Minimalism

HOW TO STAY CALM IN A CHAOTIC WORLD

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Modern life can easily pull us into urgency, comparison, distraction, and overstimulation. We must be intentional about living in a place of peace or calmness. Many people mistake calmness for weakness or passivity, but the truth is, calmness is emotional steadiness in the middle of uncertainty – which is anything but weak and passive. Calm people are not people without problems, they are people who have learned to respond rather than react. They believe the truth that they are the author of their reactions. Nothing outside of them has power unless they grant that power.

Calmness is a skill, not a personality trait. I can assure you because this is true from my own experience. I am not someone who is naturally calm, as I have dealt with anxiety most of my life. I have had to practice emotional regulation. Calmness is trained through repetition. Some people are naturally calm, and so this comes easier, but I think everyone to a certain degree has to learn emotional regulation. Staying calm does not mean ignoring our feelings. Emotional regulation involves acknowledging emotions, but not allowing those emotions to drive our behavior. A simple and practical way to implement this is to learn the art of pausing before you respond to something that is triggering. One moment of pause can completely change the outcome of a circumstance for you. Calmness often begins with slowing down our reactions.

There are several reasons why we may struggle to stay calm. The first reason being a need for control. This is probably the most common reason, and definitely the one I resonate with. It is easy to feel panic when life doesn’t match our expectations. That is why it is important to practice accepting uncertainty in life. Calmness can grow when we accept that life is unpredictable. Another reason we may struggle to remain calm is because of overconsumption. Too much noise, media, opinions, and stimulation can really trigger that feeling of overwhelm or being out of control. Our nervous system wasn’t designed to handle so much input. It is so easy these days with the internet and social media to get overstimulated. We must be intentional with our time. We must guard our time as though it is our most finite resource. It is the one thing you cannot get back. Recently I have been adding more things to my morning routine to focus on things that are beneficial and promote self growth to avoid just jumping on my phone first thing in the morning. I have been reading my Bible and praying first thing in the morning for many years, but last fall I added taking a morning walk with no headphones/input, and recently also added journaling. I don’t look at my phone until I have been awake for a couple of hours.

Another reason we may struggle to stay calm is because of internal pressure. We may put expectations on ourselves that we don’t even need. It could be because of a struggle with perfectionism and therefore having standards that are too high, it could be a fear of failure, or a feeling of falling behind in life compared to our peers. We must self reflect and evaluate if any of these things are serving us, or just causing us undue stress and anxiety, and then move forward being aware of the reality and what are the next best steps to take towards the life we want. Lastly, we may struggle to stay calm because of unhealed emotional patterns. Past experiences can make present situations feel bigger than they are. We must work through our emotions – whether that is through journaling, praying, talking to a friend or mentor, or seeking professional help.

There is a cost if we continually live in reactivity instead of responsiveness. Many people who do not learn the skill of emotional regulation end up living in a constant state of emotional exhaustion. They are constantly living on edge and allow notifications to control their lives. They feel burnt out from mental overstimulation. In addition to this, living in a state of reactivity can lead to poor decision making. Fear creates impulsive choices instead of thinking through the decision and weighing pros and cons. For someone who lives in a reactive state, anxiety narrows their perspective, making it difficult for them to make logical decisions. And, these individuals often struggle with anger because they feel so out of control. When we make decisions in anger, they are often not decisions informed by wisdom but instead by impulse. Lastly, not living in a calm state typically leads to loss of being present in the moment. Someone who lives in a reactive state misses the moment they are in because their mind is elsewhere. They are constantly anticipating the next thing – the next crisis, the next terrible thing, which steals their current peace. Calmness on the other hand allows us to actually experience life.

There are some practical ways you can cultivate calmness. First is probably obvious: slow down physically. Breathe deeper, walk slower, and stop always multi-tasking. You can also be intentional to protect your mental space. Reduce unnecessary noise and information. Set boundaries for yourself with your phone or screentime. Create intentional moments of quietness, like taking a walk with no headphones. Create daily grounding habits that will organically help you with these boundaries, like morning routines with journaling, prayer or mediation, and exercise or movement. Another practical way you can practice calmness is to learn to sit with discomfort. Choose voluntary difficulty. We were made for excellence not for ease. Calmness comes when you learn that not every uncomfortable feeling is an emergency and you can survive difficult things. The more you do difficult things, the easier those things become. And as I frequently say on these Thoughtful Thursday messages, focus on what YOU can control! Your effort, your mindset, your response. When you begin to focus on what is in your control instead of what you can’t control you feel empowered which leads to the feeling of calmness.

