In this exclusive interview, we delve into the transformative power of decluttering with Isabel Varela, a sustainable environmental activist, life coach, and zero-waste designer. For Isabel, decluttering wasn’t just about tidying up her physical space; it became a catalyst for personal growth and positive change. We explore her journey from battling a shopping addiction to founding “Repurpose Your Life,” a holistic lifestyle company dedicated to helping women declutter and transform their lives.
How Isabel is giving back to women and the Earth — And the October 14th launch party
Isabel’s story is one of self-discovery, empowerment, and environmental consciousness. She shares how decluttering revamped her closet and rewired her mindset, leading to a more mindful and eco-friendly lifestyle. Through her work, she now guides others in their decluttering journeys, offering tools for finding balance and purpose.
In this interview, Isabel also provides valuable insights into the connection between decluttering and mindset. She explains how a cluttered space can lead to stress, anxiety, and procrastination. Decluttering isn’t just about cleaning closets but also clearing minds. Isabel’s approach to decluttering extends beyond the physical realm, offering a holistic path to personal transformation.
Moreover, Isabel announces an exciting event, the “Repurpose Your Life” (RYL) launch party, set for October 14, 2023 in New York City. This event promises to be a hub of inspiration, featuring engaging discussions, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities. Attendees can look forward to exploring different ways to repurpose their lives and make positive changes, from personal growth to sustainable living.
The launch party will also showcase Isabel’s commitment to sustainability, with a swap shop for clothing donations, local vendors promoting healthy living, and a special sound journey experience. Attendees can even participate in a raffle with enticing prizes, including virtual closet decluttering sessions and enrollment in the Repurpose Your Life Method course.
Speaking of the course, Isabel introduces the “Repurpose Your Life Method,” a three-month coaching journey tailored for ambitious female entrepreneurs. This course aims to empower individuals to break free from the constraints of traditional careers and establish sustainable closet organizational businesses while achieving holistic balance.
Isabel Varela’s journey from addiction to empowerment is a testament to the power of decluttering, and her mission to help others transform their lives is an inspiring call to action. Join us in this enlightening conversation with Isabel Varela as we explore how decluttering can be the first step towards living a more balanced, purposeful, and sustainable life.
Q&A with Isabel Varela
How has decluttering changed your life?
I was recovering from my shopping addiction when I first discovered decluttering. It was the most effective practice when it came to admitting I had a problem that needed resolution.
Although I’d been going to therapy for almost two years at the time, I still refused to admit that I was addicted to over-shopping. Despite my denial, I felt overwhelmed every time I passed by my closet. Sometimes, I’d go out and buy something new rather than confront my messy closet; at one point, my closet bar snapped in half from the tremendous weight of clothes I didn’t remember buying and untouched pieces that still had tags on them.
I felt guilty and shameful—but with my best friend’s help, I eventually decluttered my closet and simultaneously admitted I had an addiction problem. 2018 was a pivotal year for decluttering for me because although I’d developed a habit for clearing out my closet at least once a year by then, I still had trouble letting go of my clothes. That’s how my award-winning documentary was born: it was a way to help others understand they weren’t alone in their over-shopping struggles.
Decluttering remains the foundation and core of Repurpose Your Life, my holistic lifestyle company that helps people declutter and transform mind, body, and closet. RYL helps women declutter their closets both virtually and in-person while also teaching them how to be more mindful and eco-friendly shoppers and declutterers.
What can decluttering do to help someone’s mindset in life?
Decluttering provided me with a new perspective on physical space and how it’s always a representation of our inner world.
I recently taught a class on getting rid of things that are no longer vibing with you, sharing how decluttering affects mood, creative flow, attitude, and how you move through life. If you’ve been ignoring your cluttered closet for over a year, listen closely. Every time you go near your closet, your body will enter a state of stress, which fuels anxiety, insomnia, and/or irritability. Pay attention to that.
Clutter doesn’t just live in your closet; it lives in your mind. Be brave and ask yourself this question: if you’re procrastinating on cleaning your closet, what else are you procrastinating on in life?
