When we’re constantly surrounded by excess (whether it’s physical stuff, mental chatter, or packed schedules), we lose touch with what truly brings us joy and meaning. Decluttering helps us reconnect with our authentic selves and live more intentionally.
Before we dive into the specific areas to declutter, let me share something that completely changed my perspective: decluttering isn’t really about having a Pinterest-perfect home or becoming a minimalist guru. It’s about creating space for the physical, mental, and emotional things that actually matter to you.
So let’s jump into areas you can start decluttering today!
1. Physical Clutter: Your Space Affects Your Mind More Than You Think
Let’s start with the obvious one, all that stuff scattered around your house! But here’s why this matters more than you might realize.
Decluttering your environment is often the first step toward crafting a lighter, more meaningful life.
The true cost of our excess physical stuff goes well beyond the money we already spent on it. Studies show we are wired to have a stress response around clutter, especially if we are the ones tasked with maintaining it. This leads to overwhelm, distraction, and higher cortisol levels. Our physical and mental health is far from optimized in a cluttered environment.
Start small today: Pick one drawer, one shelf, or one corner of a room. Ask yourself: “Do I use this? Do I love this? Does this add value to my life?” If the answer is no, let it go. You’ll be amazed at how much lighter you feel after just 15 minutes of focused decluttering!
2. Worry: The Mental Clutter That Steals Your Peace
Playing out worst-case scenarios in our mind exacerbates fears, paralyzes action, reduces creativity and stunts problem solving. While rationally accessing a situation is prudent, ruminating is counterproductive.
I get it, worrying sometimes feels productive, like we’re somehow preparing for bad things by thinking about them constantly. But the truth is, worry just weighs us down without actually solving anything.
Try this today: When you catch yourself spiraling into worry, pause and ask yourself: “Is this worry helping me solve a problem, or is it just making me feel worse?” If it’s the latter, consciously redirect your thoughts to something you can actually control.
3. Digital Distraction:
Let’s talk about those little rectangles we carry everywhere that are secretly running our lives.
We’re living in the most highly distracted era in human history, and it’s largely thanks to our smartphones. These devices are literally designed to be addictive, there are teams of neuroscientists working to make them as compelling as possible. And honestly? Many of our brains are completely hooked.
The solution isn’t to throw your phone away but to fight back against digital distraction by disconnecting regularly.
Try these strategies:
– Designate one day a week to be completely phone-free (or use it only for emergencies)
– Turn off all non-essential notifications
– Keep your phone out of sight but within earshot for important calls
– Create phone-free zones in your home (like the bedroom or dining table)
4. The Hustle Culture
Can we talk about how exhausting it is to live in a culture that glorifies being busy all the time?
We weren’t designed to live lives of constant motion, yet our society promotes what I call “hyperliving” – doing more and doing it faster. But here’s what I’ve noticed: when we’re constantly moving and pursuing what’s next, we completely miss the beauty and meaning of what’s happening right now.
This might look like constant errand running, obsessive house cleaning, non-stop working, or feeling like you have to fill up every single space in your schedule. But here’s the thing, we don’t actually have to live this way!
When we’re always in motion, we lose the ability to reflect, process, and find meaning in our experiences. We become human doings instead of human beings.
5. Escapism Behaviors
This one might sting a little, but stick with me because it’s so important.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or just generally “off,” what do you automatically reach for? A long social media scroll session? A Netflix binge? Some retail therapy? Maybe overindulging in food or drinks?
We all have our go-to escape methods, and while there’s nothing wrong with occasional relaxation or entertainment, problems arise when these behaviors become our default way of dealing with uncomfortable emotions or unmet needs.
Often, when our own needs get pushed to the wayside, either because we don’t make time to meet them or we’re completely out of touch with what they even are – we end up turning to these escapism behaviors as a substitute.
Here’s what I’ve found helpful: Practicing a real day of rest each week (some people call it a sabbath, others just call it a “do nothing day”) can completely counteract this pattern. A true day off gives you space to notice how you’re distracting yourself and provides the time needed to build healthier habits.
Life becomes significantly lighter when you take time to meet your actual needs in productive ways instead of just numbing out or escaping from them.
Your Lighter Life Can Start Today
Living lighter isn’t about perfection or completely overhauling your entire existence overnight. It’s about making small, intentional choices to clear out the things that are weighing you down so you have more space for what truly matters.
You don’t have to tackle all five of these areas at once (that would actually add stress, which defeats the purpose!). Pick the one that resonates most with you right now and start there.