We must learn to accept that life will always be uncertain. Calmness doesn’t come from perfect circumstances, but instead from trust in ourselves. We must trust that we have the ability to adapt in all circumstances. We must trust that we have the ability to do hard things, and that those hard moments will pass. That is what life is all about. The quicker you accept that, the easier it will be to feel that calm state. Marcus Aurelius, a famous stoic said, “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

This is the YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this blog post.

4 TIPS TO DECLUTTER SENTIMENTAL ITEMS

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For today’s Thoughtful Thursday post I wanted to share about how difficult it is to declutter sentimental items. On my YouTube channel I shared the process of cleaning out our attic space and decluttering sentimental items and last week I shared a video of my daughter and I decluttering her sentimental items. It was tough. I wanted to share with you some tips before you start decluttering sentimental items.

Tip number one is don’t start with decluttering sentimental items. This should be one of the last categories of items you tackle when you are on a decluttering journey. I have been on a decluttering journey for several years, so I have truly built up my decluttering muscles before tackling this big project. Decluttering is a skill that is built over time and with practice. It does get easier over time to make decisions about what you want to keep and what you want to declutter. Saving sentimental items for last just makes sense because it is the most difficult thing to declutter.

The next tip I have is don’t rush. I ended up doing this project over the course of a few weeks. I can assure you since I just finished this project that going through your sentimental items is very emotionally and even mentally taxing. It takes a lot of time and energy to make decluttering decisions with regards to our sentimental items. Give yourself the time you need to not rush the decisions. Also, prepare to make multiple passes through your sentimental items. It is good to make multiple passes through all of our possessions, which is why you see an end of the month declutter with me video on my YouTube channel every month and I’ve been doing that series on my channel for years. But it is especially important when it comes to sentimental items. I will certainly make more passes through my sentimental items before we end up moving away from our current home and downsizing.

Another tip I wanted to share is to have a friend or family member help you talk through your sentimental items. It can be really helpful to talk through why you want to keep certain items. Having someone there with you in the process can give you an outside perspective and help you to balance the emotions with a more objective viewpoint. And honestly, sometimes it just helps to talk through things out loud.

The final tip I wanted to share is don’t get “lost in the weeds” so to speak. It can be easy to overthink things when trying to declutter sentimental items. Stay focused on one category at a time. Often our initial gut instinct on whether to keep or get rid of a sentimental item is the right one. It can be easy to go back and forth with this category of items because of that emotional component. Try your best to stay on task and not overthink each decision. I don’t mean to be morbid, but at the end of the day, what is important to you will likely not be as important to the next generations and none of us can take our stuff with us when we go!

Here is the YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this blog post.

GROWTH REQUIRES LETTING GO

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We often think about growth as adding more to our lives – more habits, more effort, more discipline. But real transformation often comes with letting go. Letting go of old identities, routines, expectations, and even successful habits that no longer fit who we are working to become. Not all discipline is about pushing forward, some is about releasing what no longer works for us. This is not an easy thing.

I saw this Mel Robbins post recently that said: Your closet is not just clothes. It is a map of your past selves. Most closets are filled with clothes that no longer fit, from old chapters of your life, and clothes you bought for a version of you that never arrived. This is why getting dressed feels emotional. You are not just choosing an outfit, you are confronting old identities. Your closet should support who you are now and who you are becoming. I loved this example, but it is also just a general great analogy for life. We must evaluate what we are doing, and if those behaviors, routines, habits still fit into what our goals are for our lives.