Decluttering gives you the space to clear your mind, opening it up for creativity, abundance, and boosted energy. It can even help you achieve closure to past memories and let go of the parts of the past that don’t serve your present.
How can your new organization improve the lives of those you collaborate with?
Repurpose Your Life offers virtual and/or in-person sessions, and for your convenience, we’re 100 percent in charge of removing the items you wish to discard and ensuring they go to a location where they’ll be utilized (for example, we’ve partnered with several nonprofit waste management organizations in NYC to ensure all donated clothes find a home).
Overall, the RYL team guides clients on living a more balanced life, offering tools and methods that show you how to be more sustainable in your everyday life. We do styling sessions, where we show clients how to style their existing wardrobe and provide tools and methods for living as eco-friendly as possible. All of our clients have experienced huge relief from our services. They also feel quickly empowered to begin implementing positive change in their lives. Repurpose Your Life is like a holistic doctor who helps you get to the root of your issues, collaborating with you to resolve them so you can begin living your most aligned life.
Attend the Repurpose Your Life launch party to start decluttering your life
The Repurpose Your Life launch party is set for October 14, 2023, in New York City. “The transformative event will explore different ways to repurpose our lives and make positive changes. Whether you’re seeking a new career, personal growth, or simple inspiration, this launch party is for you,” explains founder Isabel.
Event-goers can look forward to captivating discussions, immersive workshops, and lots of networking. Guest speakers will share stories, insights, and practical strategies to unlock fulfillment and purpose. Also, a distinguished guest from Miami will lead the transformative Sahd Simone’s Somatic Activated healing method.
“I’ll be leading a sound journey: a soothing and calming experience to help regulate your nervous system and ground you amidst the bustle of New York City,” says Isabel Varela. “The event will also have a swap shop, where community members can bring their clothes to donate.”
There will be a range of local vendors, offering everything from wholesome cuisine to rejuvenating massage therapy. Attendees will also have the chance to network, with an emphasis on holistic well-being, sustainability, music, and art. There’s even a raffle, open to both online and in-person attendees. Prizes include a two-hour virtual closet decluttering session, a complimentary enrollment in the Repurpose Your Life Method course (valued at $2,000), and a 50 percent discount off the course.
“The Repurpose Your Life Method course is a three-month coaching journey for ambitious female entrepreneurs,” says Isabel. “The course will help you elevate your entrepreneurial journey and break free from the shackles of 9-5 with confidence. Students will acquire essential tools for establishing a sustainable closet organizational business, achieving financial freedom, and finding a place for regular holistic balance in the mind and body.”
Find out more about Isabel Varela in this recent guest post
More about Repurpose Your Life LLC
Repurpose Your Life LLC is a women-centric holistic lifestyle company that teaches women how to transform their minds, bodies, and closets through the simple yet powerful act of decluttering. Headed by Isabel Varela, the company shares insights on becoming a mindful shopper, learning to live sustainably in a wasteful era, and how to declutter and discard unwanted clothing without harming the environment.
Upon course completion, students will walk away with the tools they need to build a sustainably decluttering business, gain financial independence and freedom, and access a network of over 2,000 global sustainable professionals. Repurpose Your Life LLC has partnered with the likes of HELPSY, donateNYC, and the NYC Fair Trade Coalition and has been featured in Reuters, CNN, Vogue, and more.
Top photo: Meet Isabel Varela, founder of Repurpose Your Life. Photo used with Isabel’s permission.
Over the years we have gotten rid of a lot of what was accumulated through the years. Downsizing forced us to do even more. It is easier to keep things clean if there are fewer possessions.
I’m married to a hoarder and clutter seems to be his comfort zone. Luckily, it is contained in his office and workshop and I can keep the rest of the house in order. For one to embrace decluttering, the first step is the hardest, admitting there is a problem, and some can never seem to take that step.
Dorothy, I’m glad it’s at least contained to certain areas of the home so you can keep on top of the rest of the home xx You’re right that admitting the addiction is the hardest – Watching the TV show Hoarders, I saw that! I am not a hoarder but I do need to go through my closet and remove clothes I no longer wear. The sentimental value attached to items is my downfall. Isabel definitely will help lots of women.
Yes, she will!