The best way to declutter is to do a bit daily so it’s not overwhelming! Here are a few practical ways to declutter and how they impact your health and stress!

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Maybe you’re like me and clutter literally paralyzes you—like you can’t remember why you walked into the room or can’t remember where you put the glass of water that you just poured yourself 5 minutes ago.

…and there’s a good reason for that.

Clutter (both physical and emotional) stresses and overwhelmed our brains!

But doing a huge week long declutter session isn’t really on your radar or time commitment.

What if you could declutter on a micro level, with little moments throughout the day that fueled your brain, body, productivity, and emotions?

How can decluttering impact our stress and wellness?

You might be in a weakened state of energy or on the brink of getting sick—stress can set you over the edge and worsen the situation. I’m sure you’ve experienced it—sometimes it’s something as simple as not being able to find what you need or feeling overwhelmed at work and coming home to overwhelm (aka clutter) at home. It’s just too much for the body and mind. 

• Clutter constantly signals that our work is never done.
• Clutter bombards our brain with excessive stimuli, causing our brain to work overtime on things that aren’t really necessary. 
• Clutter makes it more difficult to relax physically + mentally.

Decluttering isn’t about having a picture-perfect, minimalist house or purging everything you own. Decluttering is about organizing your life so that your physical body and headspace can live free, can live unencumbered.

< Download your free Declutter & Refresh Guide >

5 Simple Ways to Declutter Daily 

Here are a few ways to take advantage of those micro moments and declutter throughout the day so that you can feel free!

Close all your computer tabs at the end of your workday

If you are anything like me, you likely have 100+ tabs open. This mental clutter can make it difficult to focus and starts your new work day off immediately with unnecessary stress. Make a note in your planner of what needs to be wrapped up tomorrow and close all those tabs—even if it’s hard the first few times, it is so freeing. 

How this impacts your wellness + stress: Your brain can’t actually multi-task, it can only task switch which wastes time, energy, and brain power every time you alternate between tasks or tabs on your computer. This overwhelms and clutters your brain with excess stimuli which can lead to stress, anxiety, fatigue, and adrenal dysfunction.

Take 20 minutes each morning to create your plan for the day

Start your morning by asking: what’s most important today? Before you are pulled in a million different directions, make a clear plan. Approach each day with focus so that you can reap the rewards of abundance. Better yet—plan your week ahead each Sunday with our Sunday Prep Flow. 

How this impacts your wellness + stress: When you see all that you “have” to get done your mind can easily start racing and become anxious. Rather if you have a clear action plan for the day you can sit down and start tackling what matters most. Don’t wait till your day is halfway over to set yourself up for success. Settle your mind right from the start!

Clear off your counters at the end of the day

Countertops are a clutter magnet—and the pile-up day after day is what leads to stress and frustration. Start by tossing what you can immediately toss, be ruthless, and don’t waste your time. If you truly don’t need it and won’t miss it in a week, or even a day, toss it. Wipe down your counters with a spritz of cleaning spray for the best start to your day the next morning. 

Bonus tip: if you don’t do this daily, be sure to do it before you go grocery shopping, yes you’ll thank me later!

How this impacts your wellness + stress: Clutter can be a trigger and often the “straw that breaks the camel’s back”—you’ve had an overwhelming day and are holding it together pretty good until you can’t find something as you run out the door or can’t find a spot on your counter to put your bag down. When we can avoid or decrease these stress triggers, we calm our stress hormones, cortisol, blood sugar and anxiety.

Commit to a 15-minute power clean up

Two rules for this: set a timer + start with the space that you use most. This isn’t about how your house looks to others, but how you feel in the spaces you use most. What space is stressing you out the most throughout the day—start there! A few tasks that are always on my list: prep vitamins for the next day, collect all dirty laundry, put away any shoes, coats, purses, or toys, fully clean up the kitchen, fill up the water filter, tidy the living room, clear off the kitchen table. 

How this impacts your wellness + stress: Clutter most often leads to stress when it’s not decluttered on a daily basis. It’s harder to declutter when you are so inundated by the amount that you don’t know where to begin.

Use baskets to keep odds and ends in one centralized space

We all have random little items that we use but never fully have their own dedicated space. Keep a basket, bins, or whatever container you want to use for all your odds and ends. Keep one in each room and even one by the stairs so you can take everything up once at the end of the day.

How this impacts your wellness + stress: When you don’t have time to fully clean or declutter, everything can still quickly go “in its space” leaving you and your environment in peace.

What helps you declutter and stay organized each day?