Letting go can feel hard. I have talked a lot about decluttering in my blog posts, and I have decluttered a LOT of stuff, sharing on my YouTube channel along the way. It can be hard to declutter physical possessions, but it is also hard to let go of old identities and old ways of thinking. It is easy to become attached to a certain identity, proclaiming: this is who I am. But we don’t have to accept that, we can work to change to become who we want to become, to become a better version of ourselves. But I recognize this isn’t easy. When we think of letting go, it can be scary. There is the fear of uncertainty and the “what if’s” creep in. It is scary to think of starting over. It is also difficult to let go of old ways of doing things that used to work for us, but no longer do. We resist the change just because it used to work, and even if we see signs that it is no longer working, we want to hold on. Exercise is a perfect example. When I was younger I loved running and used running as a way to stay fit. This worked for me for a long time, but now that I am in perimenopause my body responds differently. Intense workouts like that can spike cortisol, and when your body no longer produces estrogen or doesn’t produce as much, it can’t regulate the cortisol like it used to. Often this leads to belly fat which is so common for women in mid life. Now I do something different to help stay fit, I lift weights instead and keep my heart rate moderate for aerobic exercises. The comfort of the familiar can keep us stuck in a habit, routine, or lifestyle that is no longer serving us. Growth is uncomfortable, and it takes grit to be willing to feel that discomfort for growth to happen. 

If we begin to feel like something is no longer working for us – whether that is a habit, routine, job, or relationship – we must evaluate why we feel that way. There are signs that you have outgrown something. One sign is that you will feel resistance toward things you used to enjoy. If something is no longer serving you, often you will feel that “meh” feeling about it. Another sign is that your progress stalls despite continued effort. If you see no forward movement, there is a chance you need to make a change. You might begin to see that you operate on autopilot rather than with intention. Once you see that you are going through the motions and not present in the moment, it might be a sign that it is no longer working for you. Lastly, you may just feel a misalignment, even if everything looks right from the outside. Your life may be good and fine, but there is a gut feeling that can happen when you aren’t aligning with what you are meant to do and be.

So, what does this look like practically? Start with an audit: what feels heavy, forced, or outdated in your life? Acknowledge what it did for you. Maybe you learned from that experience, relationship, or habit. Maybe it helped you to grow and change for the season it was working. Honor what it gave to you without clinging to it, then release it. Make a clear decision to move on. Don’t be lukewarm about it. What’s the saying: either poo or get off the pot. Then if you need to replace it with something new, implement the new, but recognize that some things don’t need to be replaced right away. Sometimes we need to sit in the empty space. Letting go does create space and capacity for the new. It makes space for creativity to flourish, for something to come in that is better aligned with who you are now or who you are trying to become. It creates space for new growth. You can’t receive what you don’t have room for. There is this idea of “intentional subtraction” which is just the practice of deliberately removing things from your life so you can create space for what actually matters. It’s the opposite of the usual mindset of “add more to improve.” Instead of coming up with more habits, goals, and commitments, you step back and ask: “What can I remove that’s getting in the way of clarity, energy, and alignment?” This isn’t about quitting something because it’s hard, but rather removing what is misaligned, outdated, or unnecessary even if it once served you

Growth isn’t just about becoming more, adding more habits and routines, it’s about becoming more true to yourself. Growth usually requires letting go. If you want space for the new, you must let go of the old. I really like the clothing analogy I referred to earlier. Or really just the idea of any physical space with boundaries. Our closet has a boundary, once it is full, there is no more space for new clothes – or new identities. We must let go of the old, to make room for the new.

Here is the YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this blog post.

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE EVERYTHING

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Lately I have been thinking about how I have the ability to change so much in my life. Yes, there are a lot of things that are not in my control, which I shared about in last week’s blog post, but there is also so much in my control. A couple weeks ago I decided to take my diet more seriously. Not that I ever ate a lot of processed foods or foods that contained refined sugar, but I definitely have a sweet tooth and would eat homemade desserts almost daily made with maple syrup. I also drink alcohol occasionally, and while I tried my best to get as much protein as possible, I didn’t really pay much attention to my calories or where the calories were coming from. I have decided to not drink any alcohol for a month (I’m currently 2 weeks in), and no to little sugar. If I do have dessert, I make a high protein dessert sweetened with monk fruit. And just in those two weeks, I am starting to see results in a shift in my body composition!

I share all this just to share one example of how we really do have control to make changes in our lives. I came across a couple of quotes that really spoke to me with regards to this topic and I wanted to share them with you. The first is a quote from Germany Kent, who is a journalist, author, actress, producer, and media personality. She said, “Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.” The other quote comes from Mark A. Cooper and it says, “Life has no remote. Get up and change it yourself.” Both of these quotes really encapsulate this idea of choosing your own path in life.

