Dubai’s Decluttering Queen Launches Home-Improvement Book to Help You Organise Your Life

“Can You Find it in 5 Seconds?” is written by entrepreneur Shelina Jokhiya, founder of DeCluttr Me

If the new year has got you taking stock of your stuff or wondering how to get organised without spending more money, then “Can You Find it in Five Seconds?” is the self-help book for you. Written by entrepreneur Shelina Jokhiya (think the UAE’s answer to Marie Kondo!), the non-fiction work centres around the topic of decluttering and organising.

After Shelina launched DeCluttr Me in 2013, the region’s first licensed, professional organising service for homes and offices, she began broadcasting the DeCluttr Me podcast, now one of the top 20% of podcasts worldwide. Based on individual episodes from the podcast, her new book promises to help anyone streamline their belongings without feeling overwhelmed, and build the habits they need to stay organised for the long term.

Shelina’s simple and effective approach starts by looking at the different types of clutter and how to deal with them, then guides you through easy-to-implement strategies for bringing them under control. And don’t assume clutter is necessarily physical; even the digital disorder of constant notifications, app overload and overflowing email inboxes get taken care of.

According to Shelina, the “Can you Find it in Five Seconds?” method is not only about transforming your space, but also your mental health: “A build-up of clutter and possessions can become significant sources of stress, which is one of the main reasons I set up DeCluttr Me – to enable people to live more relaxed, motivated, and productive lives. When I’m working with clients, my focus is on whether they can find anything in their house in five seconds. If not, then they need help.

“For me, organisation comes naturally. I was constantly creating systems for the things around me as a child, including my cassette tapes, CDs, DVDs and a huge collection of Madonna memorabilia. But I soon realised that not everyone feels the same way. This book is for people who have felt frustrated and overwhelmed by the clutter in their homes, especially during the pandemic when we were confronted by it day and night. They might have tried various complicated methods to solve the problem and failed. It’s about going back to basics, giving them the knowledge and the confidence to clean up their clutter for good.”