Decluttering may not be a pretty word, but it is one of my favorites! I love everything about it, most of all the idea that it represents clearing possible roadblocks to the success of our day and ultimately our lives.  I honestly don’t believe that is an exaggeration. To me clutter can be everything from thoughts to things from the past. Basically anything that I no longer find valuable and are sucking my precious energy. This is a big deal when it comes to mindfulness. 

For this specific 7 day challenge we will be focusing on physical clutter. Getting rid of excess is oddly satisfying and surprisingly addicting. 

It is way too easy to wake up one day and find ourselves surrounded by stuff. This can be detrimental in many ways. Perhaps the biggest blow is to our ability to focus. When we are overwhelmed with cluttered spaces it becomes increasingly difficult to be mindful, to remain in the present moment. 

Our brain automatically jumps from thing to thing, switching attention without ever settling, even on a subconscious level if we are trying to focus on something, but we have a pile of junk staring at us from the corner, our attention is divided and compromised. 

Think for a moment about a specific space in your home that is currently driving you crazy with clutter. Now, picture that same space cleared out, you can only see the things that are necessary or bring you joy. How calm you would feel? How focused would you be? 

This type of clarity is possible. Starting small, with time blocks and one space at a time, you can find that peace which comes from decluttering your physical space. 

Action Steps

1. Pick one room or section of a room that is bugging you, this is where you will start. 

2. Grab an empty box or bin and a trash bag. 

3. Set a timer for 20 min. 

4. Get to work: Put anything that you don’t use, doesn’t add value to your life in some way or that is simply just taking up space into the box to donate. 

5. At the end of the 20 minutes, go through the box and put anything that is broken or not usable into the trash bag.  Get it out of the house as soon as possible. Donate and or throw away, don’t keep it hanging around. 

Helpful Resources

I could literally read and talk about decluttering all day long(is that weird?) That being said, there are so many amazing resources out there about this subject and it can get a bit overwhelming. The goal is to simplify, so here are a few of my favorite articles on decluttering just to get you going!

 bemorewithless.com

simpleonpurpose.ca 

simplelionheartlife.com 

settingmyintention.com