I get that there are some things out of our control. That is just part of life. But let’s focus on the things that ARE in our control. Over the past several years I have been working to incorporate new healthy habits into my daily routines. Now there are so many things that I do without even thinking about it. They are just non-negotiables for me now. Reading my Bible daily and praying, going to the gym regularly – I started lifting weights a year and a half ago and incorporated incline walking a few months ago, drinking plenty of water, doing some sort of evening reading, and getting at least 7 hours of sleep at night. But I am always looking for new things I can do with my time that are healthy in order to keep me from spending time on things that aren’t beneficial for me.

I just saw a Reel on Instagram from Mel Robins that really spoke to me. It was a clip from an interview she did with Dr. Tina Seelig, Neuroscientist and Stanford Professor. Mel asked her if someone is feeling unlucky in life, what is the first thing they should do this week? Dr. Seelig replied that they should do something to “stir the soup” or do something to add something new to your life. She said, we are all one decision away from a completely different life. This really spoke to me because it reminded me that we really do have so much autonomy in our lives. 

I know I have shared recently about how I’ve been feeling stuck here in Austin, bored with my day to day life, wanting to move on. But I realized that I can make changes in my life now. It might not be downsizing and moving across the country right now, but I can find things to enjoy here and now. I can find ways to “stir the soup” right where I am! One thing I have started doing is going to the farmer’s market on the weekend. I used to go to the farmer’s market regularly, but when my kids got a little older and involved in activities my Saturday mornings were taken up with kids sports, and so I got out of the habit of going. It has been a long time since I had Saturday responsibilities that keep me from going to the farmer’s market, so this is one enjoyable thing I have added to my life. I have also been doing more solo hiking recently. I didn’t do this in the past because I always thought, maybe this weekend I could go on a hike with my husband or kids. But, I am not going to wait around for others to want to do things with me. I am just going to do the thing! I am going to be on the lookout for other ways I can “stir the soup.” I would love for you to share with me any ideas you may be thinking of to stir the soup in your life!

Here is the YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this blog post.

GOOD ENOUGH IS GOOD ENOUGH

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Lately I have been thinking about the idea that sometimes good enough is good enough. I tend to have pretty high standards for myself and for me that can lead to burnout. For some people that can lead to giving up completely. I feel like I share about balance a lot on these Thoughtful Thursday posts and I guess it’s because I struggle with that, so I’m thinking about it a lot!

I have always kept a schedule to keep my house clean. Each day I have one or two weekly chores that I do. I also choose one room per week to deep clean and declutter. This has helped me to stay on track with keeping my whole house clean, but as a homemaker it has also given me structure, something that I crave. But the downside to this is that I can be very strict with myself and clean things even if it doesn’t make sense just because it’s “time to do it.” I feel like generally I’m not always efficient at what I am doing because I am too focused on doing it the “right” way. Whatever that means! It is some arbitrary, self-imposed way of doing things.

My friend Jessica, one of my YouTube friends who I went to Vegas with, is an inspiration to me in this area. We had a conversation about taking photos and videos while on a vacation or while doing something fun and I mentioned sometimes I’m really bad at taking photos and videos. She said she just snaps a bunch and usually some come out good. It got me thinking about how maybe even subconsciously I’m concerned about taking the “right” or “perfect” photo or video to share on social media and it prevents me from taking them.

Another conversation that recently happened that had me evaluating my behavior was with my husband. The other day I took a shower late in the day after my workout, and I put on athletic shorts primarily to be comfortable. When evening rolled around and I was getting ready for bed, I told him maybe I should just sleep in these athletic shorts because I was going to do a workout first thing in the morning anyway. I know this might seem SO silly to some people, but it just made me realize how I can be inefficient because of my arbitrary rules for myself like, “thou shalt wear pajamas to bed.” I just wondered how much time I wasted in my life doing stuff like that. Now, I get that it would not take long to change into pajamas that evening and then back into workout clothes the next morning, but it was just the principle of it that got me thinking.

