Organization is a powerful yet underrated tool for improving one’s mental health, which is why Katy Annulli, professional organizer and founder of KMA Organizing, helps clients devise systems that bring ease to their lives. She admits, “I wasn’t always the embodiment of organization myself. My first career was filled with stress and unpredictability. Organizing spaces became my refuge—a way to find control and calm amidst the chaos.” Over the past eight years, she has been organizing physical and digital spaces, as well as businesses. She knows how orderliness translates into a focused and serene mind. 

Believing that organization involves learning certain skills, Annulli teaches these skills while working with her clients in their spaces. Meaningful conversations and active listening form the backbone of her approach, as she focuses on individuality and functionality. Each client lives and operates in their space differently, and organization may be defined differently from one person to another. “My joy comes from sharing these skills,” says Annulli, “and my effectiveness comes from understanding that getting organized is a unique and personal journey for each individual. I listen keenly to my client’s needs, crafting customized plans that bring order and tranquility to their spaces and minds.” 

Annulli enjoys working with busy people that feel overwhelmed with their daily responsibilities. She will help clients to identify and get started on a basic organization project or she can help with a large project, like reimagining the use or repurposing of a space. There may be a need to reorganize during a major transition, such as redesigning a kitchen or moving and downsizing into a smaller space. 

While professional organizing is most commonly associated with pristine pantries, customized closets, and file-folded laundry, KMA Organizing can also bring order to digital spaces. Digital organizing entails sorting, purging and grouping information stored on electronics. “If you are unable to locate files and links easily, if you consistently run out of storage space or your contact database is unmanageable,” says Annulli, “digital organization can help dramatically.” 

Along these same lines, KMA Organizing also serves small businesses in streamlining their work flow and improving customer outreach. Annulli’s degree in accounting and experience with community organizing gives her a pragmatic insight into solving business challenges. She states, “Whether it’s a crowded desktop, a fear of QuickBooks or the implementation of a new software program, we can introduce strategies, tools and systems to help you work more efficiently and more effectively, so you can focus on the things that matter.” 

The KMA Organizing website is loaded with valuable information. The blog section covers topics such as “Declutter Your Bedroom for Better Sleep and Energy Flow” and shares many client stories such as “Finding Peace After Loss.” There is also a series of free guides, including the Free Holiday Organizing Guide, which was written to help relieve stress during perhaps the busiest and most overwhelming time of year. “As a professional organizer,” says Annulli, “I believe that clearing physical space helps clear mental space, allowing you to be more present and focused on what truly matters—enjoying the holidays with your loved ones.” The holiday guide covers everything from meal planning, stress-free gift giving and decorating with ease to self-care strategies and budgeting for the season. 

KMA Organizing also offers live webinars. The next one, “Letting Go,” occurs at 7 p.m. on December 10, 2024. Participants will discover the power of non-attachment and learn to understand attachment through the lens of Buddhism. Annulli will impart practical strategies for letting go of sentimental items, discuss the psychological benefits of decluttering and organization and show how support systems can help during the letting-go process.

Annulli’s compassion is evident in everything she does. She understands the vulnerable feeling of having a stranger come in to assess one’s personal space, and her approach is open, reassuring and nonjudgmental. She shows how organization is a valuable tool that can help one calm the mind, gain control over the surrounding environment and be more prepared for the unpredictable situations that arise.