to let your home reflect the version of you you’re growing into in this next phase.

Connect with Star

• 📖 Grab Star’s free book Why the F Am I Still Not Organized? and explore her organizing community: starhansen.com/podcast
• 📸 Find her on social @star.hansen for more clutter + energy wisdom.

🎉 Join the Perimenopause Party (It’s Free!)

Got clutter? Unpaid bills? Stuff that's been sitting on your to-do list for YEARS?
Come to my free Perimenopause Party — the monthly “get-your-life-together” hangout for millennial women entering their next phase.

👉 Get the Zoom link + all the details: stacey-hutson.com/periparty

✨ Free Guide for Your Next Phase

Download my Cycle-Syncing Food, Fitness & Energy Guide to support your hormones and energy all month long.