This week my deep clean and declutter space was my kitchen nook, which is basically my office space. I have noticed ever since I painted the wainscoting, that area has not been as dusty as it once was. It used to be necessary for me to dust the wood paneling every few months. But I noticed this time that it really didn’t need it. SO, I decided I am just not going to do it! A while back in a video where I was washing down the walls in my game room, which is also wood paneling, I got a comment from one of my regular viewers, Jenny, suggesting that I just use a dry mop to get the dust off the walls instead of washing it down with soapy water. Her reasoning made sense – we are not smokers and we don’t have young children touching the walls. I had never thought to clean differently because this was always the way I cleaned these walls. But, good enough is good enough!

In a recent post, I shared how I have been tired of cleaning this house, or at least this large of house. And how I am ready to downsize so I have less to take care of. But I am realizing that I need to be more realistic about what actually needs to be cleaned and how often. Maybe I don’t need to keep the same schedule I kept when I had three young kids and two dogs running around my house! Maybe I am wasting some of my time with these arbitrary routines I set up for myself. I think routines can be helpful, especially for someone who likes structure, but it is good to revisit it from time to time.

This is the YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this blog post.

THE BUY/DECLUTTER CYCLE

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I recently heard an interview between Cass from the YouTube channel The Clutterbug and Peter Walsh, long time decluttering and minimalism guru. If you don’t know who he is, definitely check him out! He hosted a show called Clean Sweep which aired in the early 2000’s and he has a more recent show, Space Invaders. I wanted to share a few points that really resonated with me while listening to this podcast. The overarching theme for this podcast was the idea that we don’t have a decluttering problem as much as we have a consumerism problem. I have known this to be true for myself for a while now. I have done many no buy months over the past decade and did a no buy year in 2019 and then again in 2025. I have talked about the buy/declutter cycle before, so I am well aware of this truth that the problem is consumerism. It was a good reminder and Peter laid it out there and didn’t sugar coat anything, which I appreciated!

The other thought that came to me while I was listening to this podcast is that I feel like I’m not as disciplined as others perceive me to be. This thought came to me with regards to not having the discipline to stick with my shopping boundaries I set up for this year. I shared everything I have bought over the past 6 weeks over on my YouTube channel and I feel slightly embarrassed because I find it to be excessive! My goal was to not purchase more than 3 items of clothing each month, but in February I ended up purchasing 6 items, and 7 if we are going to count a baseball cap. And in March I also purchased 7 items! But I wanted to share because I never want to be inauthentic and come across as more disciplined than I actually am! I know that I tend to be hard on myself and those areas in which I’m disciplined I now view as just normal everyday habits. But I recognize why others see it as discipline. The point I wanted to make is that we all have our struggles, and I don’t want anyone to view me from a skewed perspective. I want to be real with what I share online and show that I’m not always disciplined in every area of my life! I will share some outfits I wore on my recent trip to Vegas, some of the items were items I purchased recently.

Something else that really hit me was when Peter quoted the Bible “thou shall not covet.” I feel like there are some sins that are just acceptable. At least culturally acceptable and this is one of them. When we want what other people have, that is coveting. Unfortunately that is just the influencer culture these days, which is so prevalent. It is an influencer’s goal to get you to covet what they have so that you purchase what they have and then they get a cut of the price you pay. To be honest that doesn’t sit fully well with me given I do have an audience. I want to be mindful of this as I promote brands. 

But with that said, Peter also suggested he didn’t think everyone should become monastic. This also resonated with me. I need to find a way to balance! He was not claiming everyone should quit buying things all together. We just must learn to be intentional with our purchases as it is so easy now to purchase things. We are constantly getting exposed to ads, and you can purchase things with just one click if you can access your credit card through your phone. It is definitely about finding balance.

Listening to this podcast reminded me that I want to get to a place where I don’t want things to come into my home. Most areas I have achieved that, but not with clothing! So it is just an area that I need to continue to be aware of and more intentional with what I bring in.

The YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this blog post.

FEELING UNINSPIRED AND OUT OF TOUCH

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As I sit here staring at a blank screen and blinking cursor, I’m wondering how creatives deal with feeling uninspired. I like to stay consistent and bring you content every week, and share something meaningful for my Thoughtful Thursday series, but the reality is sometimes I’m feeling uninspired.

