Springtime always seems synonymous with renewal, a natural urge to declutter your life as the leaves turn green and the flowers bloom to life.
While there are lots of tips + tricks on how to organize your calendar or your closet, that’s just a tiny part of what this blog post is about. My goal is to help you clear out the excess – both physically and mentally – so you can create more space for the things you truly desire and cultivate a more blissful life. Keep reading below to learn my top tips to help you declutter your life, both inside and out.
So what is clutter?
Think of clutter as more than just physical stuff. It’s also the emotional baggage, mental worries, and digital overload that weigh you down. Our digital world throws clutter at us constantly. Social media feeds overflow with distractions, ads bombard us with “must-have” items and online drama can be draining. It’s no wonder we feel overwhelmed!
When you think of or see clutter, what feelings does it evoke?
Let’s face it, clutter can be a real downer. It can leave you feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, ashamed, anxious, or guilty. And when you’re stuck in that emotional quicksand, it’s hard to make any progress on anything. You might just want to hide and hope the clutter disappears on its own. But until you deal with it, those big goals and dreams will have to wait on the back burner.
What are the benefits of decluttering your life?
Decluttering your life can be a game-changer! Say goodbye to stress and anxiety – a calmer mind means you can focus better, without jumping from one task to another. Plus, you’ll be more productive and efficient, freeing up time and boosting your creativity. Sounds pretty awesome, doesn’t it?
So how can you begin to declutter your life + your mind?
1. Let’s start with doing a brain dump of everything on your mind.
Do a brain dump! Write down everything that’s swirling around in your head: things you want to do, things you “need” to do, things you feel you “should” be doing, even things you wish you were (or weren’t) doing. Write down relationships that lift you up and ones that bring you down. What areas of life make you feel overwhelmed? Don’t hold back! Our brains are constantly thinking (over 6,000 thoughts a day!), so it’s no wonder things get jumbled. Getting it all on paper can clear your head and help you see things more clearly.
2. Let’s filter through all those thoughts.
Can you be a compassionate observer of all of your thoughts? Go through that brain dump and ask yourself for each item you referenced:
- Does this support me?
- Would I choose it on purpose?
- Does this belong in my future?
3. What things can dump?
Ex – Do you really need to be active on ALL social media platforms or can you just focus on the one that brings you the most joy? Is that one friend who constantly is a Debbie Downer someone who will prove to be beneficial in supporting your life goals? Do you really need 5 pairs of jeans or could you downsize your wardrobe?
4. What things can you keep that serve your life + your goals?
Okay, so you’ve done a brain dump and identified things that might not be the best fit for your life. Now, let’s focus on the positive! What truly matters to you? What activities or relationships bring you joy, peace, love, fun, or a sense of comfort? These are the things we want to keep and nurture in your life. Think about how you want to feel overall – happy, relaxed, loved – and identify the things that bring those positive emotions to you.
5. Now let’s create a plan.
As the wise Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once wrote, “A goal without a plan is just a wish”. Create a list of 100 things that are cluttering your mind + your life that you will either remove, repair, or resolve. Keep this list close to you and whenever you feel the urge to engage in unproductive activities, pull out this list + commit to doing 1 or 2 of the undone things in your life.
6. Finally, Be mindful of how much you are consuming vs. creating.
Clutter is just excess consumption + postponed decisions. Do check-ins with yourself from time to time and see what the ratio is for your consumption vs. creating. If you are leaning heavily on the consumption side, pull your list of 100 things out and knock a few things off instead.
Want a jumpstart on decluttering your life? Click on the image below to check out this FREE Workbook I created on How to Declutter your Life.
Or if you would prefer a more personalized approach to decluttering your life so you can live with more intention + less stress, sign up for a FREE phone consultation with me, your personal certified life + empowerment coach, and we will chat more about how 1:1 coaching will help you create a unique game plan to help you declutter your life so you can have less stress and more joy!
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