A friend shared a Jim Rohn quote with me recently and I shared that quote on Instagram. It says, “If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” And when I shared this quote I was thinking it would be a great topic to share on Thursday. But the truth is, I’m wondering if I’m not the best person to deliver this message. I felt uninspired because I was feeling like a fraud. I was feeling like someone who is out of touch with what most people experience day to day. Let me explain.

I do agree with this quote 100%! I think a lot of people make excuses for their choices in life. They say they don’t have the time or the money to do certain things. To get in shape, to eat healthy, to get out of debt, to travel… and many more examples. I think the reality is, it’s about priorities more than it is about what we can or can’t do. We all have different values and priorities. Instead of saying I don’t have the time to do X, Y, Z we should be saying that is not something I value so I’m not prioritizing that in my life right now.

I hesitated to share this message because I am at a unique place in life right now. I recognize that I have more time margin and probably more disposable income than the average person in America. This makes it easier for me to prioritize things that other people who have to allocate their time towards work or taking care of young kids could not. I feel like because of this, it’s hard for me to deliver this message. I feel like I would be met with, but you don’t know what MY situation is like. And that is true. I will say this is just a snapshot of my life right now – a small snapshot compared to my 51 years of life. I have definitely experienced busier seasons in life, but even in those seasons I was able to prioritize what was important to me.

Exercise is a great example. This is something that I have always prioritized. I started running when I was 11 years old and basically prioritized health and fitness ever since. Through my college years, through 3 pregnancies, even in the busiest season in my life with all three of my kids in school and after school activities while I was working a part time job and dedicating time towards volunteering with two non for profit organizations! If you really want to do something, you will find a way!

One thing this quote made me evaluate is how I am actually spending my time and money. If you have been around long enough, you know I am someone who is regularly evaluating my behavior and my habits and determining if there are things I need to do differently. This quote reminded me that any time I think or say “I don’t have time for…” or “I don’t have money for…” what I really need to say is that I am not prioritizing that thing. If that makes me feel uncomfortable, then I want to reevaluate my priorities and values. An easy way to determine this is to look at your bank statement. That will quickly show you what you value. You could keep a log or to-do list of what you get done each day, this will also give you a picture of your values and priorities.

I didn’t want to sound harsh, insensitive, or out of touch when sharing this with you, but I will remind you that often I share these messages just as much for me as for you! I’m challenging myself, along with you, to start rephrasing when you don’t want to do something by saying, “I don’t prioritize that” or “I don’t value that.” If it makes us uncomfortable, then we need to evaluate our priorities!

Here is the YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this blog post.

DECLUTTERING EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE

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While decorating my home for spring I was really surprised to realize how much home decor I have decluttered over the last several years. It felt so much more simple to switch my decor into this new season. In the past I had felt completely overwhelmed by my decor and trying to decide what to put out each season. I now have a curated collection and have distinct pieces for each season, making it a lot less overwhelming to decorate.

As I have really made great progress on my decluttering journey, especially over the last couple of years, I feel lighter and my spaces are feeling more manageable. Especially now after my no buy year and being more intentional with what comes into my home. When we get our physical spaces simplified, it leaves room and time for our mental and emotional spaces. I am beginning to realize that simply removing physical clutter isn’t enough for mental health. We also need to declutter emotional baggage, toxic patterns of thinking, and unhealthy dynamics in our relationships. Getting all of the physical clutter out of the way just made the space for more clarity in my life in general. 

Before I really tackle my emotional and mental clutter, I know there is still some physical clutter I need to deal with, perhaps related to that emotional and mental clutter, specifically sentimental items. I have gotten rid of some sentimental items over the years, but I am now in a place where I’m really feeling ready to tackle some things that I previously felt like I didn’t want to deal with. Some of it is physical, but even the sentimental digital clutter can hold us back. One specific thing I did this week, which I have been wanting to do for a while, was to fully delete my TikTok account. Truthfully I have not used it in a couple of years, but I just left the content sitting there. At the beginning of this year I really felt like I was supposed to completely delete it, but I was having a hard time because of all of the content I had shared there. I know that I could download the content and keep it archived for myself, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized the majority of the content I shared on that platform was from a different time in my life. I used that space to process some of my emotions and feelings, without sharing personal details of my life. I really feel like that chapter is coming to a close and I’m on the horizon of a new chapter in life. I felt like by deleting that account, I made space for the new to enter.

Life transitions can be difficult. Sometimes when we go through new seasons, we feel like we are losing something or things. But, we can look at it in a different way and see what we are gaining instead. We must let go of the old to make room for the new. Letting go of those TikTok videos for me was a tangible way of opening up the possibility for the new. 

I do have other physical sentimental clutter that I would like to go through this year. I know for sure one thing I need to tackle is my photos! I have a lot of physical photo negatives that I would like to convert into digital photos. I have just started to look into that, so if you have any suggestions or websites that you know of, please let me know! I also have some sentimental items in my attic space that I have just not wanted to go through, but I am feeling it is time! Once we master decluttering our physical spaces, it becomes easier to declutter our emotional and mental clutter as well. Arguably it is much more challenging, but we slowly build our decluttering muscles as we declutter physical things, giving us that strength to tackle more difficult things!

This is the YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this blog post!

LESSONS FROM A DECLUTTERING CHALLENGE

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Last month I played the minimalism game. If you’re not familiar with it, you can look it up, but ultimately in this 30 day challenge you declutter 465 items from your home! I have played this game a few other times before. Each time I have doubted if I would be able to successfully complete the challenge, and each time after that I have even more doubts as I have less in my home to declutter! This last time I was sure I wouldn’t be able to meet the goal of 465 items and technically I did not just because of the way I counted items. Sometimes I would have multiple of one type of item and I would count that as one or as a “lot,” so I do give myself grace. The way I was counting, in the end I had 405 items to declutter from my home! Although I didn’t technically meet the 465 items, I was still shocked at how much I was able to let go. I did have my daughter helping me with the challenge. Our 29 year old daughter is currently living with us as she completes grad school, so any items she decluttered I counted toward the final number. I was okay counting her things too because they are still leaving my home and one intention I have in 2026 is to help my family members get serious about decluttering their things as well.

I wanted to share what I learned from this last round of the minimalism game. First, I learned that when you’re on the fence about something, typically that means that ultimately you don’t really love it enough to keep it. Quite a lot of the items in this round were items that I have been on the fence about, either for a long time or even just recently. I didn’t really love them, but I also had space for them so I wasn’t letting them go. I know that if I hold onto them they will not be used most of the time. If I pass them along, someone can enjoy them more regularly than they were getting used by me. I did pass some items along to my friends, and that made me feel better about letting them go, knowing they would be used and loved by others. Having this goal from the game really pushed me to be realistic about how often I am using certain items.

I also learned that little by little I am getting closer to my goal of becoming more of a minimalist. I know that term has a lot of stigmas attached to it, so I will explain what it means to me. It means making each of my spaces – even in my cabinets and drawers – feeling like the stuff is easy to manage, but also still feel cozy and inviting. My living room is my plumb line for me, so to speak. I absolutely love how that room feels. It feels so relaxing because I know I use and/or love everything that is in that room. It is easy to clean, and even to deep clean now that it is minimized. The last time I deep cleaned, top to bottom, it took me about 30 minutes. My goal is for every space in my home to feel that way! I feel like I am truly getting there. But I do live with other people, so they have stuff that I may not keep but I have to respect what they want since we share the space.

Next, I learned that we still have more stuff than I think we do! If I was able to get rid of 405 items in 30 days? Clearly we still have a lot of stuff! Now to be fair, we have been married for almost 30 years and we have raised 3 kids and 2 dogs! But I was surprised that I was able to find that much to declutter! I know that it will help tremendously moving forward just being more intentional about what comes into our home. I think sometimes people underestimate that slowing the inflow will have a huge impact on the amount of clutter in your home!

Speaking of inflow, lastly I learned the importance of managing inflow. You may know that I did a no buy year last year. That was specifically for clothes, shoes, accessories, and home decor as these are the categories that seem to multiply quickly if I’m not paying attention. In 2026 I am being far more intentional with my purchases and only allowing myself to purchase a maximum of 3 items in these categories each month. Having these boundaries I think will really help me to stay honest and not slide down a slippery slope. I do want to share with you each month what I do purchase to hold myself accountable! So in January I did purchase a pair of shoes. It is another pair of tennis shoes… I know, I know… I have a lot of tennis shoes! But I do primarily wear athletic shoes and I did declutter a few pairs of shoes in general in my most recent closet clean out. I also purchased a pair of pillow shams that match the lighter side of my bedroom comforter. I really wanted to purchase a new comforter and rug for my bedroom but I decided I don’t really need that. A compromise was to purchase these shams and flip my comforter over!

It felt so good to get that amount of stuff out of my home, so I am very glad I challenged myself to play the minimalism game once again! I hope these lessons are helpful to you on your own decluttering journey!

Here is the YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this blog post.

REASONS TO DECLUTTER

/ OrganizedWithJoy / 2 Comments

Having extra stuff in our lives, in our spaces, causes anxiety. Everyday when we walk into our spaces, we must process what’s going on. All five senses are engaged to subconsciously make sense of our surroundings. I think this is true for everyone to a degree, but this is particularly true for people who have been through trauma. Our spaces can be a sanctuary – a safe haven, or they can be a place of chaos, causing unrest in our minds and bodies, which causes anxiety. This was my initial main reason I began my own decluttering journey. To create tranquil spaces in every corner of my home. Spaces that calmed my nervous system, not triggered it.

I have been actively working on decluttering my home for over 10 years now. I have seen a progression in why I choose to declutter. At first it was to calm my spaces. Every room in my home was overcrowded with stuff. I disguised it as coziness, but the truth was it was just clutter. As I continued on this journey, I realized that having less physical possessions gave me extra time to do other things. I wasn’t spending as much time cleaning and organizing my spaces. Having less possessions gave me mental clarity. I began to declutter more because I saw the value in having more time and mental clarity. I could be more intentional with my life.

Down the road, I began to realize the buy/declutter cycle. As I continued my decluttering journey, I saw the value in being more intentional with what I brought into my home. I realized that the impact of all of my decluttering wouldn’t be sustained if I kept bringing new possessions into my home. That’s when I did my first no buy year, back in 2019. I had changed my spending habits after that year, but slowly old habits began to creep back in and in 2025 I decided to do another no buy year to reset my spending habits. I am hopeful as I look towards the future as I feel this had a big impact on me. As we become more intentional with our spending, we begin to see how much money we can save just by eliminating some spending which allows for freedom!

Now I see a new phase on my horizon. I see another reason to continue the decluttering process. I am realizing as I look around my home that I have a lot of things that I use, but I don’t use often. I am realizing that it is selfish of me to hang on to things I don’t use often because these things could bring someone else joy! On one of my recent YouTube videos, a loyal subscribers Jenny, made a comment which really resonated with me. It was a video where I was cleaning out my husband’s office. I had several things that I got rid of that day that I had been debating for a while and I also had a piece of home decor that I decided to display instead of leaving in the closet. She said, “it’s poor stewardship to hold on to something that you don’t use or display when someone else would be grateful to have and enjoy it now.” That really stuck me, and challenged me in a good way! I have upped my decluttering progress to the next level with this idea in mind! I need to be realistic with myself of how often I will really use items.

This month in January I am playing the minimalism game – where you get rid of one thing on day one, two things on day two and so on. I’m not being strict about sticking with the number of items each day. I am just collecting things as I see them and I’m hopeful that I will reach that 465 items number by the end of the month! I know this seems lofty, and even I’m not totally confident in my ability to succeed at this challenge, but check out my YouTube channel at the end of the month to see if I was successful! I will be sharing the process over there. I always have my YouTube channel linked at the bottom of each post. That video will be out the last Sunday of the month.

We all declutter differently. We declutter at a different pace and the amount we own and are willing to let go is different. But with this in mind, I think the best piece of decluttering advice I could give is to know why you are decluttering. Knowing your why can help motivate you to keep making a part of your routines. Can you relate to wanting to calm your space? Maybe you want to save money, or just be more financially responsible. Or perhaps you realize that you can bless others with the items you don’t use as often. Whatever the reason, it is good to know your why! Decluttering can be exhausting, both physically and emotionally. But it is so worth it in the end!

This is the YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this blog post.